Off peak immersion working during the day?

mrlennie · Mar 27, 2018

Hi guys could I get some advice?

I went to a customers house to change a thermostat in a thermal store (Gledhill pulsacoil 3) and the spur was labelled "off peak water heater".

I isolated supply and replaced stat. However it appears to have a live supply all the time? I used a clamp meter and it is drawing 13 amps. This was around 1pm.

Her consumer unit has a little indicator that flicks from black to red when it is off peak. Could this mean that she always has power to heater but it is cheaper to use at night? Just trying to get her an answer if any of you know?

Gavin John Hyde · Mar 27, 2018

With some economy setups you can manually override it and use outside the cheaper period but obviously it costs more. Examples being very cold weather where storage heaters are on max all day. It depends on the set up though. Most eco7 systems i see around here are dead as a dodo during the day and cant be over ridden. But like magic come on at night. Also just because the system is set up as a eco system doesnt mean it has not at some stage been altered with the night time cheaper cu being fed from the main daytime board or henley block on the tails possibly even bypassing the eco7 meter or radioswitch thingy.

dmxtothemax · Mar 27, 2018

Have you checked the wiring at the CU and /or tariff switch ?
Does it look like it has been altered ?

mrlennie · Mar 27, 2018

dmxtothemax said:
Have you checked the wiring at the CU and /or tariff switch ?
Does it look like it has been altered ?

Hiya I have not. I am a humble plumber and was just wondering if it was a common occurrence that I have not happened upon.

The meter had 2 reading and both are going up the customer says so I assume the economy 7 is wired up and not completely bypassed?

My next thought is to say to her to put immersion on at night and see what the readings say in the morning. If economy 7 reading goes up then it must be able to be used during the day and then goes to off peak when programmed to.

Octopus · Mar 27, 2018

I think some of those systems have a 24/7 supply ............ so is it wired and switched properly?

Was there another 13A supply close to the one you switched off?

littlespark · Mar 27, 2018

Some suppliers have different off peak systems. Economy 7 as everyone knows... Economy 10 which gives everything a boost through the day and Economy 2000.
That's Scottish Power's invention.

Some E7 systems have a boost programmer, so you can turn on the immersion during the day. (grey box, bigger than a double socket with a white dial) Maybe this is kaput and on all the time

Midwest · Mar 27, 2018

Agree checking if its Economy 10 or similar, in the first instance. Ones I've worked have an on period in the afternoon, early evening but shorter overnight period. Ask your client to check with their fuel supplier.

mrlennie · Mar 27, 2018

Great thanks so much for your suggestions. She does have a boost for the top immersion wired right next to this one.

Just this business of her CU having a little RCD style black / red indicator for eco 7 which I found odd.

Thanks again everyone. Will update when I know more.

Octopus · Mar 27, 2018

Op, if you do a few more posts you will be able to upload pictures

Timbo · Mar 27, 2018

Is it fed from the main consumer unit or is there a separate Economy 7 one?

Percyprod · Mar 27, 2018

Some off peak systems still have mechanical time switches, and although they have either a clockwork or battery back up to take over in the event of a power cut, it doesn't always work, so when the power comes back on the clock is at the wrong time.

Dave OCD · Mar 27, 2018

And just recently I've worked in a bungalow built around 1968 for new owners and the old mechanical timeclock hasn't budged from 1.30am over a 3 week period. [Various visits]. Needless to say the customer has advised her supplier.

mrlennie · Mar 27, 2018

[ElectriciansForums.net] Off peak immersion working during the day?

mrlennie · Mar 27, 2018

Murdoch said:
Op, if you do a few more posts you will be able to upload pictures

Have managed it

The little box on the bottom left where the MCB would have been is where the indicator is - it's really small. Little black ( or red when off peak ) box next to the "ATON" mark.

Timbo · Mar 27, 2018

That is a 4 pole contactor which presumably switches the outputs of the 3 heater mcbs and should also do the off peak water heater.

Do the heaters work as they should - i.e. come on over night?

Is there a timeclock any where nearby to control the contactor? The mcb top left is marked as contactor.

Off peak immersion working during the day?

mrlennie

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Gavin John Hyde

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dmxtothemax

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mrlennie

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Octopus

littlespark

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Midwest

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mrlennie

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Octopus

Timbo

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Percyprod

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Dave OCD

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mrlennie

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mrlennie

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Timbo

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