Bypass pactrol weather watcher

martin704 · Dec 3, 2023

Hi guys
I have a faulty pactrol weather watcher which controls the night storage heaters this is now obsolete and I can't find a replacement anywhere. My question is can this be removed and bypassed.
I already have a e7 meter that does the switching so can the weather watcher be linked out so the meter activates the contactor for the Off-peak board.
Any help appreciated

Avo Mk8 · Dec 3, 2023

Presumably the contactor switching your off-peak board by the Pactrol device is your property, and is not a DNO supplied switch?
I would have thought the safest way would be to install a timer to operate the contactor, making sure the timing is set to tally with the E7 period.
I'm not sure you would be allowed to take a feed from the meter -that's DNO property!

https://www.pactrol.com/pdfs/Pactrol_weather_watcher.pdf

https://www.pactrol.com/pdfs/Pactrol_weather_watcher_install_guide.pdf

martin704 · Dec 3, 2023

Avo Mk8 said:
Presumably the contactor switching your off-peak board by the Pactrol device is your property, and is not a DNO supplied switch?
I would have thought the safest way would be to install a timer to operate the contactor, making sure the timing is set to tally with the E7 period.
I'm not sure you would be allowed to take a feed from the meter -that's DNO property!

https://www.pactrol.com/pdfs/Pactrol_weather_watcher.pdf

https://www.pactrol.com/pdfs/Pactrol_weather_watcher_install_guide.pdf

Hi yes the contactor is mine it's not the DNOs. The meter I have already has the switched neutral feed coming out the meter for Off-peak. It then goes into a fuse (only the neutral wire) and a connection box which comes out in 2.5 T+E that splits off into the weather watcher that activates the contactor.
But as the weather watcher is broken the contactor is not being energized.
I did already think of replacing it with a timed switch but as the meter already switches itself over to Off-peak I would have to have a permanent supply to run the timer. but the switching would have to be done on the neutral as I only have a switched neutral (for Off-peak) coming from the meter.

David G James · Jul 22, 2024

Hello Martin and Avo, I have the exact problem that you have described, i.e. the PACTROL controller no longer functions and a spare is no longer available. To overcome this I have installed an ordinary plugin time switch into a nearby mains socket, removed the PACTROL pcb from its socket and connected the phase and neutral output from the time switch to terminals 6 and 7 on the PACTROL. By adjusting the time switch to achieve the desired heat I find this as an acceptable workaround. N.B. I've installed a 3amp fuse in the plug top and switched off the supply to the PACTROL.

martin704 · Jul 23, 2024

[ElectriciansForums.net] Bypass pactrol weather watcher

hi David
Yea I kinda did the same thing in the end. Just used a timer module to control the three phase contactor. Programmed inline with economy 7 hours.