3 phase electricity

[guitarman]

wonder if anyone can help. ive just purchased a 9bedroom house, and have approved planning for 5 flats, the house was commercial before (a womans refuge) there is a 3 phase board there but unfortunatley only a single phase supply. as i am going to require 4 new supplies in total, im wondering if its cheaper to request 2 x 3 phase supplies, my reckoning is it might be cheaper and hopefully i will only have to dig 1 trench. can anyone advise me on these possibilities or point me in the right direction? thanks in advance.

 

[trev]

I'll get a couple of rounds in the arms

 

[guitarman]

yes richard i agree. i called the suppliers today and they have assured me that my supply is a 3 phase one using 45kva, and they said only 1 phase was being used, i hope this is the case, but my electrician is adamant there is only 1 phase electric in the building. could it be 2 phases are blanked off and hidden somewhere richard?

 

[Engineer54]

Not hidden, just that there is probably no service fuses in the available but unused phases at the service cut-out... lol!!!

 

[DurhamSparky]

Oi Trev....!! i hope i get a look in lol...!

Guitarman, the other phases wont be hidden any where they just wont be cabled in at the service head...

where the metre and fuse is for the incoming supply all they do is remove the 2 redundant fuses and cables and install a single phase meter utilising one of the phases.

here is a 3 phase supply been converted back to single phase as the premises did not need it...

View attachment 14784

 

[guitarman]

so does that mean i still have 3 phase somewhere in the building but just have to locate it?
or another way of putting it if its still there somewhere i ont have to purchase it from a supplier?

 

[guitarman]

sorry, i dont know where/what the service head is

 

[DurhamSparky]

if you find the black box as located in teh pic above and count the number of carriers on it that should give an indication.
it will probably be located next to your meter

if its already installed which by the sounds of it "45kVA" it will only need re-energising by your supplier and metering equiptment fitted. so should not cost you too much. i would get another spark to have a look over the building with you as 2 people can suggest better ways to do things..!

 

[guitarman]

cheers durhamsparky, your advice is very welcome indeed.

 

[DurhamSparky]

not a problem. out of curiosity where is this building located? i have just finished a 7 bed HMO property in durham which was fun and games.!

 

[guitarman]

its in whitley bay, im not allowed to turn this into an hmo residents complaining, so have to go for flats.