Re: x10 over three phase

[Nigel Orr <nigel.orr@xxxxxxx>]

At 14:09 04/03/99 -0000, you wrote:
>Yes. The electrician initially said I might get away with it, so we
>submitted an additional load form to the EB and they said I need a
>bigger cable

It must be _very_ EB-dependent- unless your fuse is remarkably small- even
when adding a fairly large load to an existing supply (this is an outdoor
centre with 4 electric showers, 3 immersion heaters, various small kitchen
electrics, lighting, some additional electric heating (all on a single
phase 100A fuse)), the local EB (Hydro) came out, had a look at the cables,
and said "We'll just stick a bigger fuse on for you"...  I've
never had the
misfortune to have to submit an 'additional load form', especially to fit
something not much bigger than an immersion heater, and about the same size
as an electric oven... you don't have a gas cooker but cable for an
electric one by any chance?

> - unless they're ripping me off as well, which seems
>unlikely as it will cost them a lot of money.  They want =A3400 off me
for
>the bit up my path, but the electrician says it will cost them a few
>thousand for the bit on other properties and the road. Haha!

I think you maybe ought to get a second opinion- either post to uk.d-i-y if
you don't mind some donkey-work, email me once you get more details on your
existing fuse and say what you currently have connected, or ask another
electrician (with the last option being best by far).  The EB will very
unlikely have to upgrade _anything_ to give you another phase, unless your
road's cables are on their last legs anyway.  Are you _certain_ that he did
contact the EB, and isn't just having you on?  Have you spoken to them?
This 'balanced 2-phase' bit has me convinced something is not quite pukka
about this...

>I don't want to X10 my shower as you rightly say, but if I have to go
>3-phase I don't want to buy x-10 stuff and find it won't work.

If you do have to go 3-phase, and they want you to guarantee balanced loads
(and I have to say at this point that someone is trying to make money out
of you or doesn't know what they're talking about), then you would have to
worry about 3-phase X10, if you keep all your existing equipment on one
phase and only have a shower on the other, you don't have to worry about
it- single phase is one of the three phases anyway, there's nothing special
about it.

But, until I see evidence to the contrary, I have to reckon that someone is
'at it', having _never_ seen a domestic 3-phase supply required.

I'll be speaking to someone who works on the technical side of the local EB
tonight- I'll ask him what he reckons...

Nigel

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