electric srorage heaters on during the day

[rachel178]

I am currently staying in one of my rental flats and was suprised when I turned the wall switch to on for the storage heaters they came on even though it was 10pm. I have a key (pay as you go) meter and that has listings for the day rate and the economy 7, although it only shows £3.70 as being used on economy 7. The flat was rewired a few years ago. Before it had the old type fuse boxes with wire, but the storage heaters were on a seperate one. Now everything is in one large box with switches all of which are labeled. From what I have read on google I am wondering if the problem lies with there only being one fuse box. Before I call an electrician in has anyone any ideas on how storage heaters can operate on a fuse box that serves everything and be tripped to go on at the right time.

 

[TheKeymeister]

It is possible to have a consumer unit with two supplies, one for normal supplies and one for off peak. A picture of the board would help, as it could look like it has two supplies but just be a normal split RCD board

 

[plugwash]

First question where is the flat in question? is it in the UK as your reference to prices in pounds implies or is it in spain where your profile says you are?

Either way can you provide pictures of the setup?

 

[rachel178]

Hopefully I have attatched a photo. I think the economy seven is working as I worked out how to read that bit off the meter. But I don't think the storage heaters are trigered by it going onto the night tarif. Before the storage heaters were on a seperate meter to the rest. The property was rewired a few years ago and now everything is on one box.

 

[OwainDIYer]

To where does the thin grey wire from the meter go?

Could you flip down the cover so we can see what the circuit breakers are labelled please?

Untitled

• rachel178
• 30 Jan 2013
• 1

 

[rachel178]

The flat is in the Uk.

 

[rachel178]

I am not there now. I don't know where the thin wire goes. The fuses for the storage heaters are going from the right hand side numbers 4 to 7.

 

[OwainDIYer]

I can't see any method of time controlling the storage heaters.

The grey wire should operate a contactor to control the heating circuits. Otherwise they'll be on all the time.

 

[rachel178]

They are on all the time, so that must be where the problem is. I will have to ask an electrician to have a look at it for me. Thanks.

 

[Vanessa27]

I am not an electrician, but as I have no timer for my gas central heating boiler, I sometimes use one of those cheap plug in timers which you plug into the mains, and plug in the device to the timer. Only a few euros,, you pull the pins for off and on.