Please help me assess my wiring/heating

[dtester]

Hi everyone - have been really impressed with all the useful information that I have gleamed from here so far, so I thought that I may get some support with my house wiring. I am currently assessing the heating at home and bills, I am on Economy 7 with storage heaters and not impressed. Now, the heaters are traditional dimplex units with input control and boost control - no additional convection heating and are wired into the wall with an on/off switch

Questions:
From looking at my wiring - how is Economy 7 set up, if you can tell. Will I have a day/night circuit. Or will it all be radio timed for cheap rate during economy 7 hrs? If it is the latter, with everything being on 1 supply - how can I avoid my storage heaters caining my supply during the day?

Here are some screen shots of my wiring:

My main supply where the meter is:

Does it look like I have a 1 supply that is radio timed, or a separate circuit for the economy 7?

My main board:

Just for interest really. Storage heaters are on their own RCD on the board.

Here is my usage data for a typical days supply with my storage heaters on:

As you can see my storage heaters seem to be hitting the supply in a cycle all day, rather than just charging at night as I would expect with the heat dissipated during the day.

Another day, with heating on, set lower - but you can see that it is almost like the storage heaters are 12 hrs out of sync. Am thinking that if I have a radio timed second supply feed for economy 7 for the storage heaters that it may be out of sync? My day rate usage compared to night time usage is huge - considering that the property is empty during the day (hence doing this investigating.)

Here is my supply summary for the past week or so, any comments greatly received, are the daily totals about right for running 2 storage heaters - 1 1.5KW, other 2KW?

My current usage summary:

Am happy with the spike, as this is my hot water immersion coming on for 40 mins between 0545-0645. Note the 16p rate represents a single tariff - it cannot log Day/Night rates together.

Has anyone got any thoughts - should I get the economy 7 radio timer checked by my supplier - if so, how do I go about doing this as my supplier have said they're not responsible?

I have not got mains gas - should I look at installing another electric heating solution such as Rointe http://www.ecoheatingcompany.co.uk/rointe-radiators and changing to a non E7 tariff such as Eon?

Incidentally all the data logging was done using the fabulous products from Alertme.com - been finding this really useful to unpick what is going on with regards to my supply. But you can see I am drawing much more during the day, due to my heaters than I should.

Anything that anyone can suggest would be much appreciated.

Dom

 

[ricicle]

The red line cable at the bottom of the picture (the smaller looking one from the teleswitch) - is it looping back up into the block. Is that a double pole block ?

If it isn't then the teleswitch is not doing anything and your storage heaters are on constantly.

 

[dtester]

Hi ricicle, thank you ever so much for the prompt reply to my post. I will have a look at the red cabling from the teleswitch when I get home. Am pretty sure that the red cable (left hand one as you look at the teleswitch) enters the block top right but I am not sure whether it is a double pole block or not - any easy way of telling? Am also wondering if I have my data logging clamp on the correct cable, but pretty sure I am.

Dom

 

[ban-all-sheds]

My main supply where the meter is:

<A photo showing unique meter etc numbers that can identify you>

You should re-post a version with those details masked out.

Just for interest really. Storage heaters are on their own RCD on the board.

Can't read the labels on the CU, but there's only 1 circuit on an RCD, unless for some reason a switch has been fitted downstream of it.

I have not got mains gas - should I look at installing another electric heating solution such as Rointe http://www.ecoheatingcompany.co.uk/rointe-radiators and changing to a non E7 tariff such as Eon?

ATEOTD they are still electric heaters, and if you run them in the day you will still be paying 12p or so per kWh.

http://www.confusedaboutenergy.co.uk/index.php/domestic-fuels/fuel-prices

 

[wcavanagh]

I cant help you with your supply.

But happy to see another Alertme customer, been using them over a year now and love it.

Anyway good luck.

Will

 

[dtester]

Thanks All-Sheds - good heads up, I have gone through and edited the photo to anonymise my meter. You are indeed correct about the RCD - they don't go into it - the storage heaters are to the right - have labelled the original pic.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Incidentally all the data logging was done using the fabulous products from Alertme.com

£150

 

[wcavanagh]

Incidentally all the data logging was done using the fabulous products from Alertme.com

£150

Ban,

Its £49.99 with a free display. The £150 is for the full automation setup.

 

[aptsys]

I can see four tails which presumably go to the consumer unit, but it looks like someone mucked up the wiring, and now the teleswitch just provides the signal to the meter and it's switched output is shorted together in that henley block.

Since the henley is after the meter you could potentially recify the situation yourself.

 

[dtester]

Incidentally all the data logging was done using the fabulous products from Alertme.com

£150

Ban,

Its £49.99 with a free display. The £150 is for the full automation setup.

I rather like the alertme solution, and yes it was £50 - what I really like is the iphone app allowing to control alertme switches across my house via the web - bit like the x11 stuff control stuff. In addition it also runs my home security solution for very little money and some great features.

Aptsys - would any further pictures help - I was hoping that it may be a circuit issue. However, I would not go as far as saying that I am confident doing any work myself lol. I am a little confused as I was under the impression that Economy 7 would switch on the cheap rate for electricity supplied during that time, or, in addition does the time switch switch in a second circuit that my storage heaters should be on? I can see why this would not be working currently. I am clearly switching over to economy 7 as my bills do have a clear statement of usage for both rates as one would expect. Am really appreciating all this help guys.

Dom

 

[yorkspark]

The problem stems from the fact you have a single pole Henley block with all lives joined together, that mains board has 4 tails 2 live 2 neutral and one half should be switched by the teleswitch, this is not happening you need a competent spark to sort out for you.
Btw you have the sensor on the neutral move it across to cable 4 on the meter

 

[gazfen]

Your Storage Heaters Are Not On The Cheap Rate ,, The Live Needs To Go into far terminal on the teleswitch. Its A Proper Bodge Job That Un

 

[dtester]

Thanks Gazfen, I guess I need to get a qualified electrician in to remedy things. Out of interest - who would of wired in to the teleswitch in the first instance - services provider or electrician?

 

[dtester]

The problem stems from the fact you have a single pole Henley block with all lives joined together, that mains board has 4 tails 2 live 2 neutral and one half should be switched by the teleswitch, this is not happening you need a competent spark to sort out for you.
Btw you have the sensor on the neutral move it across to cable 4 on the meter

Thanks Yorkspark - appreciate the input - which one is cable 4 on the meter (colour?) - sorry for what seems like a daft question!

Dom

 

[yorkspark]

The red one from meter to joint, if too tight fit it onto the grey with the loop next to the one it's on already