Electrician for "electricity leak" ?

Astria

The wires should go through the smart meter first, before the consumer unit.

Anything before the smart meter is the electric companies responsibility and you could be fined for messing with it.

Anything after is your responsibility.

Gerry1

waqasahmed said:

Gerry1 said:

waqasahmed said:

EssexHebridean said:

My under-counter freezer alternates between pulling nothing at all and around 70w when the compressor kicks in, so I've agree that I'd expect a FF to be a little higher than that depending on age and size. 

 It's theoretically using 36w/hour given the annual consumption of 318 kWh

It's true that the average consumption will be 36W (plain watts, not watts per hour) but that won't be a steady value.  The compressor will cycle on and off, so at any given moment its consumption will be close to zero (just few watts for the control system, wi-fi etc) or something closer to 100W when the compressor is running.

With the solar system isolated and absolutely everything switched off at the consumer unit, watch the red light (marked 1000 Imp/kWh or similar) for several minutes: it shouldn't even flash once.  If it does, you have a faulty meter or a wiring problem.

Thanks. I'll do this. Then, if I've gone through all those steps and time that hopefully gives me more info

Once absolutely everything has been sorted at a fuse board and a solar panel level then I've got data to use and say "Look your smart meter is dodgy"

Actually, tell a lie, RE: the wiring problem, would that be up to me to get someone to fix it? Or the leccy company? (Not sure if your referring to wires in the house, or wires from the consumer unit to the smart meter) 

The electricity supplier's responsibility stops at the meter; anything downstream of the meter is your responsibility.  If your car has a leaky tank or fuel pipe, it's not the petrol station's problem, their responsibility ends at the nozzle !

Petriix

The first thing that springs to mind is: you say your smart meter shows you are using 200W. Do you mean the IHD which displays your current usage? If so it could actually be showing what you are exporting to the grid rather than importing. Depending on the model some show export with a pylon type symbol, a negative number or just zero (which mine does), but some make no distinction between import and export. Check if the actual meter reading is increasing.

Another possibility is if you have a hybrid inverter and a battery it's possible that your battery is charging from the grid - perhaps if it's reached a critical low voltage and is emergency charging to bring it above the minimum level.

Other than that...It's entirely possible that there is something branched off from your main incoming electric supply before your main consumer unit. I say this because my EV charger is separated in this way using a Henley block. You need to double check that there isn't anything else connected which doesn't go through the CU.

From experience it's highly unlikely that there is a random 200W draw constantly on your supply. Possible exceptions include powering communal lighting or part of another flat if you live in a house which has been divided into multiple flats, but I assume that none of these could apply in your case as it's unusual to have solar installed at a flat.

markin

Start-up the SPH system

Users can start-up SPH inverters through following steps:

1. Connect to PV

2. Connect to Grid

3. Connect to Battery

4. Turn the switch on in turn of Grid, battery and PV

5. When the LED turns green, the working information on LCD indicates the successful start-up of SPH

inverter

7.2 Disconnect the SPH system

1. Turn off all the circuit breaker and switch

2. Disconnect PV

3. Disconnect the inverter

4. Disconnect the battery

5. Pull up AC PLUG connection

6. Waiting until LED, LCD display have gone out, the SPH is shut down completely

 

anon_ymous

Gerry1 said:

waqasahmed said:

Gerry1 said:

waqasahmed said:

EssexHebridean said:

My under-counter freezer alternates between pulling nothing at all and around 70w when the compressor kicks in, so I've agree that I'd expect a FF to be a little higher than that depending on age and size. 

 It's theoretically using 36w/hour given the annual consumption of 318 kWh

It's true that the average consumption will be 36W (plain watts, not watts per hour) but that won't be a steady value.  The compressor will cycle on and off, so at any given moment its consumption will be close to zero (just few watts for the control system, wi-fi etc) or something closer to 100W when the compressor is running.

With the solar system isolated and absolutely everything switched off at the consumer unit, watch the red light (marked 1000 Imp/kWh or similar) for several minutes: it shouldn't even flash once.  If it does, you have a faulty meter or a wiring problem.

Thanks. I'll do this. Then, if I've gone through all those steps and time that hopefully gives me more info

Once absolutely everything has been sorted at a fuse board and a solar panel level then I've got data to use and say "Look your smart meter is dodgy"

Actually, tell a lie, RE: the wiring problem, would that be up to me to get someone to fix it? Or the leccy company? (Not sure if your referring to wires in the house, or wires from the consumer unit to the smart meter) 

The electricity supplier's responsibility stops at the meter; anything downstream of the meter is your responsibility.  If your car has a leaky tank or fuel pipe, it's not the petrol station's problem, their responsibility ends at the nozzle !

Sure. I get that. I was just wondering what they meant tby dodgy wiring ie: their wires, or my wires?

I'm well aware that I'm NOT to touch their equipment but I wasn't sure which wires you're referring to. Theirs? or mine?

anon_ymous

Petriix said:

The first thing that springs to mind is: you say your smart meter shows you are using 200W. Do you mean the IHD which displays your current usage? If so it could actually be showing what you are exporting to the grid rather than importing. Depending on the model some show export with a pylon type symbol, a negative number or just zero (which mine does), but some make no distinction between import and export. Check if the actual meter reading is increasing.

Another possibility is if you have a hybrid inverter and a battery it's possible that your battery is charging from the grid - perhaps if it's reached a critical low voltage and is emergency charging to bring it above the minimum level.

Other than that...It's entirely possible that there is something branched off from your main incoming electric supply before your main consumer unit. I say this because my EV charger is separated in this way using a Henley block. You need to double check that there isn't anything else connected which doesn't go through the CU.

From experience it's highly unlikely that there is a random 200W draw constantly on your supply. Possible exceptions include powering communal lighting or part of another flat if you live in a house which has been divided into multiple flats, but I assume that none of these could apply in your case as it's unusual to have solar installed at a flat.

Sorry, the IHD? It's deffo the import, not the export

Mine has the ability to differentiate. I did also consider that the battery might be the thing pulling power from the grid too. There's no communal lighting/flats. It's a semi detached house

[Deleted User]

https://octopus.energy/blog/perils-working-tech-innovators/

Astria

waqasahmed said:

Gerry1 said:

waqasahmed said:

Gerry1 said:

waqasahmed said:

EssexHebridean said:

My under-counter freezer alternates between pulling nothing at all and around 70w when the compressor kicks in, so I've agree that I'd expect a FF to be a little higher than that depending on age and size. 

 It's theoretically using 36w/hour given the annual consumption of 318 kWh

It's true that the average consumption will be 36W (plain watts, not watts per hour) but that won't be a steady value.  The compressor will cycle on and off, so at any given moment its consumption will be close to zero (just few watts for the control system, wi-fi etc) or something closer to 100W when the compressor is running.

With the solar system isolated and absolutely everything switched off at the consumer unit, watch the red light (marked 1000 Imp/kWh or similar) for several minutes: it shouldn't even flash once.  If it does, you have a faulty meter or a wiring problem.

Thanks. I'll do this. Then, if I've gone through all those steps and time that hopefully gives me more info

Once absolutely everything has been sorted at a fuse board and a solar panel level then I've got data to use and say "Look your smart meter is dodgy"

Actually, tell a lie, RE: the wiring problem, would that be up to me to get someone to fix it? Or the leccy company? (Not sure if your referring to wires in the house, or wires from the consumer unit to the smart meter) 

The electricity supplier's responsibility stops at the meter; anything downstream of the meter is your responsibility.  If your car has a leaky tank or fuel pipe, it's not the petrol station's problem, their responsibility ends at the nozzle !

Sure. I get that. I was just wondering what they meant tby dodgy wiring ie: their wires, or my wires?

"dodgy wires" = "anything that can not be easily explained"

Petriix

waqasahmed said:

Petriix said:

The first thing that springs to mind is: you say your smart meter shows you are using 200W. Do you mean the IHD which displays your current usage? If so it could actually be showing what you are exporting to the grid rather than importing. Depending on the model some show export with a pylon type symbol, a negative number or just zero (which mine does), but some make no distinction between import and export. Check if the actual meter reading is increasing.

Another possibility is if you have a hybrid inverter and a battery it's possible that your battery is charging from the grid - perhaps if it's reached a critical low voltage and is emergency charging to bring it above the minimum level.

Other than that...It's entirely possible that there is something branched off from your main incoming electric supply before your main consumer unit. I say this because my EV charger is separated in this way using a Henley block. You need to double check that there isn't anything else connected which doesn't go through the CU.

From experience it's highly unlikely that there is a random 200W draw constantly on your supply. Possible exceptions include powering communal lighting or part of another flat if you live in a house which has been divided into multiple flats, but I assume that none of these could apply in your case as it's unusual to have solar installed at a flat.

Sorry, the IHD? It's deffo the import, not the export

Mine has the ability to differentiate. I did also consider that the battery might be the thing pulling power from the grid too. There's no communal lighting/flats. It's a semi detached house

Ok. IHD = In House Display, as opposed to the smart meter itself which is in a cupboard or garage etc.

So, you have a hybrid inverter with a battery. Do you have any way of monitoring the power flow through the inverter to/from the battery? I'd very much suspect that the battery is drawing a small amount, possibly because it thinks there's more surplus solar than there actually is or maybe just because you fully depleted it and the BMS is trying to protect it from under voltage. What type of battery is it?

anon_ymous

Petriix said:

waqasahmed said:

Petriix said:

The first thing that springs to mind is: you say your smart meter shows you are using 200W. Do you mean the IHD which displays your current usage? If so it could actually be showing what you are exporting to the grid rather than importing. Depending on the model some show export with a pylon type symbol, a negative number or just zero (which mine does), but some make no distinction between import and export. Check if the actual meter reading is increasing.

Another possibility is if you have a hybrid inverter and a battery it's possible that your battery is charging from the grid - perhaps if it's reached a critical low voltage and is emergency charging to bring it above the minimum level.

Other than that...It's entirely possible that there is something branched off from your main incoming electric supply before your main consumer unit. I say this because my EV charger is separated in this way using a Henley block. You need to double check that there isn't anything else connected which doesn't go through the CU.

From experience it's highly unlikely that there is a random 200W draw constantly on your supply. Possible exceptions include powering communal lighting or part of another flat if you live in a house which has been divided into multiple flats, but I assume that none of these could apply in your case as it's unusual to have solar installed at a flat.

Sorry, the IHD? It's deffo the import, not the export

Mine has the ability to differentiate. I did also consider that the battery might be the thing pulling power from the grid too. There's no communal lighting/flats. It's a semi detached house

Ok. IHD = In House Display, as opposed to the smart meter itself which is in a cupboard or garage etc.

So, you have a hybrid inverter with a battery. Do you have any way of monitoring the power flow through the inverter to/from the battery? I'd very much suspect that the battery is drawing a small amount, possibly because it thinks there's more surplus solar than there actually is or maybe just because you fully depleted it and the BMS is trying to protect it from under voltage. What type of battery is it?

I have emailed someonje to see if they can install a power meter JUST for that. It's a Growatt SPH3000 inverter, with one x Growatt 3.3 Kw battery

I did check using the IHD (showing import, not export)

I've seen this thingy

https://www.ginverter.com/products/smart-meter