On 11 Sep, 19:57, "endymion" wrote:
"cynic" wrote in message

...
On 11 Sep, 19:03, "endymion" wrote:





"Derek" wrote in message

.. .

On Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:05:57 +0100, "endymion"
wrote:

"David Hansen" wrote in message
. ..
On Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:09:40 +0100 someone who may be "endymion"
wrote this:-

There MUST be something else using power on the off peak heating
circuit. If you are unable to identify something which is doing this
then I strongly suggest you engage the services of someone with the
knowledge, equipment and ability to track it down. Are you certain
that nothing else inside the dwelling is getting hotter?

I am absolutely certain nothing else is getting hot or seems to be switched
on. *I have a fridge, freezer *and * one low energy light bulb ( 60
equivelent in normal lights) *running all night. *The dishwasher is
programmed to come on at 4,00 am and wash up for an hour and the immersion
heater is time switched *for two hours each night. All of these (and a
washing machine twice a week) * *have used no more than 17 units overnight
every night for the last six weeks.

The day usage ( when I am out anyway) stands steady at about 5 units (
unless I cook a lot in which case it goes up to 10 units) .

When I put the heater on last night it went up to 82 units used in off peak
time. Nothing different on.

"Do you have
any circuits feeding outside buildings? When the "normal" consumption
was taking place where were the off peak heaters switched off - at
each individual unit adjacent switch or at the off-peak consumer unit
main switch?"

Whatever it is is not heating anything because the house is bloody cold!
Thats why I was forced to put heating on. *There are no outbuilding with
anything on. Even if there were, it would be no more than a 60 watt bulb
since my only outbuilding is a toilet ( outside) and the only electric
supply in there is a 60 watt bulb.

All the heaters are switched off individually at their own socket ( whatever
its called - the box which connects them to the electric supply situated at
the side of each heater. When I put the neater on last night I switched that
one heater on. *All the others were off ( and one is missing all together
because I had it taken out when it seemed faulty and haven't put a new one
in). *None of the other heaters are *getting anything other than stone
cold.

There is nothing apparent on. *There is nothing *else to be on. *Thats what
I cannot understand. *I cant even see an electrician picking this one up (
not to mention the cost and worse finding one!!! Despite everything when you
want an electrician all they want to do is small simple jobs , not hunt down
my problems. *Even asking one to come and look at a storage heater which
wasn't working was too much! *A result of *Maggie and her privatization of
utilities. No electric board , no electricians who *will do the work! -
sorry about the rant)

I don't know where to look for something that could use that amount of
electric . I only live in a two bedroom bungalow. Hardly a mansion and *no
fancy appliances or anything.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Where are you that electricians are so hard to come by?

Can you get your hands on a clip-on amp-meter from ebay if nothing
else. This would enable you to check the current drawn by the heater.
It will require access to one of the individual Line or Neutral wires
inside the cable or local isolating switch (beware of the little men
running up your arm). A 3.4kW heater should be drawing around 14.2
Amps but if the supply voltage is nearer 230v than 240v which would be
the basis for an older model it will be lower around 13.6
If the heater is the culprit a higher current would be passing. The
type of fuse or circuit breaker at the supply will influence how much
current can actually pass without operating (blowing) the fuse or
tripping the circuit breaker. An old rewirable fuse rated at 15Amps
will pass close on 30Amps for hours without operating so you cannot
rely on the fuse recognising a defect. I'm still suspicious of a
branch off the circuit which you do not know about. Checking the
current passing out of the fusebox to the heater and comparing it with
the current arriving at the heater would prove this one way or
another. You could also monitor the current in the meter tails as you
switch loads on or off although for off peak this will involve going
to bed late or getting up earlyg