3 phase supply for ground source heat pump

[davidstone]

I am investigating installing a ground source heat pump for my house which eats oil at the rate of 1000 litres per month. Apparently to cope with the load I need a 3 phase supply. I understand that it is very unusual for a house to have a 3 phase supply but one of the previous owners ran a car repair business in the gounds and it may be he had a supply. We are also fairly near farm building.

Is there any physical indication that would show what sort of power supply I have?

Many thanks

David

 

[Wontdothatagain]

If you have 4 cables at the meter it is a single phase.

If you have 6 cables, you have a split phase

If you have 8 cables, you have 3 phase

 

[Spark123]

Can you upload a photo of your electricity meter and the service head?

 

[davidstone]

Can you upload a photo of your electricity meter and the service head?

Hopefully I have uploaded a photo of the meter and associated equipment. It is the first time I have used this website so apologies if I have got it wrong.

Also do have any idea what the grey box on the right is for? I have just moved into the property and I am trying to find out how everything works

 

[Spark123]

Untitled

• davidstone
• 3 Dec 2010
• 1

Looks like a bog standard single phase supply (with a generator changeover switch on the right hand side)

 

[tonyelectric]

Yep thats single phase alright, single cut out fuse, fairly narrow incoming cable and 2in 2 out at meter.

if your supply is overhead and there a 4 wires, either spaced down the pole or twisted or 3 wires spaced horizontaly and a grey box on the pole (transformer) you can have 3 phase fairly easily, I had a school converted from overhead single to 3 cost £2000. underground will be much more.

There are converters available, electronic and dynamotor types for getting 3ph from a single phase supply

 

[Stoday]

Apparently to cope with the load I need a 3 phase supply... Is there any physical indication that would show what sort of power supply I have?

The only way you could know if you needed a three phase supply to provide the power you want would have been to ask your local Distribution Network Operator. The DNO would have told you if you needed three phase and if it could be easily provided or if you already had it.

Unless you live in a rural area with an overhead network, I would be surprised if you had to have 3-phase to power even a large domestic heat pump.

 

[tonyelectric]

You can find out pretty easily from the brochure or spec plate on the pump if it needs 3 ph, something like < 415V 3ph> or <415V AC>, if it's 230V its not going to have that big a motor on it, 2hp is normally the top end for single phase, its only a glorified fridge after all