Loud bang sound when economy 7 meter switches over.

[eveares]

Well there's only the Fuse cut out, the meter, a radio teleswitch, and the consumer unit. There all in a cupboard in the hall together (except the new non combustible CU, what is just outside the cupboard) and the noise can only be coming from the meter or the teleswitch.

The teleswitch is similar to the one shown in the photo below, except it's purple and possibly a bit taller IIRC.

I would get rid of the E7 asap, I've gotten rid of it everywhere I've lived that's had it (no storage heaters etc). If I recall, it works out 5p a unit more expensive in the day, and about 3 or 4p a unit cheaper at night to run E7 (Different suppliers may vary)

Ok will advise them to. There house is fully heated with GAS CH and they don't have any significant night time loads. Simply they inherited the economy 7 tariff when they moved in a couple of months back.

 

[JohnW2]

I would get rid of the E7 asap, I've gotten rid of it everywhere I've lived that's had it (no storage heaters etc). If I recall, it works out 5p a unit more expensive in the day, and about 3 or 4p a unit cheaper at night to run E7 (Different suppliers may vary)

Whilst I would agree that they almost certainly need to get rid of it, certainly my E7 tariff is not quite 'as bad' as you suggest. When I last looked, I was paying 7.172p (inc VAT) per night unit and 17.021p per day unit, with the corresponding 'single' tariff cost being about 13.41p per unit. So, with my E7, the daytime units are about 3.6p more expensive (than single tariff) and night units about 6.2p cheaper (than single tariff).

Kind Regards, John

 

[PBC_1966]

the noise can only be coming from the meter or the teleswitch.

It will be from the latter, which includes the contactor for supplying power to the storage-heating board.

 

[eveares]

which includes the contactor for supplying power to the storage-heating board

Even though the contactor is not connected up to anything and the output unused

 

[crystal ball]

My grandparents live a bungalow with modern central heating that has a economy 7/dual tariff meter that according to them is making a loudish bang sound when it switches over at night and in the morning.

Note that they do not have any storage heaters or any other high night time loads and only the main consumer unit connected up to the meter. The economy 7 is simply left over and still active from the previous owners of the bungalow.

Now their meter is simply a 2-rate meter with a LCD display. Now I presume the sound is some sort of switch/contractor in side the meter that is making the sound, but is it supposed to be loud/very noticeable?

Also, is their any benefit of them being on a dual rate tariff?

Check their bills and see what tariff they are on, chances are it may be a standard, the suppliers tend to leave the E7 kit in place and just add the readings together

 

[PBC_1966]

Even though the contactor is not connected up to anything and the output unused

If the contactor is still there as part of the teleswitch, it will still open & close at the appropriate times, even if there's nothing connected to its output.

 

[eveares]

If the contactor is still there as part of the teleswitch, it will still open & close at the appropriate times, even if there's nothing connected to its output.

Oh, I know; just was reminiscing the pointlessness of the contactor's output with no load connected. Is the teleswitch changing over when it receives a signal?, how about building a faraday cage around it?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

How is it supposed to know that the NSH has been removed?

And given that suppliers are pretty hot on analysing consumption patterns to detect fraud, I wonder if they pro-actively contact customers to say "you seem to no longer need E7"?

 

[PBC_1966]

I wonder if they pro-actively contact customers to say "you seem to no longer need E7"?

I very much doubt it when they're going to bemaking more profit from the higher daytime rates.

 

[Steve]

Eco-mode on a tumble dryer must be like those "economy" electric heaters! Still P155 away electricity. Like the new rules about vacuum cleaner wattage - it still takes the same amount of energy to get the 5H1T out of your carpets, it just takes longer to do it at lower wattage!

 

[JohnW2]

Eco-mode on a tumble dryer must be like those "economy" electric heaters!

Yes, I wondered about that, too, and very nearly posted a similar comment!

Kind Regards, John

 

[stillp]

Eco-mode on a tumble dryer must be like those "economy" electric heaters!

Yes, I wondered about that, too, and very nearly posted a similar comment!

Kind Regards, John

It uses less energy (kWh) to dry a load at a lower temperature. Drying depends more on the air flow than the temperature. It also has a humidity sensor and stops when the clothes are dry.

 

[JohnW2]

It uses less energy (kWh) to dry a load at a lower temperature. Drying depends more on the air flow than the temperature. It also has a humidity sensor and stops when the clothes are dry.

Interesting. That makes good sense - so why, I wonder, aren't we seeing dryers with no heating at all, since I presume that if one blows ambient temp air at tumbling clothes for long enough, they will eventually get dry? Given that (the heating of) conventional dryers are (after electric house heating and cooking) probably the largest guzzlers of domestic electricity, that could make a big difference to some people.

Kind Regards, John

 

[PBC_1966]

That makes good sense - so why, I wonder, aren't we seeing dryers with no heating at all, since I presume that if one blows ambient temp air at tumbling clothes for long enough, they will eventually get dry?

Perhaps a balance point between how much energy it would take to run the motor long enough to dry thoroughly at ambient versus how much used to "help it along" with a little heat? And possibly coupled with how long most people would be prepared to accept as reasonable to dry a load?

 

[cjard]

There are better options (heat pumps for example) that mean that the dryer doesn't pump large amounts of heat outside the house thermal envelope.