Radio Teleswitch adjustment?

[NickStaples]

Hello, I have a Radio Teleswitch that governs my old storage heater consumer unit via an 80 amp RCD for cheap rate night time electricity. This consumer unit is now redundant and I would like to use the 80 amp RCD to take a feed to my garage. Can the RTS be adjusted to give me 24 hour power and if so do I need to get an electrician to adjust it or can it be altered remotely through the power supplier?
I assume it can be adjusted as the main feed for the main house consumer unit is run through the RTS as well.

 

[Job_n_knock]

Those teleswitches are controlled by a signal carried by the BBC Radio four frequency. They were meant for cheaper night storage heating and nothing else. They are the property of the supply authority and to use it to feed a garage would be illegal. And you cannot get a 24 hour supply from them. So in this case I'm afraid that you will have to use more conventional means to feed the garage.
I must say that Ive not seen them in a domestic single property, only where there are 2 supplies coming from the intake of a block of flats or maisonettes. one for mains and the other for nightstores.

 

[NickStaples]

Ooh er, sounds a bit odd then I suppose the next step is to contact my electricity supplier and get them to decide what I do next!
Many thanks for your Help, Nick.

 

[crystal ball]

Those teleswitches are controlled by a signal carried by the BBC Radio four frequency. They were meant for cheaper night storage heating and nothing else. They are the property of the supply authority and to use it to feed a garage would be illegal. And you cannot get a 24 hour supply from them. So in this case I'm afraid that you will have to use more conventional means to feed the garage.
I must say that Ive not seen them in a domestic single property, only where there are 2 supplies coming from the intake of a block of flats or maisonettes. one for mains and the other for nightstores.

If it is E7 there is no problem running load other than storage heaters, I have installed sockets and immersion heaters fed from E7 CUs, in fact the electratech system was designed to run appliances during off peak hours. I cannot see how this can be "illegal". What you propose is not possible though, best thing to do is get rid of the teleswitch and re use the old E7 CU assuming it complies.

Check your tariff too

 

[Job_n_knock]

I was referring to a specific piece of kit akin to a standard black analogue meter. and they are actually called Radio teleswitches as per original question. and usually found in communal intake rooms. Local councils had them installed as part of an ongoing cost cutting exercise. they are still used. They feed seperate CUs that have all the nightstore fuses next to standard CUs. They were not meant for anything other than Nightstores due to the timing of the on/off radio signal.

 

[crystal ball]

I was referring to a specific piece of kit akin to a standard black analogue meter. and they are actually called Radio teleswitches as per original question. and usually found in communal intake rooms. Local councils had them installed as part of an ongoing cost cutting exercise. they are still used. They feed seperate CUs that have all the nightstore fuses next to standard CUs. They were not meant for anything other than Nightstores due to the timing of the on/off radio signal.

How does a teleswitch work alongside a standard meter, surely you need a 2 rate meter. I am aware of the function of teleswitches and it is not only for blocks of flats, they are also found in houses too, I have fitted hundreds over the years, I have one in my house and if i want I can run a 13 amp socket off the cu it controls maybe for a tumble drier

 

[plugwash]

as has already been said you mustn't touch the teleswitch as it is what controls the meters rate.

if you have got rid of the storage heaters and wan't to use thier CU for other stuff it will need to be disconnected from the off peak supply and reconnected to the constant supply. In terms of wiring this shouldn't be difficult (just insert a couple of henly blocks in the supply to the existing CU) but it requires either live working (which i stronly advise against) or someone to pull the service fuse (which you are not supposed to do yourself and which the leccy companies can sometimes be awkward about doing for diyers(

 

[Job_n_knock]

as has already been said you mustn't touch the teleswitch as it is what controls the meters rate.

if you have got rid of the storage heaters and wan't to use thier CU for other stuff it will need to be disconnected from the off peak supply and reconnected to the constant supply. In terms of wiring this shouldn't be difficult (just insert a couple of henly blocks in the supply to the existing CU) but it requires either live working (which i stronly advise against) or someone to pull the service fuse (which you are not supposed to do yourself and which the leccy companies can sometimes be awkward about doing for diyers(

Absolutely spot on.

Crystal ball If you are running power other than storage heating from your Radio Teleswitch on off peak, then that socket is dead during the day and live at night and you are using an illegal supply. Are you sure it is a Radio Teleswitch you have. I'll see if I can get a pic. I got one but I dont yet know how to insert an image here.
Modern RTSs are now integrated into Meters but they used to be seperate pieces of kit. They work by receiving a signal twice a day from Radio four on the a.m. waveband, this controls a relay that switches on the off-peak consumer unit usually wired with the Night storage heaters. Storage heaters are expensive to run if you have them on all the time so in order to make them competitive with say..Gas heating, this system was introduced in the late 70s/early 80s.
Personally I didnt like them, in fact I have a permanent reminder just how much when a young apprentice used 1"x8 screws with red plugs in a klinker wall to secure the bracket and it came down on my foot and broke a toe.

 

[NickStaples]

Thanks all,
Yes the device is wired from a dual rate meter and has house cu and storage heater cu coming off it.
Radio Teleswitch type NU 69-08 made by Horstmann, Then a series of letter no. combinations:ICA-2A ICB- ICC- ICD-80A Un 240 volts, then "property of Midlands Electricity plc"

My brother is a recently qualified electrician. If he is there to plug in stuff etc. I presume leccy co. shouldn't mind. I also assume they will have to come and open/check or connect into the teleswitch as it has crimped sealed cable fasteners in 3 places.

 

[plugwash]

don't think there is anything illegal about putting other load on the switched supply its just it will only come on at night, on a modern economy 7 system all leccy is cheap rate at night anyway (and old white meter system is a different matter but those are quite rare now afaict).

 

[breezer]

[I dont yet know how to insert an image here.

see here