Cost of converting three phase to single phase

[michelin79]

It's more a bit of help with translation I need rather than a technical query. Are they saying that the technician's survey visit is going to cost 143 euros and that the actual work will then be quoted? Or are they saying that the job will be included in the 143 euros unless there's some unforeseen problem?

Has anyone else got recent experience of the costs of changing tariff and/or converting three phase to single phase? BTW the company is Seolis not EDF.

Concernant votre demande de modification de triphasé en monophase et le changement de tarif de simple tarif en tempo nous vous informons qu'une prestation technique d'un montant de 143.42€, vous sera facturée et qu'un rendez vous est indispensable avec un de nos techniciens afin de vérifier sur place les possibilités. Suite à ce rendez vous un devis pourra vous être adressé pour toutes modifications supplémentaires

Thanks in advance for any advice you are able to offer

Mike

[woolybanana]

You pay the €143 odd for a technicians visit and then will receive a devis based on what they deem necessary to convert the system. No mention of getting the visit fee back.

[ericd]

Why do you want to change??? Any specific reason you want to move to monophase?

[michelin79]

Thanks Wooly. Yes, it would have been over optimistic to think about refunds. I really meant is the resulting work included in the 143 euros unless the resulting work is over and above the amount of work they consider as "standard".

So I would still be interested to hear from anyone who has recently had such work carried out. So, for example, I would find it difficult to justify 500 euros but a total of 200 euros for the survey and work would probably be acceptable.

Mike

[michelin79]

[quote user="ericd"]Why do you want to change??? Any specific reason you want to move to monophase?[/quote] Not one specific reason Eric. Mainly, the put the kettle on at the same time as the electric heater type of thing. Yes, I'm aware of the so-called "balancing the phases" idea. I never think that real life situations match the requirements of balancing and could in extreme situations produce fatalaties. For example, a faulty or badly installed washing machine next to a faulty drier on a different phase. I will manage the situation if the cost of changing is too high but I think most experts on here would recommend converting, if possible. Mike

[ericd]

[quote user="michelin79"].....but I think most experts on here would recommend converting, if possible. Mike[/quote]

Hi Mike, not sure this is entirely correct. A faulty unit would automatically be picked up by your system and trip into safe mode. We were in the same case as you are at the moment, stay with a 3-phase or move (at additional costs) to a single phase as we were rewiring the whole house anyway.

There are units that you can buy (the name escapes me) and get fitted to the consumer board that would cut power to chosen units in case one of the other in the system gets too hungry for power. ie. cuts the electric heater or anything else of your choice off if the oven wants more Kw in order to avoid tripping.We have a 9Kw contract with 3Kw on each phase.

[michelin79]

Ok, thanks Eric, I'll keep that in mind as one of the possible options ie the auto cut-out thingy. Did you actually get a quote for the possible conversion to single phase or did you decide that there was no way that would be the optimum solution? And yes, we are the same in terms of total re-wiring / new wiring.

Mike

[ericd]

[quote user="michelin79"]

Did you actually get a quote for the possible conversion to single phase or did you decide that there was no way that would be the optimum solution? Mike [/quote]

 

If I recall correctly the cost to get the EDF men to come and change the meter was around €220.00

 

The cost of the Kw/h and monthly rental would have been the same. Neighbours are all on 3-phases and all happy without any problem so that's what we opted for. The splitting of the 3-phases into 3 x single phases and correct loads to be applied to each and every one should be tackled by your sparky. If he is good it will work. 

[idun]

We had 3 phase in France and the people who bought our house were going to change it to single. Everything was linked in properly and no problem at all. We still needed a big enough supply to cope with everything though, in spite of the 3 phase.

We have 3phase things we will need to use soom, so if our supplier cannot get us linked up we will have to buy a 3 phase converter.

[LesFlamands]

I've had EDF change many houses to mono from 3 phase and apart from their reluctance to do it on occasions it has always been free of charge. They do charge for fitting an exterior sonde to allow them to read the meter in your absence which I think is a con and they also charge to move the meter location or the point of entry of the cable. Changing the meter, tarrif or from tri to mono has always been free.

[Les]

[quote user="ericd"]

[quote user="michelin79"].....but I think most experts on here would recommend converting, if possible. Mike[/quote]

Hi Mike, not sure this is entirely correct. A faulty unit would automatically be picked up by your system and trip into safe mode. We were in the same case as you are at the moment, stay with a 3-phase or move (at additional costs) to a single phase as we were rewiring the whole house anyway.

There are units that you can buy (the name escapes me) and get fitted to the consumer board that would cut power to chosen units in case one of the other in the system gets too hungry for power. ie. cuts the electric heater or anything else of your choice off if the oven wants more Kw in order to avoid tripping.We have a 9Kw contract with 3Kw on each phase.

[/quote]

Is it Un délesteur?

[ericd]

That's the name !! They can re-direct power from one or more units depending on their specifications.

[Jo]

Always understood that the standing charge for 3 phase was more expensive? I am currently on 3 phase, but have been advised to change to monophase for both cost and convenience?[8-)]

[Araucaria]

We had to change from single phase to three phase two or three years ago. We thought the technician's survey was a real rigmarole (two of them came, looked inside the box, looked up at the pole next to the house, saw the existing three phase cables which were already there between the pole and the house, and left five minutes later).

The devis for the work (presumably including the technicians' visit) was €120, but in fact they didn't bill us for the work, and they didn't add it to the electricity bill either. Too much trouble with the accounts department I'd guess. Of course your EDF people might be more efficient (or more rapacious).

The trouble with going to single phase in a rural area is that you might get the phase that is being heavily used by the farmers (yes, EDF are supposed to do this kind of balancing themselves, but it's not easy to predict who will be using what and when). So you might find your lights dimming when the chap down the road starts milking his cows. With three phase only some of your lights will go dim......

[ericd]

[quote user="Jo"]Always understood that the standing charge for 3 phase was more expensive? I am currently on 3 phase, but have been advised to change to monophase for both cost and convenience?[8-)]
[/quote]

 

....Charges are exactly the same where we are so 3-pghase or mono-phase are just matter of convenience for the user.

[Jo]

That's interesting ericd, we are coping well with 3 phase, don't have anything tripping out on a regular basis, so might just leave it for the moment. We are with Soregies (spelling?) for our supply, not EDF, so will do some investigating in their charges too.[geek]

[ericd]

[quote user="Jo"]We are with Soregies (spelling?) for our supply, not EDF, so will do some investigating in their charges too [/quote]

That could explain the price difference. We get the 3-phase supply etc from EDF.