Rich1972 Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Hi I had EDF around yesterday to look at the three-supply cable that takes power from the fuse box to an outbuilding. The three-supply only went into this outbuilding as the rest of the house runs on the standard domestic supply. While he was here the EDF engineer fitted a new fuse box and before he left he told me that if I wanted power to the outhouse I could just replace the three-supply socket with a domestic one, without having to replace the three-supply cable. So I turn off the power today and find that the cable has four wires (one black, one brown, one blue and one yellow/green earth). I tested all four wires and they're all live. I'm done no further work to it so I will get someone in to have a look, but should it possible to connect a normal, monophase socket to four live wires?? Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 A 3 phase supply is no more than 3x 220v lives referenced to a common neutral so in thoery you can connect to any phase and neutral for a single phase 220v supply. Beware though because between the phases the voltage will be 440 !It does sound like a rather irregular arrangement and I'd be concerned as to how this is all configured and metered.It sounds as if you have a 3 phase supply to your property but are only using one phase for the house and presumably have a single ph meter for that. If 3 phase is going to the outbuilding then it should be going through a separate 3ph meter.Do you have 2 meters and are you sure the house is only on single ph ?If you only have one then I wonder if what he's done is connect all 3 live's together then to a single phase in the house. I don't know the French regs but that doesn't sound too clever to me.Definately a good idea to get someone in to check it out ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich1972 Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 Here's a photo of the new fuse box:http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f310/richinusseau/180cde57.jpgThe old three-phase cable goes into the new box via the small, old brown box at the top. There used to be two fuse boxes and now there is only one, with Monophase written on the side. The house can't have three-phase as all the electrical appliances work perfectly here, even those bought in the UK. But my electric mixer went haywire when I plugged it into the three-phase socket in the outbuilding. Unless the house is three-phase and is only operating on one. I really don't understand it enough. I'll get someone in anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 The box doesn't really reveal anything to me I'm afraid but if it says Monophase then I would have to say that the probability is that it is that and that your house is indeed single ph."The house can't have three-phase as all the electrical appliances work perfectly here, even those bought in the UK".Sorry but that is a meaningless statement and absolutely no basis on which to judge whether your house is single or 3 phase, the sockets will be 220v in either case.If it is were 3 ph then the phases would be feeding different parts of the house to try and maintain a balance but would be totally transparent to the user.I'm not surprised your mixer went bananas if you pugged it into 440v 3 phase [:-))]I still don't like the idea that all 4 cables to the outbuilding are live but if EDF have done it one would like to think everything is correct but just for your own knowledge and peace of mind do get it checked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pommier Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 If you look at your electric bill it will say whether you're on monophase or triphase (or have you recently asked for the supply to be changed from triphase to monophase and that's what EDF's visit was for?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave&Olive Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 hi ok quote The house can't have three-phase as all the electrical appliances work perfectly here, even those bought in the UK". This is a true story a friend of mine had some sockets and lights put in his boiler room by his wifes brother a uk sparky. He had taken the feed from a junction box wired the way the french farmers seem to do it here ,( explain this bit later ) he had taken blue for N brown for L and yellow/green for earth all worked well for 3 years , the fridge freezer , iron . kettle etc all worked ok then he wanted to move the washing machine into this room , so i put in the plumbing we moved the machine turned it on it run for a few seconds then bang . I put a meter across L + N 220 volts ok tried N + earth 220 volts ??? tried L+ earth 440 volts ?????? ok the French farmers way is to use 4 core cable for 3 phase blue = neutral brown = phase black = phase and yellow/green = phase most appliances do not use earth , most have only a 2 pin plug on them but when that motor on the washing machine started up it did , they were very lucky for 3 years ..... get it checked by a pro Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich1972 Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 [quote user="cheryla"]If you look at your electric bill it will say whether you're on monophase or triphase (or have you recently asked for the supply to be changed from triphase to monophase and that's what EDF's visit was for?).[/quote]Ah ok, I'll dig out my last EDF bill and have a look. Thanks for the tip [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 What did you use to check that all the wires were live ? Did you check their voltage ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Guerriere Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 This is where a multimeter is really essential. If you haven't got one, buy one, they cost very little these days and will very quickly get matters sorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich1972 Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 [quote user="Anton Redman"]What did you use to check that all the wires were live ? Did you check their voltage ?[/quote]I just used my electric screwdriver with the built-in light (finger on the end and touch the live with the screwdriver tip). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Guerriere Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 A screwdriver / tester can't tell the difference between 440 and 220, the neon will light up just the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 Not only that if any off the cables are live and you have a reasonable length of run you get enough induction accross the dead wires to light the bulb. Try a multimeter on one of the diode testers which dhow the approxiamate voltage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 You need to follow the wiring properly as there is a posibility that you are being misled here - the statement monophase on the supply to the house could well mean that each indivdual circuit is on a single phase and not that the whole house is on the same phase e.g. the kitchen sockets are on 1 phase and the sitting room sockets on another but each socket is monophase. This would be unsurprising as your three phase supply would be pretty unbalanced if you are drawing solely from a single phase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 [quote user="Rich1972"][quote user="Anton Redman"]What did you use to check that all the wires were live ? Did you check their voltage ?[/quote]I just used my electric screwdriver with the built-in light (finger on the end and touch the live with the screwdriver tip).[/quote] Probably 220V - 400V will often fry the neon as well as the user! beware 400V does not take prisoners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich1972 Posted August 14, 2008 Author Share Posted August 14, 2008 I've ceased fiddling with it and will get an electrician in [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Wise move [;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.