Battery - to take advantage of 2am to 5am cheap rate electricity - v2

drury.. · 13-12-2024 11:20AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122951837#Comment_122951837

Ya it's ott to use names

The problem is the bits of information supplied and people think they know what they're doing

I've been there and it's been pointed out to me that I was working off bits of information

I was a rec and spark and I learnt my limitations

on_the_roots · 13-12-2024 12:46PM

Another typical individual who has a big ego and thinks knows more than everyone else.

Worst thing is not being able to refute arguments and to bring actual information to the discussion and contribute to educating people, relying solely on accusing others of not knowing this or that.

This is a forum for discussion and exchange information, if you have nothing to bring to the table please leave it alone.

drury.. · 13-12-2024 01:02PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122952212#Comment_122952212

Thats the problem

Information without training or education

...Ghost... · 13-12-2024 02:02PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122951614#Comment_122951614

If your only contribution is to insult people, don't bother posting. You have a really poor attitude to DIYers on here. By all means, advise people to seek help from a REC, but you don't have to look very hard to see the rubbish standards of "work" people have shelled out hundreds, or thousands for. Often a license to rip people off and I have personal experience of inadequate work twice over from RECs, with the latest still waiting to be sorted.

SD_DRACULA · 13-12-2024 03:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122952486#Comment_122952486

REC doesn't mean much anymore unfortunately, I paid one of them to connect up a changeover switch, made an absolute mess of it and still connected it wrong in the end because he was "sure" that was the right way.

I even gave him the diagram to wire it correctly from one of the guys on the forum (who is a REC by the way) so this nonsense about people not giving good advice here is just that.

REC doesn't mean they know anything about PV or more advanced scenarios like some of us have here.

drury.. · 14-12-2024 10:37AM

The problem is the incompetent diyers with poor quality or underspecced installations hooking up sustained heavy loads

They read these threads and think they know what they're at

You're (ghost) over on the electrical forum upping your loading to 80A and haven't a clue what you're at

The smarter diyers with the high quality installations and thermal cameras might get away with it

...Ghost... · 14-12-2024 11:27AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122954973#Comment_122954973

No, the problem is you have a chip on your shoulder and rather than help, you throw insults. I am no electrician but the standard of work done by a load of electricians these days doesn't inspire much confidence. You know from my posts on the electrical forum that the REC installed the wrong board and you mentioned nothing about this. Your problem (one of them anyway) is that I want to take full advantage of my installation. I have a thermal camera on the way. I must be a smart one now 😂

You've admitted before to not being the best electrician, but if you'd like, us knuckleheads would welcome any sound advice you can offer that doesn't by default send us to a probably incompetent, lazy REC.

drury.. · 14-12-2024 11:51AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955072#Comment_122955072

That is the problem

Supplying bits of information here

The person undertaking the diy work has bits of knowledge and no electrical training

slave1 · 14-12-2024 12:17PM

I remember when I moved into this house, next door neighbor at the time was an electrician, the timer went on the heating and he called around, he didn't know how to wire it! I mentioned it a few years later when I had another electrician taking out that old fuse board of ours and he said that guy is lethal, no one know how he got through the RECI system and he was still out there "worse than ever".

Qualifications are not everything

Same as I got a Willis put in last year and not only was the head nowhere near correct but it was installed upside down. Plumber threw a micro fit when I pointed it out, "that's how I've been doing them the last 15yrs, you going to tell me how to do my job". I chatted to like minded folk on whatsapp and got the "Willis installed correct way around and head adjusted, my cylinder gained 18degrees in heat at the bottom sensor, sure it was fitted but not correctly which leads to shorter life (potential of element exposed to air) and not efficiently (lesser siphoning) leading to colder water.

Qualifications are not everything

drury.. · 14-12-2024 12:59PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955188#Comment_122955188

Get a REC is a stock answer to many questions as it's the law in many cases

They also test and certify the work and are upskilled on rules and procedures etc.

The new design practice here of maxing the installation at the MIC or above and using thermal cameras and sensors to monitor the board and connections isn't a standard practice

In many cases posters will incorrectly torque connections, have poor quality existing installations and won't have monitoring

14-12-2024 01:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955298#Comment_122955298

When we do a periodic inspection, we turn the load on an installation up and leave it for about 30 minutes, we then check the distribution board with the thermal imaging camera, thermal imaging may not be the norm, but it's becoming more common.

"The new design practice here of maxing the installation at the MIC or above and using thermal cameras and sensors to monitor the board and connections isn't a standard practice"

Nobody said using sensors was a standard practice, just a little side project.

...Ghost... · 14-12-2024 02:02PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955221#Comment_122955221

This is what people need to know. Thanks for that. I tend to go with the oversizing everything where possible. ESBN make this difficult and expensive, because it can take a long time to get the upgrade and the cost is prohibitive when sometimes there is no physical work on their end.

I can only speak for myself, but when it comes to electrics, I get a REC to do any serious changes, such as any work on the board. I'm comfortable working on pretty much anything outside of that. I like to know what to look for before seeking out the services of a REC, so that I can get what I actually want. So, knowing I wanted an advanced supply, I knew to ask the REC for 25sq tails to be able to get the 100A ESB fuse.

I've since learned I need a bigger meter cabinet, but that's separate. I also wanted my board changed for a new one, as the old one was a good 25 years plus. The REC tried to convince me that I didn't need any upgrades and if I wanted new tails, 16sq would be sufficient and a sub board was all I needed. The board is not rated for the 80A main cut off he installed. We had a power cut in the area the other day. It got me wondering about the quality of the work in the board. I flipped the main cut off and switched off all the breakers individually before (i know, i know) removing the cover. Two glaring issues. The earth bar was short and full, leaving no room to add new ways without extending or replacing it. The conductors were exposed on some of the breakers.

drury.. · 14-12-2024 02:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955423#Comment_122955423

Nothing wrong with thermal cameras

When I get one I'll be using it occasionally to check the board and cabinet and probably elsewhere

My point on the standard practice is posters here running the installations at or above the mic

Theres a reason youre fitting thermal sensors on the main board and that's increased risk

The risk is greater again for posters with poor quality installations doing poor quality battery installs

14-12-2024 02:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955441#Comment_122955441

It really is so disappointing when you pay a professional, and still end up with sub standard work. It happens so often.

drury.. · 14-12-2024 02:15PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955441#Comment_122955441

You say things such as oversizing and being careful

Yet over on the electrical forum you were running your installation at 80A with little or no electrical knowledge and some half assed supply upgrade

Something's not adding up with that. Most likely a lack of awareness.

14-12-2024 02:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955458#Comment_122955458

Okay, can you tell us what the issue is? I agree on older, sub standard installations then it's madness, but modern well installed installations?

16sq cable over lets say 10 meters is capable of taking well over 60 amps for most installation methods, protected by a 63 amp MCB so no issue there. If it wasn't then all modern installs are a hazard and should have the main overcurrent device limited to 50 amps or the cable should be 25sq minimum.

Next weak point is the internal panel flex, if 16 sq too, then no issue here either. When issues present themselves in panels, in my experience it's because of poor connections or cable breaking down over time.

drury.. · 14-12-2024 02:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955503#Comment_122955503

I'm saying you're monitoring the board with linked sensors and smoke alarms as you are aware that there is an increased risk of overheating or failure at the main board with a sustained 14kw load

The risk is small as you have a high quality install and know what you're doing

The risk is much greater for posters like ghost with poor quality installs who are picking up bits of information and maxxing there MIC

drury.. · 14-12-2024 02:37PM

The main failure point was the neozed fuse which is now defunct

Older ex Recs like myself remember a time when GD plus 8Kw NSH had to be split over 2 fuses to solve a major issue with a single neozed overheating

...Ghost... · 14-12-2024 02:49PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955473#Comment_122955473

As always, very helpful. Over simplification and misrepresentation of what I was saying/planning.

My meter is only 4M from the board and I still went with 25sq tail and wanted to upgrade everything against the wishes of the REC who just wanted an easy in and out install.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955523#Comment_122955523

I'm beginning to wonder if you know what you're talking about. I mean, you have stated recently that you weren't the best of electricians, but that you know your limits.

My modern installation is only "poor" (in your opinion) because the REC I paid made a bit of a balls of it and I know it needs to be rectified. I'm not running much extra than before either. 12kW or less over a 4 hour period at present, running through 25sq tails with 80A fuse installed by REC. It's certainly a lot safer than it was before the upgrades and it's not running at max.

Should I have another REC fix the problems of the last one and throw more money at it in the hope a decent one shows up?

drury.. · 14-12-2024 02:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955568#Comment_122955568

I stated that I wasn't the best on practical

Only to reinforce the point that posters like yourself who know little about electrical work picking up bits of information are potentially a danger to themselves and others

Your 80A I believe you said you were running the installation at on the other thread equated to a 20kva mic requirement

Where is the oversizing there ?

...Ghost... · 14-12-2024 02:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955460#Comment_122955460

Too often. I don't mind as long as it gets fixed in good time. As it stands, if I don't get a commitment on a date to rectify the situation, I will be going through the SCC. It's a sad state of affairs and salt is rubbed in when someone continuously says to go to a REC. It's much more helpful when experienced and competent people can share a little knowledge here if for no other reason than to arm the customer.

14-12-2024 02:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955523#Comment_122955523

That's true, the higher the load, then the greater the risk of stressing a weak point.

drury.. · 14-12-2024 03:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955587#Comment_122955587

Posters like myself state get a rec because it's good practice to use a REC and the law in many cases

No point giving out advise on illegal or unsafe works

Handling large domestic loads also carries increased risk for the uniniated

14-12-2024 03:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955587#Comment_122955587

I had a beautiful new front door fitted by so called professionals, and lets just say I'm going to need to do a bit of work to remedy their joke of an install.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955523#Comment_122955523

Just to add to this, I'm not installing these things because I feel my installation is unsafe, I'm doing it because I want my install to be the safest it can be. I'd imagine not many boards in this country will be as safe as mine by the time I'm finished.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955532#Comment_122955532

True, those things are lethal, I see boards with Ev chargepoints and Pv fitted that still have them.

drury.. · 14-12-2024 03:14PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955622#Comment_122955622

Dunno about that statement

I assume users would still look to maxx out the mic to get the maximum benefit

14-12-2024 06:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955660#Comment_122955660

They absolutely would.

14-12-2024 07:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122955298#Comment_122955298

This has me thinking about it all day, why isn't it more common to see new tech in boards that could make them so much safer?

Afdd's are now recommended, but the jury is out on whether they actually work, most tests seem to indicate that a load of at least 2kw is required while an arc is generated to trip the device, and at 200 quid a pop? A simple temp sensor in the panel shuts it down before a fire starts, seems like a easy win for safety to me.

mjatkey · 14-12-2024 07:45PM

Guys, just watched Ghosts video on his fuse melt and have a question, on both my installs I have one of these between battery and inverter, I know there is a a fuse inside the Seplos and I assume the WECO's have similar do I need an external fuse as well?

drury.. · 14-12-2024 07:59PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122956598#Comment_122956598

The afdd is the new tech

Sensors can't do that job

Main boards are safer now anyhow. I've seen all types of fires at older boards .

An old cabinet is a risk. It wasn't unknown for fire to sweep through the whole cavity insulation in a house from the cabinet .

Looped service was also a high risk with large sustained loads. I've seen installations with live metalwork due to issues at the fused cutout on these

Esbn tightened up on cabinets a long time ago Befoew that there was holes bashed in every way

14-12-2024 08:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122956677#Comment_122956677

I know sensors can't do the job of Afdd's, my point is that it takes a large load while an arc exists to trigger it. Sensors are an easy win, and they work.

I assume the live metalwork was due to a broken supply neutral?

"An old cabinet is a risk. It wasn't unknown for fire to sweep through the whole cavity insulation in a house from the cabinet"

Scary stuff.

Battery - to take advantage of 2am to 5am cheap rate electricity - v2

Comments