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Badfish

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A while back I mentioned that my mother was thinking about getting an electric boiler to replace her oil fired boiler. It appears that she will need an 8-12 kw unit, so I have phoned the DNO to ask them to come out and check what size fuse she has and if the incoming supply can handle a bigger fuse. The DNO have sent me an increased capacity electricity connection form.

Now all I want to know is what fuse there is and can it be increased. Is this form usual or have they misunderstood what I was asking?

 
I phoned back the works depot and spoke to a nice lady and re explained what i wanted and good as gold she said she would tell the emergency guy.well next day he phones and says he can come to the property, so i arrange to meet and nice as pie he pulls the fuse holder and the we see a nice 100 amp fuse.

So i have done the diversity calcs and this is what i get.

Cooker !st 10A + 30% = 31.3A

All lighting 66% = 6.10A

sockets 100% largest cct = 32A

sockets 40% = 12.8A

sockets 40% = 12.8A

Immersion heater = 13A

Panel heater = 5.2A

panel heater = 3.1A

Total demand with diversity is 116.3 Amps

Would you say this is about right or should I add up the loads on the ring final circuits and then apply diversity not forgetting that the electric boiler will be rated at 50Amps bringing the total up to 166.3 amps.

I know that applying diversity is not an exact science and i know what my decision is now but i would like to hear everyone else's opinions.

Cheers

Iain.

 
so at any time you are allowing 57.6 amps from socket outlets? a bit excessive for a house? perhaps just allow for 32A... just a thought.

Another daft idea would be to have a changeover switch allowing EITHER cooker or boiler to be used. Seen it done in Pontins chalets (all be it on a smaller scale) just trying to help get it under 100A and save a few squid...

 
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Hi,

Surely if you are going to put an electric boiler you wont be needing the immersion heater and the 2 panel heaters

 
How big is the house?

Even if its massive you are way over I would have thought.

 
I know i have over estimated on the socket outlets and i think i could probably half that total. regarding the immersion heater, when the plumber and I spoke to the guy at potterton he said we might be able to keep running cost down by using only that to give hot water. The panel heaters are in the granny flat out back and do

not get used often.

Thanks for your input guys.

 
You have a 100A supply. That's the most you are going to get. So if your diversity calcs say 166A, tough, you ain't getting a 166A supply however nicely you ask.

I think the reality is you don't have to worry.

I see you don't have an electric shower. If this thread was about adding a 10.5KW electric shower to your house, I don't even think you would be asking the question about a supply upgrade. A 12KW electric boiler is not much more load than that, except of course it will be on for a lot longer.

Personally I think electric boilers are a barking mad idea. People seem to choose them because "oil and gas is so expensive" but have you looked at the price of electricity?

The only plausible reason I can think for fitting an electric boiler is you want it still to "look like" central heating. Otherwise, IF you are intent on heating your house purely by electricity, then individual panel heaters in each room is much more efficient, no heat lost in pipes etc.

Whatever you do, if you have an electric boiler, get yourself onto an Economy 10 tariff. then at least some of your heating will be at the cheap rate. Set the timer to give your morning heat just before the end of the overnight cheap period, and set it again to give a mid day boost during the mid day off peak time.

And do the same with your water heating, heat the tank overnight at the cheap rate, and mid day top up, and you will rarely need to use a peak rate top up.

Horrible though they are, storage heaters are still the cheapest form of electric heating to run. Perhaps use them as background heat and just use peak rate as a top up when needed?

 
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Hi Dave

I do agre with your thoughts and i have told my mother this but she insists that the price cant be much more than she is paying for oil,about

 

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