Bramco

Yes, it will flash twice as fast.

Superficially they do behave differently but in terms of units registered for charging purposes they all seem to work the same - I think this must be in a statute somewhere but as I said I can't find this. Our previous meter used to go solid red when it had detected reverse energy - which happens when the immersion has heated up the tank to it's target temperature, i.e. it can't take any more surplus energy. The smart meter doesn't do this. The old meter flashed 1000 times per kWh. the smart meter 2000 times. But these are just the way the meters display info for us users - the key diverters all working with different meters is the regulatory charging unit of 1wH which allows diverters to work by avoiding repeatedly going over the next unit. Simon

No, they don't work like that. The isolation from the grid occurs when there if there is a power cut - the inverter handles that. There is an isolation switch in the circuit to the immersion heater (as normal), so we can isolate it if needs be. To turn off the diverter, we can simply unplug it and there's another isolation point in the feed to the diverter. But these are all manual. No. The immersion in normal operation is only connected to the diverter. So it sops up as much energy as the diverter can divert, even very small amounts. Essentially these things work by continuously monitoring the mains flow (samples at about 50 times per mains cycle, so 2500/s). If reverse flow is detected, then the diverter starts diverting, even if it is a small amount. The 'bucket' algorithm, make sure that the 1wH charging unit threshold of the meter isn't transgressed, so the meter doesn't register a unit used while the diverter is diverting. This is important whenever the amount of energy that can be diverted is lower than the rating of the immersion. If you didn't have the bucket algorithm, you would be importing the difference to make up the full 3kW of the immersion rating. Simon

He may have introduced the forum to the concept but I think it was described earlier on the openenergymonitor website where there are a couple of implementations of this that you can download if you build your own device. Obviously the OEM site may have half-inched the term from somewhere else.... Simon

Mine works fine. I was also concerned when we had the smart meter installed - I built a diverter as described on the openenergymonitor site. My initial concern was that the smart meter states on the outside that the led flashes at a rate of 2000 impulses per kWh which is twice as fast as a normal meter. However, this is just the flashing led, not what is being reported as usage. Usage is still measured in 1Wh chunks or 3600 joules. Although I can't find a spec anywhere, it seems that this is the standard charging unit for electricity in the UK - and it would make sense that all meters report the same charging info, regardless of what they might show on displays. There was a long discussion of this on the openenergymonitor forum a few months ago. You may ask how I'm so sure the smart meter isn't working to a more accurate standard since I can't find a spec for the charging units. Well, once the smart meter was installed, I waited until we had a really sunny day where all of our excess PV would be diverted to the immersion heater. On the Octopus web site you can see the usage per hour and sure enough for several hours when we didn't use any big appliances we were charged 0.0p and I could see from my monitoring of the heat bank that it was being heated as normal. So I'm not absolutely certain but I do know that the diverter is working as designed and it's not drawing any power from the grid when it's working full tilt. I should add, we only have 1.75kWp on the roof, so all of the maximum generation can be diverted to the 3kW immersion heater. Simon

It is a great feeling, having investment coming out of the ground rather than the earth being a massive money pit! I'd show our insulated slab which has just bee finished but I can't seem to get a picture in here. Will try later. Simon

When we finally get our new build finished, it will probably be an EV to soak up our PV and any cheap night time electricity. Apparently there'll be a shortage of wine at Xmas, so I'm buying in just in case (wonder how much will be left). But with the fire the French caused on the cable that we use to import lekky from France, I'm also going to be buying wood (still have an open hearth - maybe I should have specced one for the new house - mind, it's timber frame, so we'll be OK......) Simon

That's gotta be the wild west to get any generation at 7:30pm.... Isles of Scilly sunset time today is 19:38 - only 8 minutes after here in delightful Notts... Are you sailing across the pond? ? Simon

You'd need a big torch to get decent generation at 7:30 at night!! Simon

Triple glazed, MVHR and massive open spaces - it's not like steel framed single glazed windows in a 50's council house with the washing on a clothes horse in front of the fire....

No - it's to prevent any future fall out. The percentage split was agreed before we took over our half of the plot and we 'paid' the other 3 members of the family our share. One of them now owns the existing house and half the land. All 4 came out of the transaction with the same amount based on valuations of the land and the existing house. The overage is to protect the families of the 2 who weren't interested in the land or the existing house. On both halves of the land there's the potential for further subdivisions, all the families should be able to benefit if either of the current land owners decide to subdivide. Fairly straightforward. Simon

Sometimes they are there for a good reason. We split the land my father in law bought years ago when he died. So there are overages on both plots in favour of the remainder of the family were either of the new owners (us and my brother in law) to sell a parcel off for development. Different scenario but they can be useful. Simon

Yep, new house will be ASHP, Solar PV with divert to 2 immersions. Much simpler. Simon

I wish PV had been cheaper before we installed solar thermal (our PV came a few years after the s thermal) - I'd have done the whole roof in solar PV rather than half solar thermal and half PV. With PV divert and more than one immersion you can get a tankful of hot water with a much simpler installation. It's also a bit of a nightmare when it comes to selling. Our current house will go on the market next month as we hope to be in the new build early next year. You should see the looks our heat bank gets from some of the locals who know we'll be selling who have asked for a preview. I can see most prospective buyers thinking - you know what I'll save the space, put in a combi and I'll be fine. Of course they'll lose the mains pressure how water, the fact that we get as much in FiT payments as we are charged for gas and electricity.... Simon

they don't, they won't until they either like or dislike the new plan. Good luck! Although given the size of the plot, you should have gone for a mini estate with at least 3 dwellings - you'd have got that no trouble.... Simon

In some situations, ISPs will have a fair share policy, so if everyone on that bit of the network is trying to do lots at the same time, your connection may be throttled back. And I think some email systems have time outs built in, so if your connection has a hiccup for whatever reason, the server or your local email may time out. I have more trouble with large emails not working than with downloads etc. and we're on the original Virgin Media cable at 60Mb download and about 5Mb upload speeds. And in your case, it could just be a few crows resting on the wire making it sag ? Simon PS Have you tried using a 4G connection on your phone - or are you that far away from civilisation that the phone signal is also weak.

Yes but they won't deliver and install until the beginning of October, so can't say anything about what they are like in use. The sales process went smoothly but then it did with the other companies we talked to. We chose Express because they were a similar price to others that could do the sliding doors we were looking for and the fact that they are a UK manufacturer - probably get the profiles from abroad of course... The showroom in Leeds has all of their window and doors styles installed, so you can get a good idea of what things would look like and how they operate. Simon

They kept directing us to a local agent who was just someone who once upon a time had ordered a door from them and thought he could start a business - we insisted that they dealt with us through the head office in Truro. Worked, once they realised we wouldn't deal with the chap they said was their dealer. And yes - it's called the 'day release' option... Simon

Fortunately we asked about this and they can fit the latch for the electronic door control, without the electronics - this allows you to put the door on the latch by making the plate floppy - not a technical term but I'm sure you know what I mean. So you have the same lock but the bit it goes into in the door frame is different. Not sure if you can retrofit this, there's a channel for the electrics which goes with it I think. That part of the ordering process was a bit opaque. Truro gave us a list of accessories and parts etc. then the order confirmation came back from Poland with more stuff, different numbers and descriptions, so there were a few anxious days making sure the order was actually correct and matched what Truro had sent through. Your door looks like the one we ordered with the indented handle - if so did you go for the leds? And have you tried them out yet? Simon

Wow! That looks like exactly the same door that we've ordered from RK Doors. Ours will sit on the concrete slab though with a packer which they will be supplying to bring the bottom of the threshold level up so that it will be level with the tiles internally. I think all their diagrams show the flush threshold sitting on the tiling or flooring giving a v small upstand. Simon

We had a cost plan done - maybe not the wisest choice of people to do that but... The daftest numbers they came back with were for the ASHP, MVHR and Solar PV, barmy numbers. I think the lesson we learned was that for electrics, plumbing, tiling, plastering, landscaping folks are in safe territory. As soon as it gets a bit beyond that they rely on sending out aspects to 'specialists' and they load up their quotes when things can be done much more economically. ASHP and Solar are good examples, we all know that if you aren't after the RHI or FiT type subsidies, all you need is a good plumber and electrician and it's just connecting stuff up. Simon

Maybe you haven't got the right shaped bin? Simon

I'll PM you if I can work out how to do that. I'll have to go back to the bits of info we collated. Simon

It was a couple of years ago that we visited. Sounds like they've got their act together. Simon

My point wasn't about them being tired, it was more about the workmanship, eye for detail and I guess attitude - why have a show house that has so many snags? Simon