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Spike in Electricity


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Something really odd has happened. We have been using between 3.5 and 5 units a day electricity over the past couple for months. The ASHP is off as the solar is doing our hot water and we don't need heating.

 

On Monday we noticed the meter readings had shot up to 19 units in a day. From the app it seems this spike started on Sunday (see below) at 9:30pm and it jumped to 0.46 when it has been 0.12, 0.15, 0.08 previously.

 

Screenshot_2021-08-18-08-24-30-746_com.android.chrome.thumb.jpg.1cbbe919141ad2885938abeea710abec.jpg

The pic below is midnight onwards when the usage remained static all through the period when we were asleep.

 

Screenshot_2021-08-18-08-47-43-664_com.android.chrome.thumb.jpg.380b732f46a2a91da4aa8851053f6fc5.jpg

 

I initially thought it was Octopus app playing up again but I took a manual reading yesterday morning and again this morning and we have used 21 units again. Yesterday for the first time I had our ASHP on for hot water as the solar did little and I know it's not the heat pump as it used only 4 units for the hot water so it has to be something else as we would find it pretty impossible to use 17 units of electricity with just the two of us. We have nothing on standby, the heating is still programmed off.

 

How do I find out what's causing the issue? If we continue to use this amount for leccy with no heating on yet I dread to think of the situation come winter with heating!

 

The only things that are on during the hours of the night are our fridge and freezer and sewage treatment plant off the top of my head and the Quooker. We haven't changed anything on Sunday night.

 

Help,!

 

 

Edited by canalsiderenovation
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What are the figures in the fight hand column?  Is that how many kWh you have used in each half hour period?  Of so that's about 0.5kWh in each half hour so about 1kWh in each hour.  In other words you are looking for a rogue 1kW load

 

The blunt way to tell is switch off the circuits at the consumer unit one at a time and measure for the next hour until you find the one where the load drops when turned off.  That will give a clue.

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2 minutes ago, ProDave said:

What are the figures in the fight hand column?  Is that how many kWh you have used in each half hour period?  Of so that's about 0.5kWh in each half hour so about 1kWh in each hour.  In other words you are looking for a rogue 1kW load

 

The blunt way to tell is switch off the circuits at the consumer unit one at a time and measure for the next hour until you find the one where the load drops when turned off.  That will give a clue.

 

Yes you're right @ProDave. We don't get the app readings until 24 hours later so it would involve me taking a manual reading of the meter every hour when testing the appliances and hoping the solar didn't kick in the meantime.

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Something like this would help https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/352603604716?epid=11023571779&hash=item5218d006ec:g:8j0AAOSwQJ1edcDA

 

It would clamp onto one of your meter tails and give you a real time read out of current being used and make finding it a lot easier.

 

That one is from China. your task now is to find something not too expensive that is posted from the UK.  Or wait 3 weeks for it.

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5 minutes ago, TonyT said:

Has the immersion kicked in?

PV definitely working?

 

No immersion kicked in it's off. Yes our PV is working albeit it is minimal as the sky is dark, grey and cloudy - summer has ended!

 

@ProDave I've got this and have plugged it in. We have turned of the sewage treatment plant for the next hour so will start with this.

 

IMG_20210818_093134.thumb.jpg.a99dc9729fc28b7253c392173d0acaf4.jpg

Edited by canalsiderenovation
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Okay so your treatment plant is drawing 300w continuously. 

 

Is this an actual treatment plant? or just a pumping station?  Turn it back on and go and have a look. Is the pump stuck on?  could the float switch be stuck or faulty?

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That's the air blower and should be running continuously.  That would not be using that much.

 

I know you have mentioned a pumping station. That would be under a separate lid and should only come on and pump for a short time when the level in the holding tank reaches a certain level.  If that one is running all the time you have a problem.

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20 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I know you have mentioned a pumping station. That would be under a separate lid and should only come on and pump for a short time when the level in the holding tank reaches a certain level.  If that one is running all the time you have a problem.

 

Let me have a look, some lids are fastened down. With the strange hours the spike is I think it must be something in this area. It may be a coincidence but in the past couple do days we have noticed a real smell in this area too.

Edited by canalsiderenovation
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11 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said:

 

Let me have a look, some lids are fastened down. With the strange hours the spike is I think it must be something in this area. It may be a coincidence but in the past couple do days we have noticed a real smell in this area too.

 

What's this? This seems to be running.IMG_20210818_115825.thumb.jpg.842dce7b2f1ae09410e35b83c176b63d.jpg

 

Not really sure what this is:

 

IMG_20210818_120316.thumb.jpg.b636fcccf1963dffd229c0618206dceb.jpg

 

And then there is another bit which I'm not going to post pics of as it's full of sh!t.

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I believe picture 2 is the pumping chamber.  At the bottom of that grey pipe will be a pump, under water at the moment.  That should turn on and off with a float switch.  Can you hear a pump running in that one?

 

If the pump is running but the level of "water" is not going down, you have a problem.

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9 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I believe picture 2 is the pumping chamber.  At the bottom of that grey pipe will be a pump, under water at the moment.  That should turn on and off with a float switch.  Can you hear a pump running in that one?

 

If the pump is running but the level of "water" is not going down, you have a problem.

 

9 minutes ago, ProDave said:

 

If the pump is running but the level of "water" is not going down, you have a problem.

 

We didn't hold it for long as it was heavy but it was running and the water wasn't going down! We also noticed when we lifted the lid it was really hot to touch 

Edited by canalsiderenovation
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11 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said:

 

 

We didn't hold it for long as it was heavy but it was running and the water wasn't going down! We also noticed when we lifted the lid it was really hot to touch 

Go and look again.  If it is still running and the level has not gone down, then turn it off at your consumer unit and call your plumber.

 

And try not to flush the loo or run much water until he has been.

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3 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Go and look again.  If it is still running and the level has not gone down, then turn it off at your consumer unit and call your plumber.

 

And try not to flush the loo or run much water until he has been.

 

On it already.... We have been told to turn consumer unit off and someone is due out.

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9 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said:

There are here, pumps on but it ain't pumping ....

He needs to disconnect the pump outlet pipe and turn on from a safe distance.  If you get a fountain, the pump is okay and the pipe is blocked.  If you get nothing, the pump is broken.

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13 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Good news.  Unusual way to be alerted to such a fault.  It looks like that is a good quality stainless steel pump so should be robust.

 

I do tend to check the app most days after the electricity app issues with Octopus - call me obsessive!

 

I did notice a smell on Monday (I'm quite deaf but my sense of smell is amazing) but the wife told me there was no smell. I love being right ?

 

How the two guys could eat biccies and drink tea whilst inspecting inside is beyond me. I was dry heaving with a mask on!

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