I am at home in Netherlands but plotting the next 4 weeks of renovation to our old farmhouse in The Chartreuse. But I have left my Everything about French Electrics book in France.
I was wondering how the jour/nuit disjoncteurs work for the hot water and heating system?
Seems you need a special breaker for the fuse box but do I need anything else in the fuse box e.g a timer and do ErDF have to give me a special account or dual meter.
To operate a water heater via the HP/HC switching signal provided at the meter you require the following:
A maximum 20A disjoncteur for the actual water heater load circuit (which must be in 2,5mmÂČ conductors).
A 2A disjoncteur to protect the switch circuit that runs from the main tableau to the meter & back (uses 1,5mmÂČ conductors)
A âcontacteur jour/nuitâ to respond to the switch circuit & to do the actual power on/off of the water heater.
All the above only works if you have the right electricity account (heures creuses/heures pleines) & a âdouble tarifâ meter, which used to be a different item in the days of mechanical meters but nowadays is just a question of having the digital meter reprogrammed. Your bills will say what you are subscribed to if you canât work it out from your meter display.
Guys I read your posts with interest. We have this system with a Hagar contacteur which has three positions O - Auto - I.
Am I correct in assuming that the âAutoâ position is the one which switches on when the cheaper night rate becomes available? (I know itâs dangerous to assume anything with regard to anything French!)
Trouble is,I donât have any instructions as to its use. We have a Tariff Bleu account with EDF.
Thanks Andy. Since posting Iâve found that a wire linked to A2 on the contacteur has come loose. Now fixed⊠Weâll try tonight on Auto and see what happens. Fingers crossed. Cheers.
Hello,
We have just bought our new house and I was wondering if anyone could explain how this day / night switch works - I have never seen one like this and also cannot find anything on it through a google search:
Hmm. Mine has a digital clock. It looks like youâre seeing the mechanical clock side on. Depending on the position things will go on and off. I only have the cumulus on it. Seems to be called an interrupteur horaire. At least I thought the arrow points to the current time but as they are different Iâm probably wrong. Then depending on the blue buttons each circuit goes on and off.