When there were problems… the local electrician was swift… and sorted things. what does your one say…
I cant get an electrician out until im at the house. Which will be easter next year
AC motors don’t typically have “suppressor” capacitors.
They either have “start” capacitors or “run” capacitors
That said the old meters only recorded “real” power - there has been a persistent rumour (but I don’t think I’ve seen anything definitive) that one advantage (for the electricity suppliers) of smart meters is that they can be set to record “apparent” power use.
For a resistive load there isn’t any difference but for a reactive load the two are not the same and this leads to a measurement known as the “power factor” - if this is *too* far from unity then losses can be caused in the distribution network, which is why suppliers like the idea of charging consumers for “apparent” use.
If a fault meant a capacitor was across the mains it might have quite a high “apparent” use but zero “real” use - explaining the difference between a Linky and traditional meter.
Either way the Linky is actually functioning as designed (as I believe I might have said earlier in the thread 
)
[/quote]=“Blondie-3862, post:223, topic:37664, full:true”]
I cant get an electrician out until im at the house. Which will be easter next year
[/quote]
Oh dear…
We can talk round and round, but with you not being on-site to check things and no visit from the electrician… this might have to remain a mystery until next Easter…
Do you not have someone who guards a set of keys??
1 Like
I have a lockable key box. But when ive tried to get people to go, they eont go jnless someonecis at the house. My dad who lives in the Dordogne is going to have a look when we go. If we need anything doing, my brother and his electrician friend will go and do the work. So hopefully I wont need to pay hefty charges. I still dont know why the Linky engineer didnt tell me that by installing the new meter would cut off the heating supply. Didnt realise at first as we stayed at my dads house. Was only when we came back and wanted a shower and wash up, that we realised there was no hot water.
it might simply be that the switch for the waterheater is turned to “Off”… instead of “Auto”… or “On” even…wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened…
Were you on split tariff - heures plein/creuses?
If so the signal to switch the water heater on overnight might not have been connected back up properly.
1 Like
we’re on the same wavelength… 
1 Like
Frankly, there’s no reason why these should hiccups occur… but they do… mostly simple to sort out.
Our technicien saw the old split tarif thingy and asked if we used it.
Nope says I… so he simply disconnected it tidily from the old meter.
next door… they do use split-tarif… so I watched like a hawk (I’m the keyholder) and double checked with the guy that all was well before I let him leave…
Further away, friends phoned in a panic… we’ve no hot water… he’s messed it up!
In fact, seems they thought “O” stood for ON… ooops. 
I told 'em to put the switch to auto and let it do its own thing… 
2 Likes
No idea. Sorry. I just pay the bill. I know we cant boil a kettle or it cuts electric off. I emailed linky straight away but got no reply from them.
Theres only 1 switch and it is always left on. But once linky was put in it stopped working, probably as it was connected to the old meter.
I think that would cause the motor to hum and not start/run, still obviously drawing power if it has a capacitor.
I think a number of these pumps are synchronous motors so no capacitor but who knows?
now, I’m confused… do you mean your water heater was on 24 hrs a day??? heating water 24 hrs a day???
It wouldnt actually heat the water 24hrs a day as the thermostat would switch it off once up to temp but still probably uneccessary expense
1 Like
as I’ve explained… it’s simply a transfer job… old meter out and new meter in…
Ah well… your electricien will sort it next Easter…
1 Like
Yes its the only way to hv hot water in the tank. Its not ideal but have no choice. I think it stops when tank is hot. And we are only there twice a year. So its not expensive. My brother who is a plumber will be looking into a new tank so we dont have to.
This is a classic fault - the Linky installer has most likely not reconnected the two wires required to trigger the hot water contacteur during Heures Crueses (cheap rate time). It’s an easy fix that any electrician conversant with French systems can do.
An alternative is that the contacteur (the three position switch in the distribution board) has failed. They are very susceptible to lightning damage.
As your property is a holiday home you are paying more than you need to by having the split Heures Crueses/Heures Pleines tarif. This tarif has a higher standing charge than “base tarif”, & a higher daytime rate - in exchange you get 8 hours of cheap rate (about a third off).
My advice is to swap to “base tarif”, which now you have a Linky can be carried out remotely.
Whichever tarif you are on/swap to I also strongly advise that you switch off the hot water during your absences as you are wasting energy leaving it on.
4 Likes
just a thought… when you’re having the electrics checked… make sure you’ve enough power (a high enough contract) to work the hotwater and your other bits… or you will have problems. Linky pulls no punches and takes no prisoners… it just stops working… whereas the old style meter could cope with overdemands…
1 Like
Ok will do. The tarriff im on must be low because we cant even use a kettle or toaster.
sounds like zero tarif… definitely something suspect.
1 Like