Hi,
Should the mains incomer hum? I think this is the right word for it. It is the black thing with YEDL written on it and contains the company fuse.
I'm sure it is this that is humming and not the CU.
Should I be worried?
Graham
There's often a hum from the meter, which can get louder if you have a load which is under triac control (dimmer, washing machine motor, etc).
Do you mean humming or is it more or a buzzing, arcing sound?
If it's the latter, then quite possibly yes. It could be a loose connection somewhere, but you'd probably also notice this with your lights flickering rather a lot.
Where is the meter and main fuse located? Came across one incident a good few years ago where the meter had been fixed to a large expanse of wooden wall[1] and I can only guess the natural vibration frequency of the wall was close to 50hz. The din had to be heard to be believed! Solved by mounting the meter and fuse on an adjacent brick wall - noise totally disappeared.
[1] Old picturesque cottages aren't always the idyllic retreat they might seem. The previous occupant had been deaf, apparently.
Are you sure it's that bit that is humming? Take something non-conductive (wood or plastic) and use it as a stehoscope to make sure between the meter, Co fuse, CU etc.
It shouldn't hum but but getting anything down about it might be fun. Does the level of hum change with load?
Well after further investigation it is actually the meter. I can feel a slight vibration just by touching it. It is not that annoying, I just wasn't sure if it should hum. A loose connection was my main worry.
Graham
Mechanical meters do hum, coils with AC and and bits of metal nearby... When was it last replaced, maybe it's getting a bit long in the tooth? Meters should be replaced by the distribution company every ten years.
My digital electronic meter hummed, I got it replaced with a nice quiet mechanical bakelite one.
Owain
Why did the Scottish and Southern Meterfitter say they had to be replaced every 9 years, when mine was done a few weeks ago?
In 17 years at this house, my gas meter has been routinely changed twice, my electricity meter has never been changed.
In the early 1990's when I was working for GEC, REC's required a 10 year guarantee on meters from manufacturers, and a 40 year expected life. At that time, this ruled out using things like LED and LCD displays on meters.
A collegue was working on remote meter reading. The required lifetimes made that pretty impossible, as semiconductor circuits don't have a life that long. Looking at the newer meters around today, I would guess this requirement has been relaxed to some degree.
Then he told you a load of old bollocks, if you'll pardon the expression.
If you'd care to do the homework, the certification period for the normal single phase electromechanical or static (electronic) meter is 20 years. The Electricity Act 1989 is a good starting point, but it's only that, a starting point.
Three phase and maximum demand type meters have different certification periods.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.