three phase separation

What are the rules re phase separation of the different phases on a 3 phase supply? Something like 6ft comes to mind from yonks ago, but more precise info eludes me & where is it in the iee regs?

There is a 3 phase supply here (prev used for heating, now only 1 phase used for the main house supply) and I'm wondering whether one of the unused phases could be used for the workshop/garage. One specific question is how near may 13amp sockets in the house be to ones in the workshop - especially if extension leads are used.

Reply to
drifter
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I don't think you can allow for extension leads in this calculation - adjacent houses are usually on different phases.

Reply to
Dave Plowman

I have three phase at home. The install requirements are that a normal person cannot touch two different phase fixed sockets or whatever. Obviously a three phase socket does have all phases together, but there you would expect a 440 volt belt. As to extension leads, they are irrelevant.

My recommendation is keep the whole house on one phase. My installation, the electric board insisted that I use the phases equally in the house.

Put three phase into the garage/workshop as three phase equipment is cheaper, more powerful and more reliable.

In twenty years I have only once had a problem which was when one phase disappeared, the compressor kicked in and promptly burnt out the motor (no proper contactor - my fault)

MrCheerful

Reply to
MrCheerful

Do you still have the 3-phase meter connected to the supply head ?

Reply to
BigWallop

many thanks for the replies, very helpful.... but a little more advice would be most appreciated:

so that's the 6ft I recall...

It now looks rather like light switches & fittings might be the trickiest part so far as the regs are concerned (rather than trailing ext leads). Does it mean (as it appears to) that as you switch off the light & leave one phase zone, the light switch for the next zone must be out of reach? Or aren't light switches etc counted the same as sockets for this purpose?

Please, where exactly in the IEE regs is the separation requirement stated? or is it in the suppliers conditions of service or somewhere else? OSG is simply single phase - is there something about it in any of the other IEE guides?

Put three phase into the garage/workshop as three phase equipment is

that's the arrangement I'm mulling over once again many thanks,

Reply to
drifter

Just for information, at the place where I used to work, the reception had several 13A doubles on the wall, separated by 6ft or so, but stamped in red with a phrase something like "CAUTION - 415V BETWEEN ADJACENT SOCKETS".

[...]

The closest I've come is 514-10-01 which basically says that if someone (might) have simultaneous access to live parts with >230V between them then there should be warning notices. I suspect that this is what the labelled sockets I mentioned were trying to do - either in case someone was operating equipment or was working on the sockets live. In this circumstance as well, it might be assumed by someone not knowing the system that sockets in the same (smallish) area would be fed by the same circuit. As was the case, this was not so, and two or more breakers would have to be tripped to isolate all the sockets.

HTH

Hwyl!

M.

Reply to
Martin Angove

For the following I am assuming red phase is the house and yellow and blue are spare. If you're just thinking of running a supply into the workshop run a three phase supply in there, you've got it for three phase equipment then. Leave the house as it is on one phase. Put all the single phase equipment in the workshop on the yellow phase. No problems then with different phases in the same building. I seem to think someone mentioned in this thread load balancing. Nothing to worry about too much in this instance, the above solution will be perfectly adequate. If you were to end up with different phases being simultaneously accessible then a warning notice on the terminals, or noticable as soon as the terminals are visible are required. ..

SJW A.C.S. Ltd.

Reply to
Lurch

In article , drifter writes

I believe that it is no longer in the current IEE regs. Some HSE documents, I can't remember which, have recommendations for specific situations (theatrical lighting is one which comes to mind).

However, it obviously makes sense to keep the separation if you can, even though the chance of a phase-to-phase shock from two separate appliances is pretty low.

Reply to
Tim Mitchell

In message , drifter writes

No, switches don't count. Think of most office / factory situations, adjacent rows of lights are likely to be on different phases, but all the switches are together, either as a grid switch, a 3ph distribution panel.

As above I also remember the 6ft rule, from where I don't know, as I don't recall anything other than the requirements for warning labels in the regs, and its only 3 weeks since I did the exam!

Reply to
Steven Briggs

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