Do I have 3 phase electric?

[KarenF]

Hi there

I am wanting to get a 22Kw car charger installed which I believe needs 3 phase electric. I seem to recall that our house has a 3 phase supply as the previous owner had a workshop in the garden with some pretty powerful machinery. How can I tell if it does have 3 phase?

Thank you in advance.

 

[pc1966]

Can you post a photo of your incoming power and meter arrangement? Make sure any obvious identification or serial numbers are redacted though.

 

[YaserThePlumber]

Hi there

I am wanting to get a 22Kw car charger installed which I believe needs 3 phase electric. I seem to recall that our house has a 3 phase supply as the previous owner had a workshop in the garden with some pretty powerful machinery. How can I tell if it does have 3 phase?

Thank you in advance.

If its on three phases you would see 3 cutout fuses below the CU. A single phase power supply has only one.

 

[DefyG]

Three Phase and Single Fused Cutouts
Should be easy to determine when looking at intake/meter.

 

[brianmoooore]

If its on three phases you would see 3 cutout fuses below the CU. A single phase power supply has only one.

Not in all cases. I posted on here not long ago about a single phase supply now fitted with a 3 phase head and polyphase meter.

 

[davesparks]

If its on three phases you would see 3 cutout fuses below the CU. A single phase power supply has only one.

Better to look at the meter than the cutout, there are many installations with a 3 phase cutout but only a single phase meter and supply connected.

2 phase supplies may also use a 3 phase cutout and single phase cutouts can have a second fuse installed to them.

 

[brianmoooore]

2 phase supplies may also use a 3 phase cutout

Numerous cases of this amongst my customers, and applies to the supply to my own house.

 

[littlespark]

Would it tell you on an electric bill?

 

[DPG]

OP needs to come back with some pictures.

 

[brianmoooore]

Would it tell you on an electric bill?

No indication of split phase on my bill. Polyphase meter only has one dial (or two if E7)

 

[Basharat12]

once i came across a client which had all his appliances burnt out due to the neutral being loose on a 3 phase system, voltage added up higher causing unbalanced load etc. nightmare!

 

[brianmoooore]

I once had a client who had appliances burnt out on a two phase system caused by a DNO "engineer" pulling the neutral from the meter with the power on. This happened a few seconds before I arrived on the scene, and I found him still holding the wire in his hand in the dark, not having a clue about the implications of what he had just done.