frequency...how important

[Justloadit]

Here's an idle thought - If your live and neutral are completely "untethered" to the local potential throughout the entire installation, what are the chances of you developing a fairly substantial voltage difference between earth and the phases? (I'm thinking if there was some sort of Van De Graaf generator effect in that genset or elsewhere in the installation for some bizarre reason).

A very good point, anyone touching earth and the neutral of the generator would get a brutal wallop. Earthing prevents this from happening.

[murdock]

well it been a week now and i am become very efficient without a connection to the electricity department...cost for the week R250 for 7 days...and improving as i am putting measures into place...by doing what i have done i am forced to make positive progress.

i am busy taking step to become completely isolated from the durban electricity department...i have discoonected and removed their supply from my meter...

i have already setup gas for all cooking...

i will be looking into gas units to heat the water...

a pure sine wave invertor to charge my equipment batteries and cellphones and to run my computer equipment.

a gas fridge which i hav already connected a camping one but will be looking into a bigger gas fridge which can run on electrcity and gas.

i hoofed my old deep freeze out the house...moved all the into the bottom of the fridge freezer and will replace what is needed on a weekly basis.

putting solar lighting thru out the house which will run completely independant from any electricty supply...the solar panels will charge a 7 amp hour batteries which can run 4 LEM lights for 10 hours...

When i am ready to reconnect to the council...my meter will be changed to a pre paid meter and i cant see my bill will be more than R200 a month...by the time i am finished...i havent worked out what the cost of the gas is yet but have noticed...having the quick heat from the gas stoves etc there is no waiting for plate to warm up etc

i did consider a solar geyser but it doesnt help me for morning baths and showers and washing dishers ...by the time the solar panels heat the water it will already be afternoon so the element still has to switch on....so the huge outlay for a solar geyser just sounds like a money making racket to me...whereas with the gas it is instant as and when required.

as for geyser blankets...no comment...before you buy a geyser blanket think a little and look into the construction of a geyser and you will know why the no comment...and i wont even go into expensive geyser management systems...rather keep quiet...come on people stop being so gulible and just think a little before you go out and waste huge amounts of money.

i want to see a real reduction in my electricity account not an estimate...

i have already started with the water...collecting big drums...and will start rerouting gutters etc...i might even loo into a small water purification works...i built them for 10 years i sure i can come up with a small system to service my house and who knows maybe all my neighbours climb on the band wagon...the reason for this is because of the levy for sewage which they now nailing us with...then i need to stop the refuse removal...also becoming a money making racket.

and last my rates i need to find out what makes up my rates so i can look into how i can reduse it back to R300 like it was 3 years ago before the ridiculous increase to R980 which they still cant justify.

[murdock]

and you ask why i am wasting my time...because i have had enough...i tired of holding my ankles...

[Justloadit]

The solar geyser does help, one adjusts your hygienic cycle to suite, but gas is the new energy resource for the next 50 years. So you are definitely on the right path.

Also look at investing in a gas driven generator, just for the times you need a boost in power, it comes handy, and the beauty of the gas fuel, is that you can store gas indefinitely, and do not have to worry about muck blocking your carburetor from prolonged standby.

[AndyD]

...........so i can look into how i can reduse it back to R300 like it was 3 years ago before the ridiculous increase to R980 which they still cant justify.

The only way you're going to do that is to get your property revalued at a much lower price.

[murdock]

The only way you're going to do that is to get your property revalued at a much lower price.

busy doing that as we speak but its not as simple as i thought...i have to get hold of an estate agent get sales of properties close to mine...then give a break down of why my property value is less...so i have taken piuctures of all the work required to fix up the house stripped all my carpets out...and just lef tthe concrete floors for now...used a high pressure cleaner to take most of the paint off the walls so it look really bad...once the rates...electricity etc is sorted out i will start revamping the whole house.

[Dave A]

Seems a bit drastic

[AndyD]

Sounds well dodgy.

You're living like a pikey because you have a rates bill of under a grand.

...so i have.......stripped all my carpets out...and just lef tthe concrete floors for now...used a high pressure cleaner to take most of the paint off the walls so it look really bad...once the rates...electricity etc is sorted out i will start revamping the whole house.

This sounds a bit obsessive compulsive to me. I'm glad I'm not living next door to you, your neighbors property prices are probably also dropping so fast their ears are popping.

[AndyD]

Not much sense in calling a terminal an earth if it isn't "earthed" properly

Here's an idle thought - If your live and neutral are completely "untethered" to the local potential throughout the entire installation, what are the chances of you developing a fairly substantial voltage difference between earth and the phases? (I'm thinking if there was some sort of Van De Graaf generator effect in that genset or elsewhere in the installation for some bizarre reason).

A very good point, anyone touching earth and the neutral of the generator would get a brutal wallop. Earthing prevents this from happening.

Just to clarify, my concerns about the neutral and earth of the generator being connected were if the generator is not connected to a house DB and getting it's earth bond from there. If for example the generator was used standalone like this and didn't have an earth spike then the chassis would by elevated the the same voltage as the neutral.

[Dave A]

If for example the generator was used standalone like this and didn't have an earth spike then the chassis would by elevated the the same voltage as the neutral.

No contest from my side

I think we're boxing the same point, just from different angles.