How do I know if my power is phase 1 or phase 3?

There are three main ways to find out what phase power your home has.
 

1. Check the number of 'main switches' on your house's switchboard/fusebox

On the board, there will be a number of 'poles' that have switches on them. Look for a pole that has a label called the 'Main Switch' (sometimes called the 'normal supply main switch') and count the number of corresponding switches. 

  • If there are 3 switches, you're running 3-phase power
  • A single switch indicates you're on single phase.

Sometimes the Main Switch is red, which is extra helpful:

single-phase-3-phase-power

2. Check your house's switchboard/fusebox to see if the phase is written on it

Sometimes the board will have the phase written on it in words or symbols.

  • Words to look out for are:
    Single Phase, Mono-phase, 1-phase (for single)
    Tri-Phase, Polyphase, 3-phase (for 3-phase).
  • Symbols to look out for are:
    An on/off arrow with a single switch (for single)
    An on/off arrow with 3 switches (for 3-phase) like the image, below.

 single-phase-vs-3-phase

3. If you're an AGL electricity customer you can simply ask us

We have the phase information for our customer's homes, so if all else fails, give us a call.