-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Wall meter to measure power usage?
- Thread starter amitmishra4
- Start date
Can you provide a picture of the wiring to provide power to the meter? I am running 6 gauge wires to my nema 14-50, but dont want to run the large wires through this same meter, so how did you provide power to it?
morrisdl
Member
I dont have a pic, but there are some good illustrations on the Amazon listing. The meter only needs 18-22g wire works for display power and sensors. The 4 terminals on the back of the display would never fit anything larger than 13g. The magnet loop with 2 sensor wires (shown in blue) goes around either outlet hot wire (x or y). If you dont want to disconnect the existing outlet wire get an open/close sensor like shown. Otherwise get the cheaper closed loop magnet and thread the 6g hot wire though before it gets terminated to the outlet.
Could I wire the smaller power from the energy monitor directly with each leg when its terminated into the 14-50, or would I need to randomly splice the 6 gauge wire to attach it?
ai4px
Wes
eprosenx
Active Member
I wonder if the wall connector gets warm if the contactor is engaged even if the car is not actively drawing power? (I hear my wall connector contactor engage any time hvac turns on in the car when I am loading it prior to leaving the house)
israndy
Supercharger Hunter
I just loosened the screws in the breaker box and slipped the low power wire in. This did make contact but it is possible that it will negatively impact the connection to the 50 amp circuit, so screw it down hard. I finally had to use a mirror to see what I was doing as it kept not going in next to the big wire. This gave me a meter in the breaker box, but I will probably move it to the outlet box, cut a hole in the sheetrock for it.
I saw somewhere a guy built an adapter that plugged into the 14-50 and provided an outlet for the charger but mounted the meter inline. That might be nice if I wanna see what the power I use is in many locations.
-Randy
Your screws on the breakers should be torqued to the specification for that breaker, not just as hard as you can go
invalid
Member
I plan on using this to measure the charger: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XD8WZX6
Normally goes on the main house in, but likely throw one on the charger since I love data.
Normally goes on the main house in, but likely throw one on the charger since I love data.
TT97
Active Member
Will it measure the charger? It states "each clamp meters up to 200 amps under 120 voltages." Will it measure 240v?
israndy
Supercharger Hunter
240v is when you add the two hots coming into your house. Same is true going to your Tesla. The NEMA 14-15 has a neutral, but since we don't want 120v we don't touch that pin and get 240v on the other two. It just seems like overkill to measure this, but it is a way to get it on your phone instead of on the box on the wall only, like I have.
-Randy
-Randy
invalid
Member
Yeah, sort of overkill, but planning on putting this on the AC as well, since our electric bill goes way up in July/August here (over 100F for most of that time), and figure the car would be the other thing worth tracking. Budget our gas bill, might as well budget it’s portion of the electrical bill.
Personally, I am a fan of the LED one, has a bigger, easier to read display.
https://www.amazon.com/KETOTEK-Digital-Multimeter-Current-Voltmeter/dp/B0734SZVWL
-Randy
I installed this one today. So far so good.
eprosenx
Active Member
Is that just a disconnect on the far right? Or does it also have fuses / a breaker?
Did some local code inspector require it? Or you just did it to be thorough?
My reading of 2017 NEC is that they don’t have to be right next to the unit. And not required at all if 60a circuit or below.
What amperage is your setup?
That is a pull-out style disconnect on the right, no fuses or breakers. I did it to be thorough and I figure if I’m standing there and notice something wrong, I can pretty quickly pull that disconnect. Definitely faster than I can get to the breaker inside the house.
Whole setup is 60a. 4awg thhn.
Whole setup is 60a. 4awg thhn.
eprosenx
Active Member
Oh wow, 4 awg in conduit the whole way? You could have used just #6 and been within spec (but hey, overkill is not a bad deal - just more $$$). That wire is good to 85 amps in conduit. So could get an 80a breaker and set the HPWC accordingly. (won’t do any good on a model 3 - but some S or X units could get value from it)
Note that if you ever pull that disconnect under load it is going to arc pretty badly. I would not do that unless there was a major emergency. I really don’t foresee that happening.
I personally think the (incorrectly) interpreted code requirement for local disconnects is silly for EVSE units like the wall connector. There are no serviceable parts inside like with an AC unit, so really not much of a point. The ability to lock the circuit “off” is not a bad idea, but you can do that with a breaker lock off clip. Regardless, it does not apply unless the circuit is over 60a.
Nice install though! Well done! (don’t mind my nit picking)
SDRick
Active Member
Cleanest install of a power meter that I have seen so far! Well done. What gauge wire did you use going to the meter and how and where did you connect the 2 small conductors to the 240v lines?
Similar threads
