Safety Question

1

Quick question about safety:

I’ve read the docs regarding possible damage to the CT if they’re clamped onto active lines but aren’t plugged into the IotaWatt, and how that could also potentially be a safety hazard. The recommendation is to short the 3.5mm headphone connection if they’re going to be unplugged for more than a few hours.

  1. How would I go about shorting it?
  2. If something were to happen to the IotaWatt (e.g., hardware failure), but the CTs were still plugged in, would that prevent damage incurred from a live line?

Thanks!

2

I usually wrap a strip of aluminum foil around the jack.

When plugged into the IoTaWatt they are fine whether the unit is working or not.

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3

Would this work?

short loop using y
short loop using y1397×1623 93.8 KB

4

No, I don’t believe so.

5

Is this the case even if the unit is totally unplugged?

6

Yes, when you plug the CT in it is shored by the burden resistor.

7

It seems one would have to cut the wire and connect left and right to ground in order to use an extension or y to short. Found this great site to explain these jacks.

8

To be specific connect tip to sleeve.

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