I’m getting ready to pull the trigger on purchasing the IoTaWatt system, and would really appreciate your thoughts on the configuration. We’re located in the USA - New Jersey. We’re looking at the 120V Kit plus CTs. We’ll want to integrate it with Home Assistant.
Our main panel is a 150A service (13mm feed wires) and feeds a 100A subpanel (10mm feed wires) installed during a kitchen renovation. Here’s the circuits we are considering to monitor:
- Main Panel Feeds (main panel) = (2) AccuCT 100A x 16mm split-core
- Well Pump 220V no neutral 15A double breaker (main panel) = (1) AccuCT 50A x 10mm split-core on one of the wires, and double the reading
- A/C Condenser unit 220V no neutral 40A double breaker (main panel) = (1) AccuCT 50A x 10mm split-core on one of the wires, and double the reading
- Generator Feeds 220V (9mm feed wires) 50A double breaker (main panel) - not used much but would be nice to have the running current in those times = (2) AccuCT 50A x 10mm split-core
- Floor Heat #1 220V no neutral 20A double breaker (sub panel) = (1) AccuCT 50A x 10mm split-core on one of the wires, and double the reading
- Floor Heat #2 220V no neutral 20A double breaker (sub panel) = (1) AccuCT 50A x 10mm split-core on one of the wires, and double the reading
- Refrigerator (sub panel) = (1) AccuCT 50A x 10mm split-core
- Dishwasher (sub panel) = (1) AccuCT 50A x 10mm split-core
- may order a couple of extra AccuCT 50A x 10mm split-core to monitor some of the aggregated circuits
- thinking about utility of monitoring the entire kitchen sub panel just to know what all the kitchen devices are using - but it’s not a clean picture anyway because there are some feeds from the main panel in the kitchen
We installed a TED 5000 energy monitor in 2011 which had been working sporadically in the last few years and was integrated into my Home Assistant but it has officially given up the ghost and now doesn’t connect at all - that’s coming out. It was unsupported for many years now anyway so had limited utility. There is also a X-10 crossover module we put in to help with X-10 comms across the phases - that’s coming out (remember X-10?).
I’m looking at the Orbit box so many of you like, and we have lots of room under the sub panel to install it. The five-foot CT leads should make it into that box OK. Also considering Smurf tubing for the CT leads running from the panels to the Orbit. I would drop a 110V line from the sub panel into the Orbit with Romex.
Questions:
- Does the configuration look right?
- Could I use the AccuCT 100A x 16mm split-core x2 for the main feeds? It’s a 150A service so I assume it’s max 75A each leg. We are thinking of putting in a heat pump system to replace our 1996 A/C and natural gas furnace so that may argue for the AccuCT 200A x 25mm split-core to future-proof. FWIW, I looked back at my TED data for 2018 and the most we ever pulled is 83A for a very short time. The average was 27A.
- How much force and manipulation does it take to snap on the split-core CTs? The concern is getting them on the main feed lines. The TED CTs were clamp-on and easy to clamp on. Do the split-core CTs hinge on one side and then just require a little force to engage the clip? Can you do it one-handed? The EChun 200A x 25mm clamp-on CTs are currently out of stock.
Thank you!
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