<div class="bbWrapper">Great post. I ordered two combination volt/current meters off *Bay, one for each leg on the main panel. Always wondered how evenly balanced my loads are.</div>
100 - 200 Amp service upgrade - Box in new circuit panel?
- Thread starter Don2222
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 3558" data-quote="jebatty" data-source="post: 1944177"
class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">
<div class="bbCodeBlock-title">
<a href="/talk/threads/100-200-amp-service-upgrade-box-in-new-circuit-panel.137937/page-2#post-1944177"
class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump"
rel="nofollow"
data-xf-click="attribution"
data-content-selector="#post-1944177">jebatty said:</a>
</div>
<div class="bbCodeBlock-content">
<div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent ">
Great post. I ordered two combination volt/current meters off *Bay, one for each leg on the main panel. Always wondered how evenly balanced my loads are.
</div>
<div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div>
</div>
</blockquote><br />
Very good, please post a pic when you get them in.</div>
<div class="bbWrapper">Finally got the meters installed. I needed to have an electrician do the main disconnect at the meter and install the current transformer (CT) coils around the L1 and L2 mains. The fit was tight, but the coils made it over the 200 amp mains. In the pictures you can see the orange CT on the mains and then the meters off to the left. Will be interesting to follow as we use power in the house to see how balanced our loads are. I think the only concern would be if one main was severely out of balance with the other main.<br />
<script class="js-extraPhrases" type="application/json">
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
</script>
<div class="bbImageWrapper js-lbImage" title="[Hearth.com] 100 - 200 Amp service upgrade - Box in new circuit panel?"
data-src="https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/dscn2268-webp.159238/"
data-type="image"
data-lb-sidebar-href=""
data-lb-caption-extra-html=""
data-single-image="1"
>
<img src="https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/dscn2268-webp.159238/"
data-url=""
class="bbImage"
data-zoom-target="1"
style=""
alt="[Hearth.com] 100 - 200 Amp service upgrade - Box in new circuit panel?"
title="[Hearth.com] 100 - 200 Amp service upgrade - Box in new circuit panel?"
width="750" height="1000" loading="lazy" />
</div></div>
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 3558" data-quote="jebatty" data-source="post: 1949554"
class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">
<div class="bbCodeBlock-title">
<a href="/talk/threads/100-200-amp-service-upgrade-box-in-new-circuit-panel.137937/page-2#post-1949554"
class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump"
rel="nofollow"
data-xf-click="attribution"
data-content-selector="#post-1949554">jebatty said:</a>
</div>
<div class="bbCodeBlock-content">
<div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent ">
.<br />
<a href="https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/159238/" target="_blank">View attachment 159238</a>
</div>
<div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div>
</div>
</blockquote><br />
That is a scary install.</div>
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 3558" data-quote="jebatty" data-source="post: 1949554"
class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">
<div class="bbCodeBlock-title">
<a href="/talk/threads/100-200-amp-service-upgrade-box-in-new-circuit-panel.137937/page-2#post-1949554"
class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump"
rel="nofollow"
data-xf-click="attribution"
data-content-selector="#post-1949554">jebatty said:</a>
</div>
<div class="bbCodeBlock-content">
<div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent ">
Finally got the meters installed. I needed to have an electrician do the main disconnect at the meter and install the current transformer (CT) coils around the L1 and L2 mains. The fit was tight, but the coils made it over the 200 amp mains. In the pictures you can see the orange CT on the mains and then the meters off to the left. Will be interesting to follow as we use power in the house to see how balanced our loads are. I think the only concern would be if one main was severely out of balance with the other main.<br />
<a href="https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/159238/" target="_blank">View attachment 159238</a>
</div>
<div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div>
</div>
</blockquote>Excellent! The wires going to the meters are low current by using the CTs. My electrician put them in pipe for the local codes but that may be overkill. I see the 120 VAC on the meters but is there a current draw! I cannot see it.<br />
Also are you going to put a switch in turn off the meters display to save electricity and have the meter's display last longer?</div>
Last edited:
<div class="bbWrapper">The CT wires are probably 20 or 22 gauge, very thin. The 120VAC power leads on the meters likely also are 20 gauge. Current draw is very small for the two LED meters. A switch is a good idea and would be easy to add.<br />
<br />
The meters have a current draw but I doubt that draw would even register on the meters. The draw on the mains from active electrical circuits in the house do not show up with the camera flash. I'll try another picture without a flash and see if the meter displays show.<br />
<br />
The panel looks scary but really isn't. Much of the wiring is to/from a 10 circuit generator transfer switch not shown, so lots of extra wires.</div>
<div class="bbWrapper">A better picture of the meter display, along with the wall cabinet that houses the 200A main panel, an additional 100A panel for electric baseboard and hot water heating circuits, 30A generator transfer switch, and telephone/DSL entry box.<br />
<div class="bbImageWrapper js-lbImage" title="[Hearth.com] 100 - 200 Amp service upgrade - Box in new circuit panel?"
data-src="https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/dscn2272-webp.159251/"
data-type="image"
data-lb-sidebar-href=""
data-lb-caption-extra-html=""
data-single-image="1"
>
<img src="https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/dscn2272-webp.159251/"
data-url=""
class="bbImage"
data-zoom-target="1"
style=""
alt="[Hearth.com] 100 - 200 Amp service upgrade - Box in new circuit panel?"
title="[Hearth.com] 100 - 200 Amp service upgrade - Box in new circuit panel?"
width="750" height="1000" loading="lazy" />
</div> <a href="https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/dscn2274-webp.159252/"
target="_blank" class="js-lbImage" data-lb-sidebar-href="" data-lb-caption-extra-html=""><img src="https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/159/159254-1c5631ebd2f637f3c5f57079d9e897f3.jpg?hash=W6emMiKI8V"
srcset=""
class="bbImage "
data-type="image"
style=""
alt="[Hearth.com] 100 - 200 Amp service upgrade - Box in new circuit panel?"
title="[Hearth.com] 100 - 200 Amp service upgrade - Box in new circuit panel?"
width="360" height="270" loading="lazy" /></a> <a href="https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/dscn2273-webp.159253/"
target="_blank" class="js-lbImage" data-lb-sidebar-href="" data-lb-caption-extra-html=""><img src="https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/159/159255-4094b0b62c20ecd445138b0d0b9f1298.jpg?hash=kP_ta2jYqd"
srcset=""
class="bbImage "
data-type="image"
style=""
alt="[Hearth.com] 100 - 200 Amp service upgrade - Box in new circuit panel?"
title="[Hearth.com] 100 - 200 Amp service upgrade - Box in new circuit panel?"
width="360" height="270" loading="lazy" /></a></div>
<div class="bbWrapper">Last night, when everything was "off," no fridge or freezer compressor running, computer/entertainment center shut down completely, but other electric things remaining plugged in and "off" by their own switches, and the phone/DSL remained "on," the meters showed 0.2-0.3 amps draw on each main. That's equivalent to about 35x2=70 watts still being consumed. If that is my minimum watt draw without unplugging everything, annual minimum electric usage would be 70x24x365=61.3 kwh, and at my current electric rate that amounts to about $7/yr, or about $0.60/mo.<br />
<br />
In another context, 61 kwh is about the average daily production of my solar PV system during June - August.</div>
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 3558" data-quote="jebatty" data-source="post: 1949871"
class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">
<div class="bbCodeBlock-title">
<a href="/talk/threads/100-200-amp-service-upgrade-box-in-new-circuit-panel.137937/page-2#post-1949871"
class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump"
rel="nofollow"
data-xf-click="attribution"
data-content-selector="#post-1949871">jebatty said:</a>
</div>
<div class="bbCodeBlock-content">
<div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent ">
Last night, when everything was "off," no fridge or freezer compressor running, computer/entertainment center shut down completely, but other electric things remaining plugged in and "off" by their own switches, and the phone/DSL remained "on," the meters showed 0.2-0.3 amps draw on each main. That's equivalent to about 35x2=70 watts still being consumed. If that is my minimum watt draw without unplugging everything, annual minimum electric usage would be 70x24x365=61.3 kwh, and at my current electric rate that amounts to about $7/yr, or about $0.60/mo.<br />
<br />
In another context, 61 kwh is about the average daily production of my solar PV system during June - August.
</div>
<div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div>
</div>
</blockquote>Wow maybe we should shut the main breakers off when we go to bed at night? LOL</div>
- Status
Similar threads
