Help with selecting which EKM meter to use...

General questions and discussions focused around the EKM Metering System. Discuss your meters, installations, and meter communications here.
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vizine
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2016 8:20 am

Help with selecting which EKM meter to use...

Post by vizine »

Hi -

I'm looking to have a sub-meter (or equivalent) installed onto the Syndicate (condo union) electrical panel, to track the kWh used for the "garage” (e.g. the garage heater, lights and outlets).

I figured "a picture is worth a thousand words" — especially when it's a noob like me doing the explaining! :? So I've added details/comments to the attached photos.

Preferred option: track the kWh usage of all 3 garage circuits from the Syndicate electrical panel.
Alternative option: to track the kWh usage of just the heater, right at the source (e.g. a watt meter directly wired to the heater?)

Hopefully you are able to offer some guidance as to which of your metering systems might provide a solution?

Thanks,
Steve
Montreal, Que

Hmmm ...I was unable to add any photos to my post:
  • ➤ First there were too many pics;
    ➤ Then after thinning the herd; the remaining pics were all too big; and finally
    ➤ After serious shrinkage (each <150 KB), the final error message was notably less descriptive: "Failed to move uploaded file"??

    Oh well, instead I uploaded them to my Box.com account. [I hope it's ok that I linked to Box.com — no SPAMMY Ads, I promise!] https://app.box.com/s/kapi63n9ngf4c81k8el1vmjixc6bb99h
Jameson
Posts: 860
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2011 7:42 pm
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Contact:

Re: Help with selecting which EKM meter to use...

Post by Jameson »

Vizine, welcome to the forum!

Thank you for all the clear photos and clear labels! This is very helpful.

Yes I would also go with your "Preferred Option" I would locate the submeter near the panel and run multiple circuits through the same CT. You can combine multiple loads in the same Current Transformer provided that all wires going through a CT are on the same phase (otherwise they will cancel eachother out)

So I would physically combine the circuits for your Electric Space Heater, the lights, and the sockets. You will then connect the meter as a single phase 3-wire (2 hot wires and one Neutral wire) similar to these diagrams and instructions:

https://help.ekmmetering.com/support/so ... v-metering

Here is another diagram showing how multiple wires from the same phase can go through each CT:
Screenshot 2016-06-15 16.14.47.png
Screenshot 2016-06-15 16.14.47.png (233.01 KiB) Viewed 9801 times
You can use any of our Omnimeters for this installation and you will need to buy 2 of our Current Transformers for this type of electrical system.

http://www.ekmmetering.com/120-240v-package.html

I would also consider a meter enclosure and an EKM Push system. Are you wanting to read this meter off of the LCD screen or would you like to be able to get your data remotely over the web?

Let me know if you have any further questions. Sorry about the file size upload limitation. I will look into it (I just had the same issue with the image above!)

Thanks again, and please let us know if we can be of any help.
Jameson
EKM METERING
http://www.ekmmetering.com
831.425.7371
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