Hi
I'm considering buying a Flusko meter and I'm wondering how one decides whether to buy 50A or 100A clamps? My switch box main switch is a 63A breaker.
I've looked at this thread: https://www.flukso.net/content/size-current-clamp
and it appears that the larger the clamp the lower the resolution. Is that correct? If so, in a 'normal' small house I would probably be better off with a 50A clamp even though my main switch is a 63A one, as it would be highly unlikely I'd draw 50+ Amps.
Is my thinking correct, or should I just go for a 100A clamp?
Thanks
Nota bene: 63A is the maximum the breaker let's through, thus you (most likely) will never reach it (hopefully, otherwise the main fuses will blow beforehand) 50A * 230V = 11k5 VA (Europe) - what consumer(s) do you have that reach 11.5 kW in sum per phase at the same moment in time? In any "normal" household 50A clamps will be sufficient; heat pumps and electric heating that may consume more have own circuits with the assumed necessity to provide larger clamps - but then also the accuracy is related to these consumers...
Answers that your question what you should do?
Hi Gebhardm
240V here, so 12kW. I agree - highly unlikely in a 3 bed house.
I'll just get one 50A clamp.
Thanks again.
Hi again,
I have one more question. I have Apricus hot water with boosting on a rate called Controlled Load 2 where it gets up to 16 hours of heating time a day (mid morning and late at night).
It would be interesting to know how much boosting is going on in winter (other than looking at the bill each quarter) so I'm thinking I could put a second clamp on the cable to the hot water tank.
I believe (although must check with my electrician) that the hot water booster is wired from the meter to a breaker and then straight to the hot water tank, so based on that understanding, one clamp on the "main in" cable to the switchboard, and another one on the cable to the hot water tank would work, but would like to know if others have done this.
Thanks
Try a search on your own - https://www.google.de/search?q=site:flukso.net+heating and equivalent search terms.
Gebhardm,
What an terribly poor response to a new potential buyer of the product. Before posting the above, I had tried searching using Google as you describe to search for hot water, off peak, controlled load and separate load. I haven't found anything, hence the question.
Does anyone else have more constructive feedback?
Thanks.
Watch your netiquette, anonymous forum user, as all forum users except for one are also "just" buyers and users; and we exchange (!) experiences where nearly ever question has been raised, discussed and answered by now - the question to raise is for separate consumption monitoring. This is of course possible as the clamps and pulse ports serve as independent sensors - what can be taken from the manual (page 7 "When selecting 1 phase, each clamp port will be sampled seperately and mapped to sensors #1, #2 and #3 respectively.") - on clamps there is an exception that three clamps may be configured as if they are just one for three-phase installations as common in Central Europe.
So, to be polite, and answer your question: Yes, this is possible.
One clamp at the "central mains" will record the combined consumption (or supply - check the way of operation of current clamps) and one clamp at the booster feed will monitor the booster's consumption. But be aware that the booster's consumption then is "part of" the mains combined consumption if fed from the same inlet.
As this is a "consumption and supply sharing platform" you may watch different user's graphs from the dash.
Hi Gerhardm
The tone of your response surprises me, but thank you for the fantastic and helpful answer.
I had tried to find the information you've provided in this post, but had been unsuccessful. I have not seen a forum where I've been told to "search the forum" before, particularly when I already had done so, and had tried to be thoughtful and creative in my searches.
Now that I have the information you've shared, I'll buy a Flukso and two sensors, and hope to be a positive contributor to the forum in the future for other users benefit.
Gebhardm,
You'll be pleased to know that I had my two Flukso clamps installed last week by an electrician (the law requires that I don't do it myself...) and once I connected them up to my Flukso, it started working perfectly. Thanks for your advice in the thread.