Posted by Jim Wilkins on December 10, 2012, 2:45 pm
> Per Vaughn:
>>Another little surprise will be the defrosting heaters in your
>>frost-free refrigerator. They take the best part of a kilowatt and
>>come
>>on at unpredictable times.
> Luckily (?) we don't have gas for cooking, but the refrigerator
> defrost thing is news to me.
> Knowing that will probably save me an hour or so beating my head
> against the wall wondering where the extra load is coming from.
> Thanks.
> --
> Pete Cresswell
I haven't found any commercial AC current recorders that don't cost
more than you could ever save.
http://www.microdaq.com/supco/data-loggers/logit/current-voltage-data-logger.php
Mine is an old laptop connected to a Radio Shack 22-805 PC Link meter
with a clamp-on current probe. It won't measure wattage like a
120V-only KAW but it can record the highest current demand.
jsw
Posted by (PeteCresswell) on December 10, 2012, 6:37 pm
Per Jim Wilkins:
>I haven't found any commercial AC current recorders that don't cost
>more than you could ever save.
>http://www.microdaq.com/supco/data-loggers/logit/current-voltage-data-logger.php
>Mine is an old laptop connected to a Radio Shack 22-805 PC Link meter
>with a clamp-on current probe. It won't measure wattage like a
>120V-only KAW but it can record the highest current demand.
I never even knew such things existed.
I could live without the clamp-on sensing... but a Kill-A-Watt
with a USB port and some PC software would appeal to my inner
tech-weenie.
--
Pete Cresswell
Posted by Jim Wilkins on December 10, 2012, 10:24 pm
> Per Jim Wilkins:
> I could live without the clamp-on sensing... but a Kill-A-Watt
> with a USB port and some PC software would appeal to my inner
> tech-weenie.
> --
> Pete Cresswell
http://www.ladyada.net/make/tweetawatt/
The clamp-on measures current in hardwired 240V appliances such as my
water heater. It's a simple and safe way to record the On and Off
times.
I use a cheap 12-year-old laptop without a battery because such
temporary card-table setups are rickety. A laptop won't tip over as
easily as a monitor, and it waste less power.
jsw
Posted by you on December 8, 2012, 8:37 pm
> Just had a cutover switch installed, but it only supports six
> circuits and I actually have 9 that I'd like to have power to
> when running a gennie.
>
> The three combined circuits would be a couple of bedrooms and a
> bathroom. i.e. expected use would be just a few electric lights
> and a couple of radios.
>
> Seems like two breakers will now become unused and all 3 circuits
> will be running off of a single 15-amp breaker - which, in turn,
> would be served by one circuit from the generator transfer
> switch.
>
> Not knowing anything about electrical stuff, I'm wondering what
> the downside exposure is here.
>
> My hope would be that putting a 20-amp fuse in the transfer
> switch's circuit (which is allowed per the maker's specs) would
> make it so if, for instance, somebody plugged an electric heater
> into a bathroom outlet, the breaker in the breaker box would trip
> and that would be the end of the problem.
>
> What I'm worried about is maybe a wire melting somewhere - which
> seems tb a really dangerous situation.
>
> Other considerations?
>
> Code violations?
GE, SquareD, and Cutler/Hammer ALL make double Breaker Modules that
have TWO Breakers in a single Breaker Form Factor. Usually these are
15Amp Duals.... Just Say'en..... That would double your available
individual Breaker circuits, and they are ALL UL Approved, so No Code
Violations.....
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>>Another little surprise will be the defrosting heaters in your
>>frost-free refrigerator. They take the best part of a kilowatt and
>>come
>>on at unpredictable times.
> Luckily (?) we don't have gas for cooking, but the refrigerator
> defrost thing is news to me.
> Knowing that will probably save me an hour or so beating my head
> against the wall wondering where the extra load is coming from.
> Thanks.
> --
> Pete Cresswell