Mains energy monitoring

[funflair]

As per the title, a useful "gizmo" for telling you how much power you are using from the mains in Kw, I am using it to monitor the inverter supplied 240v power as we have Alde load monitor and network compensating inverter looking after the mains input.

It might be useful for keeping an eye on your power use so as not to trip a site supply, you can set an alarm at a given Kw setting and it refreshes the "energy now" figure every 10 seconds.

I used this as its all battery powered and you can add a second monitor so I have one outside for when I am using the induction hob off the inverter and Mrs Funflair is inside using whatever.

Fitting is simply a matter of fitting a clip around the live cable from your hook up supply, inserting the batteries and then pairing them.

The second figure on the display should be £ which you could use if you are paying Kw/hr but I actually set a rate of 0.083 so it shows battery use in Amps/1000 (I couldn't set 83.33)

 

[68c]

I like the 0.083 trick.

 

[funflair]

I like the 0.083 trick.

I was at a loss for what to do with that line, I could have used 4.35 for mains amps, maybe I should have used 0.078 for the battery amps as they hold closer to 13v than 12v even when they are working hard

 

[stewartwebr]

Martin,

I have the Alde Load Monitor sitting from the my previous Morelo so it's on the list to fit as soon as I find sometime. Were you able to get it across the top of the water tanks to the boiler okay? First one I ever fitted about 8 years ago was into my Flair and it connected to the control panel which I cannot help think was so much easier for us all. Talking about easier, why the hell do Morelo not chuck them in as standard, they are not even on the secret list!

 

[funflair]

Martin,

I have the Alde Load Monitor sitting from the my previous Morelo so it's on the list to fit as soon as I find sometime. Were you able to get it across the top of the water tanks to the boiler okay? First one I ever fitted about 8 years ago was into my Flair and it connected to the control panel which I cannot help think was so much easier for us all. Talking about easier, why the hell do Morelo not chuck them in as standard, they are not even on the secret list!

they don't chuck anything in that they don't charge for, I cheated with the run as our batteries are in the garage on the same longitude as the boiler so I just trunked the cable above the access to the batteries, I believe that Mark Coastal Cruiser. l took the panel out of the front of the garage and ran behind it along that way, Michael sallylillian found a way across between or over the tanks I think.

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[Coastal Cruiser.]

Martin,

I have the Alde Load Monitor sitting from the my previous Morelo so it's on the list to fit as soon as I find sometime. Were you able to get it across the top of the water tanks to the boiler okay? First one I ever fitted about 8 years ago was into my Flair and it connected to the control panel which I cannot help think was so much easier for us all. Talking about easier, why the hell do Morelo not chuck them in as standard, they are not even on the secret list!

As Martin said I took the garage panel out as trying to thread a cable behind the consumer to the garage was a nightmare

 

[sallylillian]

they don't chuck anything in that they don't charge for, I cheated with the run as our batteries are in the garage on the same longitude as the boiler so I just trunked the cable above the access to the batteries, I believe that Mark Coastal Cruiser. l took the panel out of the front of the garage and ran behind it along that way, Michael sallylillian found a way across between or over the tanks I think.

As Martin says I crossed over from my electric locker to my Alde. There are numerous opportunities to get across some easier than others. Using a Fibreglass Fish like this I am able to find routes across and now have a number of mouse strings in place. I dropped the distribution panels in the electric locker, done more times than I can remember, which reveals a large access port. From there you can traverse to the Alde.

 

[autorouter]

For those that don't have an Alde system, other brands of mains energy monitor are available. I have one of these. There's a small transmitter unit and a display unit which communicates by wireless link. Like the Alde, there's a small plastic sensor that clips round the mains wire wherever you want to measure it. The batteries in mine have lasted for years. And no need to fish any wires for the display.
Amazon product ASIN B007W0SQ3Y
By the way, nice mains distribution box - a proper continental one with 2-pole MCBs and no neutral busbar.

 

[stewartwebr]

Thanks "Team Morelo" I shall give it a go when I find the time. Mine is very similar to Sallylillian with the boiler in the locker across the other side. I suspected there would be a route across the top of the tanks.
Thank you for all the great pictures and the advice, very much appreciated.

 

[sallylillian]

By the way the large white connector box in my picture above is the original factory fit bus for the solar. So if you wanted to run series instead of parallel then here is where you can achieve that. Or indeed add additional panels, although the factory added another bus when I had 2 more panels fitted by them. However you only have to look at the wiring to realise that perhaps no one knows where the last guy decided to install some kit! It takes the patience and inquisition of an owner to find these things. But you find out so much in doing so, therapeutic, rewarding and frustrating all at the same time.

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[jongood]

As Martin says I crossed over from my electric locker to my Alde. There are numerous opportunities to get across some easier than others. Using a Fibreglass Fish like this I am able to find routes across and now have a number of mouse strings in place. I dropped the distribution panels in the electric locker, done more times than I can remember, which reveals a large access port. From there you can traverse to the Alde.
View attachment 478702

The fibreglass fishes are excellent. I ve used them a fair bit in my 'modernisation program' . Are the Morelo cables labled? I can see writing, on the Clou they are all have their purpose printed on the sheathing, excellent idea.

 

[jongood]

For those that don't have an Alde system, other brands of mains energy monitor are available. I have one of these. There's a small transmitter unit and a display unit which communicates by wireless link. Like the Alde, there's a small plastic sensor that clips round the mains wire wherever you want to measure it. The batteries in mine have lasted for years. And no need to fish any wires for the display.
Amazon product ASIN B007W0SQ3Y
By the way, nice mains distribution box - a proper continental one with 2-pole MCBs and no neutral busbar.

I think the one funflair used is also an owl? not Alde.

Edit . I think the wire routeing in later posts was for the Alde load monitor not the Owl, this knocks the heating off if you're on a low power supply and you put the kettle on.

 

[sallylillian]

Are the Morelo cables labled? I can see writing, on the Clou they are all have their purpose printed on the sheathing, excellent idea.

Sadly not Jon. Asking for a wiring diagram is met by "sorry commercial secret", and this is from both NiBi and Morelo. My Yankee had every wire numbered at each end and a searchable spreadsheet provided with numbers, wire colour and end connections with function. The manufacturer (Country Coach read Rolls Royce) used the same skeleton throughout their range so there was a huge degree of standardisation. I remember finally resolving the failed engine AC from the sheet when an engineer said the cut off switch must have failed as it was not working correctly. The spread sheet demonstrated that the wires had been incorrectly connected, from new, it had never worked by the way and took 3 years to resolve!

 

[funflair]

For those that don't have an Alde system, other brands of mains energy monitor are available. I have one of these. There's a small transmitter unit and a display unit which communicates by wireless link. Like the Alde, there's a small plastic sensor that clips round the mains wire wherever you want to measure it. The batteries in mine have lasted for years. And no need to fish any wires for the display.
Amazon product ASIN B007W0SQ3Y
By the way, nice mains distribution box - a proper continental one with 2-pole MCBs and no neutral busbar.

Yes the conversation has drifted slightly to Alde load monitor fitment

For the energy monitoring side I used an "Efergy elite classic" as in the link in the first post, the OWL energy monitor would do the job basically the same though, I may have seen that one on Amazon so scrolled straight by as I don't do Amazon, the Efergy came straight from their web shop and despatched from Spain with no customs or delivery issues great service and answered all pre purchase questions promptly via email, I got a spare screen as well all in about the same price as the OWL.

 

[funflair]

The fibreglass fishes are excellent. I ve used them a fair bit in my 'modernisation program' . Are the Morelo cables labled? I can see writing, on the Clou they are all have their purpose printed on the sheathing, excellent idea.

Some cables are labelled as you say Jon but for the factory not the consumer, it might say Kühlschrank (fridge) on the cable that goes into the fridge MCB but you could work that out for yourself, nothing in the league of your N+B sadly Jon.

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[Ninjabob]

£13 from China - I think they do a Bluetooth version for a few quid more. Fitted inline with incoming EHU

 

[olley]

Had one the same as funfair for a longtime, we don't really use as the wife is pretty good with load management even on the inverter.
As for wiring diagrams, every schematic you can think of is available for free on one of their sites.

 

[Barbie and Ken]

Think I need a drink