How to determine CTs for your panel

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turbo
Posts: 34
Joined: Sat May 16, 2015 6:01 pm

Re: How to determine CTs for your panel

Post by turbo » Mon Jun 22, 2015 4:24 pm

I've been looking at this for awhile now. I started with two CT's, one per 240V leg, with the lead polarity as black/white combined on one channel.

I switched to just one CT on one leg of the circuit on the channel just to see I could get a reading. What seems to be happening is that the CT will read the correct voltage for just a short period. On the SEG site, it looks like a spike.

I've been watching the live data on the GEM config page. The numbers for Watt and amps will be zero for some minutes, then the page refreshes and I'll see normal reads for 10 seconds, then the page refreshes back to 0 again.
zmarty
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2015 11:55 pm

Re: How to determine CTs for your panel

Post by zmarty » Thu Nov 12, 2015 12:13 am

Hello!

I read on the brultech website that for aluminum wiring I might need Micro-80 CTs instead of 40.

I opened my panel and I can see some thicker wiring for the 240v breakers and some smaller wiring for the smaller breakers. So do I need Micro-80 for all or just the upper ones, if I have aluminum wiring? Also if I do get the Micro-80 for all cables, will it actually fit my bigger aluminum cables?

Please see the attached file.

Thanks!
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Teken
Posts: 2700
Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2010 4:09 pm
Location: The Bad Lands

Re: How to determine CTs for your panel

Post by Teken » Thu Nov 12, 2015 10:33 am

zmarty wrote:Hello!

I read on the brultech website that for aluminum wiring I might need Micro-80 CTs instead of 40.

I opened my panel and I can see some thicker wiring for the 240v breakers and some smaller wiring for the smaller breakers. So do I need Micro-80 for all or just the upper ones, if I have aluminum wiring? Also if I do get the Micro-80 for all cables, will it actually fit my bigger aluminum cables?

Please see the attached file.

Thanks!
Measure some of the wires and compare them to the (inner diameter) of the CT's you are considering using.

This information is listed on the Brultech sales page.
Teken . . .

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ben
Site Admin
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Joined: Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:39 am

Re: How to determine CTs for your panel

Post by ben » Thu Nov 12, 2015 10:46 am

Right now, in most packages, Micro-40s are replaced with Micro-80s. Your panel also has plenty of room also, so the CT size difference won't be a big deal.

You can measure as Teken said, or you could just go with the Micro-80s given the information above.
Ben
Brultech Research Inc.
E: ben(at)brultech.com
zmarty
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2015 11:55 pm

Re: How to determine CTs for your panel

Post by zmarty » Thu Nov 12, 2015 1:20 pm

Thank you both for the answers. I went with the 80s.
Fabio88
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 7:02 pm

Re: How to determine CTs for your panel

Post by Fabio88 » Thu Apr 07, 2016 7:07 pm

Hi, I'm going to buy your system and install it in Italy - 220v single phase. It's not clear to me if I need 2 CT for each breaker or not. Can you please clarify this aspect? thanks
ben
Site Admin
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Joined: Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:39 am

Re: How to determine CTs for your panel

Post by ben » Fri Apr 08, 2016 9:31 am

Fabio88 wrote:Hi, I'm going to buy your system and install it in Italy - 220v single phase. It's not clear to me if I need 2 CT for each breaker or not. Can you please clarify this aspect? thanks
I'm almost positive it's just 1 CT as every breaker only has 1 lead. You can take a look at your panel to confirm.
Ben
Brultech Research Inc.
E: ben(at)brultech.com
Fabio88
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 7:02 pm

Re: How to determine CTs for your panel

Post by Fabio88 » Fri Apr 08, 2016 10:16 am

At least in my case there are 2 wires: let's say that the load is absorbing 10A...that current will flow to the load using one of the 2 wires and will come back using the other one. I do believe that one CT is fine. And then I should just use the X2 function in the software in order to take into account that I'm running at 220v right?

Also -slightly off topic- in Italy we barely use more than 30A total in a house. Can I purchase a Mono 100 kit and have all the CT replaced with the lowest Amps ones (I believe they are 40A but not sure)?

Thanks.
ben
Site Admin
Posts: 4254
Joined: Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:39 am

Re: How to determine CTs for your panel

Post by ben » Fri Apr 08, 2016 11:18 am

Fabio88 wrote:At least in my case there are 2 wires: let's say that the load is absorbing 10A...that current will flow to the load using one of the 2 wires and will come back using the other one. I do believe that one CT is fine. And then I should just use the X2 function in the software in order to take into account that I'm running at 220v right?

Also -slightly off topic- in Italy we barely use more than 30A total in a house. Can I purchase a Mono 100 kit and have all the CT replaced with the lowest Amps ones (I believe they are 40A but not sure)?

Thanks.
We unfortunately no longer sell 50Hz versions of the ECM-1240. You'll have to go with the GreenEye Monitor for that.

I don't think you'll need the X2 option, the 2nd wire might be a neutral.
Ben
Brultech Research Inc.
E: ben(at)brultech.com
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