from @brandock
This thread comes from NA noob's oobe and questions (starting up the learning curve)
I’ll get take some pictures next time I’m in the panel. That will be next week.
I must make this statement: I am not a licensed electrician. My expertise was and is gained from the school of hard knocks and gleaning from the work that I have encountered. My knowledge of electrical codes comes from good hearted inspectors and the Ugly Book.
Inspectors don’t like anything in the panel other than wire and breakers. No wire nuts to extend that circuit just a little bit further. I think they’ll just cringe when they see Current Transformers and their associated low voltage wiring. Keep it clean and organized. You don’t want to get on the wrong side of an inspector. If you make an honest effort to make the installation safe and do good work, most inspectors will tell you what will pass code.
The emonVs must be outside the panel. I created an inset in the wall just below the panel. 4 conductors are needed, three of which require an insulating rating of 600V. I ran 14/3 romex because that’s what I had, though I took off the protective cover. I’d recommend 16AWG (and 15A breaker) because it would fit in the emonVs’ connector better.
If wires are external to the wall, they’ll need a conduit. I’m pretty sure if they are in the wall, they need the protective cover. In my case, I’m going from the panel directly into a “box”.
You’ve got me thinking. My installation wouldn’t pass inspection. I’d need to put the emonVs in a 2? 3? 4? -gang box, run the high voltage in one side and low voltage out the other. Which seems redundant, but the inspectors might be more amenable to it. Maybe, I’m ok?
You can use wire that is the same color but you must mark them with the color of their use on both ends! You can get a set of rolls of tape that are of different colors just for that purpose. Ugly’s can tell you what the colors mean. (I was helping my neighbor replace his wall heater and it had black, white and copper wires. I had never heard of a 120V wall heater so I check the voltage. Sure enough, it was 240V! It would have been bad if it had been replaced with a 120V device!)
The energy monitor will have to be relatively close to the panel because of the length of the wire. I estimated the 12 wires would require a hole of 1-1/2" (4cm). The bundle itself is about 1" but you have to allow for the connector, one at a time, to go through, too. The knock hole requires a grommet to protect the wires. I had a 2" collar, so I used the 2" knockout. I was lucky that that knock out was available! If it’s not, you’ll have to go through about four or six 1/2" holes
At this point, you’ve got all low voltage and the inspectors don’t worry about those. My advice, “Make it pretty”. Well, “form follows function” so you have to make it serviceable, too.
Aside from the fact that none of the wire ampacity charts
(at least none that I’ve seen) spec anything smaller than AWG 14,
the NEC says the wire’s rating has to be the same or greater than the OCP device
it’s attached to. AWG 14 is the smallest gauge rated at 15 Amps.
IF the wires are higher than 6 feet from the floor, they can be attached to the
wall wihout needing to be in conduit.
Yes. Putting HV and LV wires in the same conduit is definitely a no-no.
Either that, or a bushing.
Thanks for contributing @Bill.Thomson! The goal here is to use our collective wisdom to result in safe and sound installations.
In order to get the 14AWG into the connector of the emonVs I made the ends of the round wire square by gently squeezing them with pliers.
You were a muse to me! What I can do to get my inset to pass inspection is a very short conduit with 1/2" fittings (this
and this) on the emonVs and panel.
My garages have been full of ladders, shelving and all sorts of detritus of modern living; I’m a lot more comfortable running a conduit.
goes into the panel
goes into emonVs and clamps onto the first fitting.
goes into emonVs and clamps onto the first fitting.
I’m going to get the parts today and try it out next time I open the panel, probably next week.
I promised some pictures of my installation:
Before I put in conduit:
Connecting conduit fittings to emonVs. Fitting screwed into emonVs’ hole and secured with nut
I had to form the wires to minimize the stress on the connector
Both fittings
Mounted to panel (aka "
load center")
All packed into space … low voltage separated from high voltage
Covered (I’ll be replacing that short strip)
