Dedicated Circuit Monitor Install Problem

Technical Questions
1

I just installed the two CTs for dedicated circuit monitoring. I just powered up the App and it shows ZERO power usage. If I go to the Sense Monitor page of the app it does show Mains current but they show MINUS watts (ie: -1500 W)
for each leg of the 240 volt mains. What went wrong the sensors were put back on the mains just like they came off. Karin

2

This sounds like an installation issue and would be best handled by our Support team at https://sense.com/contact

1 Like
3

I have a similar but different issue… I have just installed the dedicated circuit monitors for both a pool and for my HVAC unit. They are both detecting power, however they are both showing half of the actual watts being used. The “other” devices increases by 800 watts and the dedicated pool device shows 794 Watts
These are both 240 volt circuits with the monitor clipped around one of the power sources.

4

I figured out what my original problem with indicating negative watts. When I
installed the dedicated circuit CTs I had to remove the primary CTs temporarily to install the new Dedicated circuit CTs. When I put the primary CTs back on the main 240 leads, I inadvertently put them on backwards from what the original installation required. My mistake. I just switched around the primary CTs and now SENSE is correctly indicting power usage in positive amps both on the timeline screen and the Sense Monitor screen. I have seen a few responses to the Dedicated Circuit Monitoring feature not being enabled yet.
As the new firmware has not been downloaded to the Sense devices yet.
Last response I saw indicated sometime during week of October 12 but that
date has come and gone. Karin

5

Dedicated Circuit Monitoring and some other new features were officially launched on Friday. * Edit to add, you will need to make sure you update the app on your mobile device to run the setup.

1 Like
6

I wanted to keep this reply separate but in the same thread. I did install the two
Dedicated Circuit CTs. Both of them are on 240 volt single load circuits. One on the 240 volt circuit feeding the A/C outside compressor, which is the power hog in the A/C system, and the other on my Pool Pump. The pool pump draws about 1400 watts when fully primed and running at full load. The A/C compressor unit is new and I don’t have a real good handle on the actual watts in a dedicated circuit environment. I am guessing but I think it may be around 1200 watts. Now since the Dedicated circuit firmware has not been rolled out yet, just out of curiosity I enable the Solar option on my Sense unit. I reports about 800 watts of power. I don’t know what this means either into the system or out of the system. Obviously the algorithms for Dedicated Circuit usage are not running and only the Solar computation would work, sort of. But from what I can tell at least the Solar option being turned on and the Two Dedicated Circuit CTs being plugged into the Solar connector, something is being detected. Just some random thoughts on this whole mish-mash. Karin

7

My current firmware is 1.32.2906-8d91ebd4-master, released on October 15, 2020

8

Hi @karinann - just making sure I understand clearly so I can point you in the right direction to get this resolved.

Can you share:

  • What version of the App you’re running (Settings > About Sense > Version)

  • Your monitor firmware version (Settings > My Home > Sense Monitor > Version)

1 Like
9

I have the same problem as mark.kring. I have two dedicated devices installed, both are 240V only, one is a Tesla EV Charger the other is an AC Compressor. I noticed that the EV charger was showing ~6000W and then “other” had another ~6000W as my car was charging. The Tesla uses a full 48A at 240V when charging normally.
I also am getting notifications when other 240V devices like the oven turn on, stating that my Tesla came out of standby for 10 seconds or so. I have firmware 1.32.2906-8d91ebd4-master.

1 Like
10

Thanks @ray. Looking into it.

@mark.kring Do we have permission to look at your data?

11

@RyanAtSense - Yes!

2 Likes
12

In looking at other threads I am now wondering if my sensors are backwards. I do not recall two stickers on the sensors. Is there a photo somewhere of what the stickers look like?

Also I am wondering if the Tesla wall charger can be monitored with only one sensor. I have the gen2 charger. It does have a neutral wire but I don’t think it is used. I know the neutral is not required but there is a landing in the charger which I thought was not connected to anything in the actual circuit. Since this is 3 gauge wire there is no way I am going to be able to make a loop. So it seems I will have to put a second sensor on the other wire.

13

It’s called out in the installation guide here with a drawing of what they look like:

And you can also see them in this recent community photo:

14

Some flex sensors have two stickers (solar on one side and a Sense house logo on the other) while some just have the solar sticker. In both cases, the solar sticker is the BACK of the sensor and the non-solar side MUST face the breaker. That said, a backwards sensor likely wouldn’t manifest in what you’re seeing. Rather, it’d manifest in significant negative wattage.

As for your Tesla question, I’m 95% positive you should be able to monitor it with a single CT on either leg of the breaker. I know EVSEs often have the neutral wire, but it is not used. However, I can’t totally guarantee that. Is that how you have it currently installed?

Also Ray and @mark.kring, I’ll be sending you a message so we can help troubleshoot.

15

I read the documentation. The reason I wanted a photo was to compare actual devices to what I have. Turns out my sensors do not match the diagrams and following the instructions was exactly the wrong way to do it. Thanks to Ryan for helping. I am now able to monitor two 240 devices and didn’t have to try to make a loop with AWG 3 wire.

1 Like
16

This topic was automatically closed 365 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.