Installation with Dedicated Circuit Monitoring

For starters how do I post?

I have a monitor connected to my main and another on my water heater. I think I can see the water heater usage but how I can see the overall? Should I be using the dedicated circuit setup? Is there a manual I can walk through on the app setup?

Welcome @hy.torrent, you are posting OK…
It’s not entirely clear how your Sense is hooked up from your description. It sounds like one set of CTs/sensors are on the main power flowing into your main panel ? And the second set of CTs is on the two hot lines feeding your water heater ? Have you done the main setup for your Sense ?

Here’s how to get DCM up and working on your water heater if you already have your main Sense install done.

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Thanks! I think this is the installation we had. My question is, how do I need to set up my app? Right now I think I only see water heater monitor when I expect to see both water heater and overall usage. To make it simple, if I dont configure the dedicated circuit set up on my app, I should still see the total usage right, just not the dedicated circuit?

Post a screenshot of what you are seeing by using the little “enclose” icon below when you respond. Much easier to help if you show what you are seeing.

This is a view from my phone, G is my configured dedicated circuit. Is usage overall?

Hey @hy.torrent.

To confirm how your installation is currently configured, can you let me know if the below is true?

  • You have 2 main sensors, one around each of the main phases in your panel.

  • You have 2 flex sensors, both of which are monitoring the circuit of your hot water heater in your panel.

From your description, it sounds like instead of having 4 sensors, you’re only using the two mains.
Photos of your electrical panel showing how Sense is configured would help clarify your installation a bunch!

It feels like your CT’s are the wrong way round.
You have your Flex CT’s which are supposed to be used for DCM on your main’s coming into the panel. And then the Main CT’s are on the dedicated circuit.
So “Usage” is lower because that should be the measurement of the main total usage, but its measuring just the heater, and The Flex is measuring your whole home.

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Yes I have 2 sensors connect to main and 2 solar(flex) which is tied to the water heater. The panel is closed now so

this is what i have for now. I will see if I can have my electrician open the panel tomorrow and take another picture.

when i configure the app, the usage number for the main will show up automatically and I just need to detect the dedicated circuit? Do you have pictures of the correct setup of the panel and the app?

I posted the “correct” picture for the panel in the setup guide… But two caveats.

  1. The diagram in the setup guid shows a top feed panel - good news is that’s what yours looks to be.
  2. You have to pay close attention to which Sense port each of the pairs of CTs are plugged into and orientation of the CTs. Per the picture, you mains go on the “bottom” port and your water heated goes on the “middle” port.

Here are some pics of the open panel and app. My electrician did get the middle port wrong but after he switched the app still does not look right.

  1. Does it matter which clamps are on dedicated circuit? I think we have the flex on main and red one on the dedicated circuit
  2. Is there anyway I could reset my app and configure again?

The picture isn’t loading for me. It looks like the markdown got wonky and it is trying to be a code lock.

My understanding is that yes, the CT’s are different. The Main CT’s I believe are more highly calibrated and specifically to your Sense monitor. Where as the Flex sensors are not specific to your monitor. I’m not sure if that just means that if you leave it the way you have it, its possible your measurements just won’t be as accurate as they can be, or if detection will be impacted as well. Ultimatly I think it would be best to get the correct CT’s on the mains, and ensure they are also in the correct port.

If you perform a Data reset, it should let you start over and re run the setup wizards etc…

I fixed the pictures… Glad you figured out that the middle power and bottom port got swapped. Two other things might cause issues:

  1. As @ben suggested, there is a difference between the Main sensors (the ones with the scan bar on them) and the Flex sensors in terms of calibration. You really want the the main sensors / CTs on your mains on top.
  2. Orientation of the CTs / sensors also matters. If you installed the main CTs incorrectly, Sense can usually sort it out during setup and automatically readjust in the software. Not sure for the DCM Flex sensors. I can’t see the orientation of the main CTs, but at least one of the DCM CTs looks backwards (per the install guide), with the Sense label facing away from the breaker, rather than towards it.

And as @ben also suggests, once you move the CTs you really need to a data reset so you can do setup over again.

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