Hey there. I’ve had my sense for around a year. It’s been pretty good. After replacing my windows, AC, roof, and insulation – and getting yet another $600+ power bill, I decided I needed to isolate what’s going on with my power usage.
My new AC is a heat pump and variable speed air handler. I’ve always had a lot of trouble identifying my AC in the house – and was aware that it was because of my new variable speed set up. No biggie, DCM is here to the rescue.
I got it set up yesterday without too much effort. After getting everything hooked up, I went through the setup process just fine. I had to restart once because it took too long for my AC to kick back on. Worked fine the 2nd time around.
After setting up, it wouldn’t reconnect to my wi-fi. I had some trouble getting it back on my network. Had to restart Sense a few more times. After I moved one of my access points closer, it was all back up and running.
Here is where things get wonky. The 2 DCM devices are named “AC” and “Air Handler”. When I open the app and web app – anything with the word AC is now missing. Before adding DCM I had “Bedroom AC”, “AC”, and maybe another…I’m not positive.
Inside the app, I see wattage usage, but it seems it is lower than what is actually being used. Inside the web app, I see 2 devices with the name “dcm0-######” and “dcm1-######”.
Visible in the bubbles (not including DCM device bubbles): 742w
DCM0: 4014w
DCM1: 1027w
Current usage: 3342w
Now matter how I look at it, I can’t get the math to add up. Also, “other” is no longer showing up.
To me, it looks like the 2 DCM loads are showing up twice a big as they should, maybe 5.1kW total, when your Total Usage is only 3.3kW. Could it be that your DCM loads are only 120V, not 240V ? Or that your DCM loads are 240V, but unbalanced, where one leg is using much more current than the other ? I’m also assuming that your Total Usage is tracking with your electric meter and not running too low ?
ps: You have no “Other” because the total from all the on devices is greater than your Total Usage from your mains CTs.
Hey @nikw - checking on the dead link now, but here’s the correct link for the Advanced Dedicated Circuit Monitoring installation guide (it looks like the original was missing the /guides/):
It’s easier to monitor 240V (red/black) circuits without a neutral (balanced), vs with. But you only need to run EITHER the red or the black for that 240V circuit through the CT, not both.
@kevin1 according to the docs I shouldn’t do this.
If you see a black and a white (usually with a black or red stripe) conductor, it’s likely a 240V-only circuit with no connection to neutral. If you see a black and a red conductor, it’s likely connected to neutral and cannot be set up with this method. For advanced installations, please see the Advanced Dedicated Circuit Monitoring installation guide.
Let me ask a different question - do you know what kind of loads the Heat Pump and Air Handler are ? I ask because the wiring colors are sometimes unreliable indicators. I’m assuming both are 240V, but are they balanced or do they have a neutral ?
FYI - I’m using DCM on on balanced 240V load (EV) and one unbalanced (floor heating subpanel). I only have CTs on a single wire for each (red) and and using DCM in 240V/240V mode. I think if you are running two wires through the same CT as you are, Sense needs to know that that CT is running at 120V (per wire), so it doesn’t double the power usage.
Hey @nikw - if you haven’t already, please write-in a support ticket (support@sense.com.) The names of the devices look like a potential bug and I’d like Support to confirm/deny that it has to do with the installation. You can copy and paste your detailed overview (and photos) from this post and I’ll add to your ticket once it comes through.
@DevOpsTodd it looks like you updated your response, right?
@kevin1 I’ve honestly don’t have the slightest idea. I am running them in opposite directions if that makes a difference.
@JustinAtSense ya. Aside from my install issue – it’s weird that my devices vanished, and I’m only seeing the strangely named ones on the web app, and not the regular app.
Yeah, I sent along to our Support lead before you adjusted anything and they just replied. I think you should be all set now based on Zach’s latest response.
Side note that I’m sure you get a lot – but if sense offered something like this for hardwired and heavy consumption devices like a pool pump, I’d be all over it.
I went back in and set everything up again. There were a few issues. As for the App/Web stuff, there was an issue on Sense end. As for the setup/install. I think the issue could have been one of 2 things.
One of the clamps was touching the feed to the sub panel or being squeezed open.
I had incorrectly selected 240v instead of 120v/240v when setting up DCM.
