Got a TED-5000
 

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1392150886

Today My new TED-5000C arrived. that's one sensor and the remote display. The G model has no display and other letters indicate the number of sensors.

I installed it in the power panel 10 minutes after it arrived. It was easy enough but I ran out and bought a new 2 pole 15 amp breaker since I had the space and was concerned about line noise. It was an easy enough install if you're comfortable working in the panel. I was going to do a pictorial install but decided in the end If you can't figure it out and know what you're doing in there you shouldn't be inside the panel. You could die if you touch the wrong thing even with the main breaker off.

Installing the software on windows was trivial but that machine never managed to find the gateway. Linux install was also pretty easy but came with no instructions just a gzip. When installed it found the gateway within 20 seconds. After that I updated the firmware in the gateway for both the display and footprints the main dashboard you monitor things with on the server.

It works. Mostly. First things up - I'm not a fan of the decision to transmit the data over the powerlines. I had to plug the gateway in on the far side of my computer room anyways due to noise on the line where the computer is. That meant I had to run a longer ethernet cable to the router then provided. I could have run the cord from the power box pretty easily and it would be 100% rock solid. I've had a few drop outs of the gateway. the longest was 35 minutes right as I was having dinner.

I'm not a fan of the footprints software. At first it looks good, but it's got some issues. The first hour that I was collecting data apparently I used 32.1 kwh in about 15 minutes. After that it reports that I dropped back to the 0.8 kwh which is much more in line with what I expect to be using hourly.... Obviously the initial data was messed up at startup. There is no way to clean it out of the system other then reset and lose all data up to the point of the reset.

Also I get billed bi-monthly. Lots and lots of billing options exist but not that one.

luckily 3rd party apps are encouraged with a nice API, so If I wanted I could write my own or just find someone else's. I wish google hadn't shut down their powermeter project.
For everyone else here with a TED or other whole house meter with web connectivity what are you using to monitor/review the data?

THings I've already discovered that I couldn't without this meter. my Heatpump draws about 2.8 kwh when running. the auxilary heater (electric furnace) kicks on when my wife turns the thermostat up 1.5 or more degrees above the current temp. It draws close to 18 kwh. My furnace fan which is on whenever the heatpump or electric furnace is on or I have it set to circulate draws 600 watts and runs for 10 minutes on circulate. I use it to push the heat from my woodstove around. The fan for the woodstove draws 40 watts according to the kill-o-watt meter, making wood the obvious winner when it comes to electric consumption and heating.

It was interesting just how high things spiked when my wife had the oven and burners and everything else going while making dinner.

I'm really looking forward to tonight to see how often the new hotwater tank is kicking on to keep the tank warm. I can compare run times to my old tank which I took readings on 18 months ago now with my home built method.

Also direct readings of the dryer is going to be great now that we're entering the perpetual rain period and my clothes line will likely be empty for awhile.

I think I'll continue to manually read the meter for awhile to see how accurate the TED is compared to it. I have no worries about my smart meter, I'm more worried about the TED dropping some readings and being out.

Energy, Inc. 5000-C TED (The Energy Detective) 5000 - Amazon.com

I've discovered that if I turn my TV off that the gateway stops receiving signals. Why I have no idea...

I guess I'll try some other plugs and see what I get...

<edit> Luckily I have no issue drilling holes through my basement office walls. The Gateway is now plugged into the same circuit as the washing machine and works no matter what the TV is doing. I'll have to check when the washing machine runs if it's still working...

</edit>

Wonder if it would work if you plugged it into the stoves 120v accessory plug in ?

For winter cloths drying (time permitting) you could hang them in a room with a dehumidifier going, turn all that moisture into heat !

My kitchen stove? maybe. I did read that you can use two 110V breakers so long as they are different phases. It would depend what the stove does internally to get back to 110 from the 220 going into it.

I found my dehumidifier to be quite power hungry. I'm not sure that it would save any power drying out clothes as well as sucking extra moisture out of the entire basement since my inside drying rack is in an area that can't effectively be closed off. It would probably be 600 or so sqft it would be trying to dry out as well as the clothes.

Interesting problems. I honestly haven't had issues like you've described. The only thing I've noticed is a glitch I get maybe two times a year where it says I've used (or produced) a massive amount of power in one day. My data for that day is shot, but it goes right back to working correctly afterward.

My RED 5000 has been pretty reliable. The only thing that causes problems is one light on a ceiling fan. Turn it on and I lose communication. I have a lot of tech in the house so for me thats acceptable.

Well the washing machine running means no data since the time I said GO. I'll have to figure something else out.

Perhaps a power line conditioner would solve your problem, could also try plugging it into the UPS back up power block.

First 24 hour smart meter to TED comparison is done

Smart meter reports 15 kwh used
Ted reports 14.707 kwh used

Since the smart meter always rounds to the nearest KWH I'm happy with the two match. I'll continue to manually read for the rest of the week at least.

What was the fix the problem with it losing its memory

plugged into a different socket. Currently the washer is in one and the Ted is in the other. It stopped reading yesterday morning while the washer first started but collecting readings the entire second load. I'll keep monitoring for awhile. If it stays consistent that the readings sometimes stop while the washer runs I'll order a noise filter for the washer to see if that helps.

I wasn't going to get the TED with the remote display as I was far more interested in graphs and overall usage then instantaneous reading around the house.

I got the display because it was priced the same as the model without so why not. I then put it in the kitchen by the stove mostly as a way to point out to my wife that the lights in the range rood she likes so much use 100 watts and light up the stove but the overhead lights use 50 watts and light up the entire kitchen.

Tonight we were in the kitchen and I noticed that opening the fridge door is a 60 watt jump. It has to be the bulb(s)? in the fridge. Shocking that my fridge light takes that much power. I haven't seen cheap LED's to replace it yet. I'll keep an eye out. Luckily it only runs maybe 5 minutes a day...

Another day another comparison reading
Smart meter again says 15 kwh used
Ted says 15.914 used.

A few possibilities. for the .9 difference
The smart meter may not round, it could be 15 until the instant it crosses over into 16.

The smart meter may be rounding but due to the two not going live at the same instant they aren't exactly in sync as to when to roll to the next value

The TED and smart meter may not be reading exactly the same amount.

2 days of data isn't close to enough to do adjustments on the TED to make them match assuming it is off.

If the spread grows and grows then there is a problem somewhere.
Obviously..
Your meter arrived fast, I ordered my meter before you, still waiting for both my watt meters to show up, anticipation.

I got it from radioworld.ca which is in Ontario somewhere. I order my HAM gear from them and they had the TED on sale. I placed the order online and they sent me an email saying it was shipped about 30 minutes later.

Another days readings. I was 30 minutes late in reading the meter...

SMart meter 17 kwh
ted 16.596 kwh

So over 3 days now
smart meter 47 kwh
ted 47.217

I really can't complain about that accuracy at all.

Ok after 6 days of readings the TED is off by 0.4% from my smart meter. This is close enough I've decided I will no longer be running outside and reading the meter every day at 1:00 in the afternoon. I will instead add a note in my spreadsheet and readings will from now on be midnight to midnight which is trivial to read from the TED rather then me doing the hour by hour calculation to get the 1 -1 reading. I suppose the next step is to get some software link updating my spread sheet automatically.

Pleased to report that the Ted reading and the meter reading still match exactly.

The load profile to match the hotwater heater seems reasonable but I don't trust that it's 100% catching every minute the heater is running. I'll be getting my arduino current measuring going again soon. I plan to use the arduino just to know that current is flowing and not care what the value returns as then use the TED measurements to Come up with real power used values.