What appliances do you monitor
- Thread starter mbreeden
- Start date
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
Guy:
I ordered some of those to play around with!
Thanks for looking for me.
BSR
I ordered some of those to play around with!
Thanks for looking for me.
BSR
Guy Lavoie
Active Member
Let me know what happens when you get and test them.
ok, I got the sensor, stuck it in front of the washer when it was turned on and it reads around 1500 when the meter is set to 2k, when I slide the sensor down so it sees nothing but dark plastic, it registers 1, so I guess this means it is working? How do I interface this, just a direct analog hook up to the SECU16?
PS: http://www.zkoster.bigpondhosting.com/washer.jpg <- that's what my washer looks like, the red dot on that front panel is about where my light is.
PS: http://www.zkoster.bigpondhosting.com/washer.jpg <- that's what my washer looks like, the red dot on that front panel is about where my light is.
Guy Lavoie
Active Member
Assuming that you are reading your meter the way I think you are, it would indicate a resistance of 1500 ohms with light on the sensor, and a higher resistance with the light off (I'm guessing that you have a digital meter which dispays a "1" when the reading is off scale).
In that case, you could probably hook it up as-is to a SECU16 input jumpered for supervised mode and it should work. If you consider that 1500 ohms forms a voltage divider with the internal 1k pullup resistor, the input would see 60% of the 5 volts, or about 3 volts (you could check this with your meter on a volts DC scale). The analog value for the input would read around 153, which falls between the range of 64 to 192 usually used for parameters 2 and 3 to determine that an input is OFF. With no light, the voltage will rise above 3.75 volts and be considered ON.
Thus the input should show as being ON with the washer off and OFF with the washer on. Give it a try.
In that case, you could probably hook it up as-is to a SECU16 input jumpered for supervised mode and it should work. If you consider that 1500 ohms forms a voltage divider with the internal 1k pullup resistor, the input would see 60% of the 5 volts, or about 3 volts (you could check this with your meter on a volts DC scale). The analog value for the input would read around 153, which falls between the range of 64 to 192 usually used for parameters 2 and 3 to determine that an input is OFF. With no light, the voltage will rise above 3.75 volts and be considered ON.
Thus the input should show as being ON with the washer off and OFF with the washer on. Give it a try.
Guy Lavoie
Active Member
Which is the same as off scale in the case of a resistance reading.
Have you tried it with the SECU16 input?
Have you tried it with the SECU16 input?
Guy Lavoie
Active Member
Hey All,
I hope I'm not stepping on anyones toes here. I had a project where I wanted to monitor the status of my well pump. I used a CT or current tranducer. I snaped it across the Hot lead of my load added a load resistor and comparator circuit and it gave me a digital on/off. Its good for med. motor loads and doesn't require opening up the device.
I word of warning. never use one of these with out a load resistor across the leads. The reverse emf when the current stops will blow out any circuit you have attached. And clamp 1 conductor only, Like hot or nutral not both as they will cancel each other out.
Here is the one I use http://www.crmagnetics.com/pdf/3110.pdf
Just a thought
Ta Da
Brad
I hope I'm not stepping on anyones toes here. I had a project where I wanted to monitor the status of my well pump. I used a CT or current tranducer. I snaped it across the Hot lead of my load added a load resistor and comparator circuit and it gave me a digital on/off. Its good for med. motor loads and doesn't require opening up the device.
I word of warning. never use one of these with out a load resistor across the leads. The reverse emf when the current stops will blow out any circuit you have attached. And clamp 1 conductor only, Like hot or nutral not both as they will cancel each other out.
Here is the one I use http://www.crmagnetics.com/pdf/3110.pdf
Just a thought
Ta Da
Brad
Brad,
Why monitor the pump electrically? Isn't the main reason to monitor a sump pump is really what is the level of the water? The pump can be drawing current and no water is being pumped. I would think a water level meter is what one would really want to monitor (or both).
Why monitor the pump electrically? Isn't the main reason to monitor a sump pump is really what is the level of the water? The pump can be drawing current and no water is being pumped. I would think a water level meter is what one would really want to monitor (or both).
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
Great idea Brad:
I've played around with those current taps, even posted a little blurb about them HERE.
The one I used was more like a "switch" that just provided a voltage when the current went over 2 amps.
The one you used is more like a linear analog output. I wouldn't mind seeing your circuit as I'm sure you could adjust the "trip" or voltage to compare as to make it an adjustable current detector.
I've played around with those current taps, even posted a little blurb about them HERE.
The one I used was more like a "switch" that just provided a voltage when the current went over 2 amps.
The one you used is more like a linear analog output. I wouldn't mind seeing your circuit as I'm sure you could adjust the "trip" or voltage to compare as to make it an adjustable current detector.
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
David:
You could do that as well. I believe there are "flow" detectors out there which act like a switch correct?
You could do that as well. I believe there are "flow" detectors out there which act like a switch correct?
Hey Guy,
I'm new to cocoon. But have been working with Pics for some time. What is a Peter Anderson kit? I have a one wire system that reads temps around my home that works on a serial port as well. Homeseer executes a script every 15 min. and the data returned goes to a SQL database.
Just interested in seeing how others have done it. I do have an issue with one run that seems to drag the others down. The run is not near the max. for one wire though. And homeseer seems to use a lot of time processing the returned data.
Ta Da
Brad
I'm new to cocoon. But have been working with Pics for some time. What is a Peter Anderson kit? I have a one wire system that reads temps around my home that works on a serial port as well. Homeseer executes a script every 15 min. and the data returned goes to a SQL database.
Just interested in seeing how others have done it. I do have an issue with one run that seems to drag the others down. The run is not near the max. for one wire though. And homeseer seems to use a lot of time processing the returned data.
Ta Da
Brad
Hi David,
The pump I'm monitoring is my well pump. It supplies my home with drinking water. The pump runs on a presure switch that maintans 65 psi. By monitoring the on cycles of the pump I can, using a base line determine the amount of water being used. Or determine if my irragation system is stressing the pump. Or if I have a leak in the plumbing.
I live in a rural part of Nevada. Water here is important. I don't think I'll ever need a sump pump.
Ta Da Brad
The pump I'm monitoring is my well pump. It supplies my home with drinking water. The pump runs on a presure switch that maintans 65 psi. By monitoring the on cycles of the pump I can, using a base line determine the amount of water being used. Or determine if my irragation system is stressing the pump. Or if I have a leak in the plumbing.
I live in a rural part of Nevada. Water here is important. I don't think I'll ever need a sump pump.
Ta Da Brad
