Reddit mentions: The best breaker, load center & fuse accessories

What every one has said about profitability is correct - but personally I've only ever mined bitcoins for a bit of fun. Its a good learning exercise - and if your interested in Bitcoin its a good way to learn more about it.

Bottom line is with your setup, its never going to be profitable - so I wouldn't worry too much about the maths - it will only depress you!

To answer your Q's though -

1. Wattage - something like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Energenie-ENER007-Power-Meter/dp/B003ELLGDC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395162471&sr=8-1&keywords=watt+meter
   
   
2. Google is your friend.
   
   
3. Check your electricity bill.

I bought a house in March and had the intention of going all in on HA, but so far it hasn't exactly panned out. budgeting for a few good products as i go.

BUT, Here is what i started with so far. I've settled with silo'ed stuff so far. This is what i've done, others will probably have stronger recommendations though.

1. a good wifi router.
   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Z0V2NQ8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
   
2. Power meter
   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XOZG0Y?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
   
3. thermostat
   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLZEQH2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
   
4. 4x wifi cameras
   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0145OQTPG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
   
5. entertainment http://www.amazon.com/Sony-STR-DN1050-Channel-Receiver-Bluetooth/dp/B00JC31SEI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1452667821&sr=1-1&keywords=str+dn1050
   
   Yes, that's 5 separate apps on my own Note 4
   
   Next on the list is a zwave hub and garage door controller.
   
   

Does your energy consumption increase account for all of that larger bill or did the cost of electricity and/or its delivery go up too?

There could be other factors as well. I'm not saying tanks don't have a cost to run but something simple like increased heating or cooling, longer showers or more laundry, degrading seals on windows or doors, less efficient fridge, other electronics - they could also play a part in the household using more energy.

If you want to confirm the true cost of your tanks you could measure them with an electricity meter like this.

I'm not an electrician but an EE, so an electrician can comment on the physical side of things- but from the spec side:

6000 W at 120V is 50 amps. You want to stay below 80% threshold so two 30A breakers would be 48 amps. It's a little over spec, and it wouldn't pass code here in WA but you'd "probably" be fine. However, if you're using 30 amp breakers you'll need 10 gauge wire, which is normally not run in 120V (it's usually 220). Typically you'd run 12/2 or 12/3 romex on 20 amp breakers. If you're running that much line, it's probably cheaper/easier to run a higher gauge (like 6 AWG) and put a subpanel in the room you can split out in 20 amp breakers. You'd have to just ask them price wise to spec it out both ways and see.

As for a "meter" you can definitely have an electrician install on (especially if you get a subpanel), but you're probably more looking for something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Electricity-Analyzer-Monitoring-Equipment/dp/B07M8JKLG5

That said (and a big "don't do any of this if you're not comfortable") it's really easy to run wire. The actual wiring at the panel/subpanel and the outlets can be a little trickier if you're not familiar, but running the wire itself is just "grunt" work. Make sure you secure it every 4ish feet, within 6 inches of the outlet, and put nail plates if it's within 1.25" of the outside edge of wood.

Edit: Assuming you have access to a crawlspace/can open walls. Running wire through closed walls/spaces fucking sucks and I don't wish it on anyone.

Yes, there are a few devices designed to measure AC power usage which you could just put before the extension cord leaves your house, like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VX3PWJX/

This one has the 'data hold feature' as they call it... which means it won't lose it's shit if it loses power or you unplug it temporarily, so you can get a good idea for a week or so, or even season-long usage amounts. :)

I'd take readings on different days as far as how many KWh it used, make sure you get a wide range of different environmental temperature conditions in your data-set so we see how it's going to affect the power usage. :)

Yeah I definitely don’t feel comfortable doing that. The closest I come to you is considering something like this. Would that have the same impact?
Home Energy Consumption Analyzer


I told my apartment complex maintenance guy if we can’t figure out what’s going on that I would like for them to have out an electrician to do an energy audit...but I don’t think I should be the one to have to pay for that. Then again I don’t know if I really have a leg to stand on to require them to do that.

https://www.amazon.com/Makerfire%C2%AE-Precision-Power-Meter-Analyzer/dp/B00ORGDQOK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1469616814&sr=8-6&linkCode=ll1&tag=zvnfhlebcd-20&linkId=5b8da5b85a598344a041ede13ca8fc2e

Don't know what you are aiming for in a display, but this'll tell you the immediate and important stuff without breaking the bank.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=cycle+computer&linkCode=ll2&tag=zvnfhlebcd-20&linkId=6966060ba88cfbc032846f4de511a686

You can also use stuff like these for speed and total distance. A little math and you can figure things like watt hours per mile.

Personally I'd save up for the cycle analyst.

>double price than the motor itself

Are you accounting for shipping? Which company?

I don't know what other people think, but obviously you're not an electronics guru (neither am I!). I get pretty careful when it comes to things I'm plugging into the mains. If you were just measuring power consumption of a single chip, it would be different. So I'd be tempted to buy a plug in power meter (something like this ) and then figure out where it puts it's output into whatever drives its LCD display. Then read that into the arduino.

However, in the future, something like this may be the ticket:
http://www.cirrus.com/en/products/cs5463.html

Also check out this if you want to try and make something yourself.

Initial I was thinking about the GTX 750 ti but I'm not too sure. I know your board has PCI Express 1.1 with a 1x16 config. I believe you would be fine using a PCI express 3.0 GPU with PCI express 1.1 slot. Problem is I couldn't really find any information regarding using GTX 750 ti's in PCI express 1.1 slots. There is a chance that the GPU might not even work in the slot. Also, another problem is I am really bad at determining bottlenecks. Here are somethings I looked at. There were more sites but these were the main ones. I AM NOT AT ALL Saying these are reliable sources. Just throwing them out there. For one the hwcompare site for some stats is a bit misleading. Youtube video was nice to see a real life comparison.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883113024

http://ark.intel.com/products/27720/Intel-82945G-Memory-Controller

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core2+Duo+E4400+%40+2.00GHz&id=935

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/371113-33-supported-graphic-cards-intel-945g-chipset

http://www.hwcompare.com/17288/geforce-gtx-750-ti-vs-radeon-r7-260x/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6Ww-W5w-JU

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487025&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

For sure though you will most likely need a new PSU. Personally I have a wattage meter like this but better http://www.amazon.com/iMeshbean%C2%AE-Energy-Voltage-Electricity-Monitor/dp/B00K6BJ5XG/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1415789338&sr=1-5&keywords=wattage

I would get a read see where you are at. Add the GPU estimated wattage and go from there. If you don't have one than I personally would go 50-100 more watts than what the GPU needs.

I recommend the GTX 750 ti because it is extremely good on consumption. At first it may seem like you are paying more but over time you will save on your electricity bill.

It's the length from probe center to probe center and the cross sectional area of the probe plane perpendicular to the line. However, you have to take into account the curvature of the electrode tips and the fringe fields from the sides of the electric-fields. This is gets really complex to do by hand.

I highly recommend buying a TDMS meter. It will measure the conductivity and you just invert it for calculating resistivity. An engineer already had to go through the headache of making them accurate.


Edit: here's one I used for research in making solutions of similar conductivity to blood. Worked great.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016F5JWPM/ref=asc_df_B016F5JWPM5091127/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=395033&creativeASIN=B016F5JWPM&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167139094796&hvpos=1o10&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5377375772090412437&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031119&hvtargid=pla-306436938471

I'm a total noob at HA, but I went to a meet up recently where the presenter talked about the Shelly 2.5 relay with power metering. Looked pretty cool, and the Amazon web page claims integration with Home Assistant.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RQ866JJ/ref=psdc_6291368011_t1_B07CM9HNR1

Your metal ducts will probably already be at the same potential voltage as ground if they are connected directly to the air handler, unless you have a noise isolation collar in between. It wouldn't hurt to bond anything though. You could take bonding jumper from the panel enclousure then jump between everthing you wanted to bond or install a wall mounted ground bus bar like this. If you went ground bus bar route, take a #4 ground wire from the ground bar inside the panel to the ground bus bar.

Here's some related code:

250.104(B) Other Metal Piping. If installed in, or attached to, a building or structure, a metal piping system(s), including gas piping, that is likely to become energized shall be bonded to the service equipment enclosure; the grounded conductor at the service; the grounding electrode conductor, if of sufficient size; or to one or more grounding electrodes used. The bonding conductor(s) or jumper(s) shall be sized in accordance with 250.122, using the rating of the circuit that is likely to energize the piping system(s). The equipment grounding conductor for the circuit that is likely to energize the piping shall be permitted to serve as the bonding means. The points of attachment of the bonding jumper(s) shall be accessible.
Informational Note No. 1: Bonding all piping and metal air ducts within the premises will provide additional safety.

This guy right here :) USB Hub 2.0 4-port For Mac and PC. True USB 2.0 Speed. 4-Legged Octopus (TM). Very Cute Octopus Design. (Purple) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002SEEC78/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_.i3Aub04K0F4T
I thought he was powered and it wasn't. Do I need to use a powered one?

36x20x62 and qb 240 v2 with red

Getting one per driver, this is to help control the dim
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P8M7N9F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_GRGlDb10RKKAZ

This one the ups will plug into for the total grow draw. From the reviews it works best for monthly totals
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0777H8MS8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_OSGlDbH2XY0Y1

Here is the humidity control. Has setting for humidity and dehumidify. I used it for mushroom tents and works well
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076LMFRHG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_yUGlDbJWPZYC1

That's terrible.

I used a cheap plug in "Electricity Usage Monitor" to measure the actual running cost of my lights/fishtank etc.
(Turns out all my lights cost way less than you would think in power. About a dollar a watt a year assuming 12hr/day use).

It's just lights are big and showy, compared to heating / cooling, that is responsible for most of a homes power usage (For example a hot water system running for an hour uses more power than my light running all day, and my lights are excessive, to put in nicely).

So actually being able to show the real cost (not abstract maths on paper) might really help your case. You could always offer to pay that extra cost, or do some work to the value of that cost.

Something like: https://www.amazon.com/Electricity-Monitor-Spartan-Power-SP-PM120/dp/B079JWGS92/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549942672&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=mains+power+watt+meter&dpPl=1&dpID=51ocNwJhZYL&ref=plSrch

Edit: formatting for clarity

Something like this might be useful in determining how much power you need. Perhaps buy a mini-fridge that will use less electricity and transfer your food there in case of an outage.

Another idea is to freeze water bottles and water filled soda bottles to act as ice to help keep food cold in case of an outage.

Tail stock looks correct too me, like joelav said you could weld a 3/8" breaker bar w/socket to the bolt head and just let it dangle.

You really should get some way to protect the motor circuit though, and give you a fighting chance to have the overloads trip if you manage to stall out the lathe (get a gouge jammed in somehow, shudder). You can buy alightswitch style on/off switch with a set of overloads in them on ebay pretty cheap. Ideally you want a magnetic starter, but I'd at least upgrade whatcha got.

Edit.. Like this one http://www.amazon.com/Square-2510Fg1-Contactor-Operator-Enclosure/dp/B000LDB5QY you still need to buy the "heaters" though.

Something like this

Kuman Electricity Usage Monitor Plug Power Meter Energy Watt Voltage Amps Meter with Digital LCD Display,Overload Protection and 7 Display Modes for Energy Saving (NO-Backlight) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DPJ3RGB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_pgHKDbFSP9FM6

I haven't used it personally, so I cant personally vouch for it. But it seems to fit your wants.

It's a better idea to use a machine tool style safety switch, so that if you inadvertently bump it, it doesn't fire up.

There's a few styles but the gist of them is if you bump or swat them it hits off and not on, as on is guarded. A bandsaw isn't an incredibly dangerous tool, but a $10 switch is cheap insurance.

eg


eg


eg - this kind is sort of comically large, for table saws to shut off with your knee easily.

Damn reddit is amazing. Thanks @az_adventurer!

Found this one on amazon as well. One of the reviews has pictures with it located outside.
https://www.amazon.com/Wall-Mounted-Copper-Ground-SCGB-1KT/dp/B00GJUZUMI

A simple electrical usage meter is super handy when checking for power usage and they are cheap. This way you can test real world usage vs just the rated amps or watts which is usually at the max.

For example, if it is rated for 100 watts you aren't running that sewing machine at full the whole time. The motor may also require more at surge than continuous. So you can measure the amount it takes to say make a quilt from end to end or your use on a typical day.

Knowing this can save you a bunch of $ vs over spending on solar or batteries. They are well worth the investment, just get one that will store the info when unplugged or power is out.

check your motherboard manual, usually the b slots (2 and 4) are preferred for dual kits, although this shouldn't be the issue.

best way to check powerdraw is to get a meter like this one:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Energenie-429-856UK-Power-Meter/dp/B003ELLGDC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1524946894&sr=8-4&keywords=watt+meter

Typically, I would think you could just tie everything into the chassis, which is what I did in my cargo trailer, and what I see on vehicles. Not sure why that wouldn't work for your vehicle, unless it was a boat-load of current (like that 1/0).  I can see the tie between the converter and the battery being hardwired, but not the appliances. That said, someone went through the expense of pulling a separate ground for your appliances and I would love to know why.

FWIW, I used a ground block to tie my battery, converter and chassis lug together instead of splices. I also pulled some nearby ground wires to this. Looked cleaner than wire-nuts and stuff.

You can get a Square-D 6-circuit sub-panel for around $35 on Amazon. I use them all the time. They're rated for 100A, but you decide on what to use for a main breaker 9you actually don't have to use a main breaker if the circuit is already protected at the source)

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00002N7MO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

Get one of these, too:

https://www.amazon.ca/Square-Schneider-Electric-PK7GTACP-Terminal/dp/B002FQKSKO/ref=pd_sbs_60_5/134-0439302-1691058?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B002FQKSKO&pd_rd_r=87334786-2966-418d-a1a8-b154b3bbe38a&pd_rd_w=4XQpF&pd_rd_wg=KOEDe&pf_rd_p=0602d3b5-e536-4dc4-9e55-dd650b3d14d4&pf_rd_r=RX2M5PMDM7TPY0W10T6M&psc=1&refRID=RX2M5PMDM7TPY0W10T6M

You will be terminating the ground and neutral separately. You need to remove the green screw on the the neutral bar, and I am pretty sure the neutral bar has a lug that is already listed for 1-0 wire, so you should be fine there. If not, you can buy https://www.amazon.com/Siemens-ECLK2-4-2-Neutral-Lug/dp/B004H61F2K to land on the neutral bar. You will need https://www.amazon.com/Siemens-ECCS1-Ground-Bar-14-1/dp/B000VYOW04 to land 1-0 on the ground bar.

I read about the Sense (whole house monitoring) and some others, but ultimately I think the single-device is a better start.


I am kind of leaning towards this: https://www.amazon.com/Poniie-PN2000-Electricity-Electrical-Consumption/dp/B0777H8MS8/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=kill-a-watt&qid=1564001055&s=hi&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1

There are too many external factors to consider. Insulation value of your home probably makes the most difference and we really can't measure that.

​

You can easily found out for yourself with one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Electricity-Analyzer-Monitoring-Equipment/dp/B07M8JKLG5/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=power+meter&qid=1556896508&s=gateway&sr=8-1

With bills that high, get one of these power monitors off Amazon and have it installed. It could save you hundreds. Your one-month usage is almost as many KWh as I use annually in a 2000 sq ft home.

Back in the day when I did that kind of stuff as part of my job, I would do runtime X2 and add a little more. Not exact, but a quick “rough number.”

This is a nice tool to see what your gear is doing in real time....
Poniie PN2000 Plug-in Kilowatt Electricity Usage Monitor Electrical Power Consumption Watt Meter Tester w/ Extension Cord https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0777H8MS8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HZpJDb26YPW33

It's not really all that "wrong", though. The important thing to do with this one is to isolate the neutrals. Get a ground bus bar and move all the bare copper grounds to that. Leave the incoming and outgoing neutrals on the screw terminals on the far left of the disconnect. You have an unused 20-amp circuit in there - the bottom screw of the left fuse. You can get power for your receptacles from there. Use 12 AWG wire for the new receptacles (aka plug or outlets). The white neutral for the new receptacles would go under one of the neutral screws (one wire per screw, unless the disconnect's label says you can have 2 wires under each screw), and the bare ground would go onto your new bus bar.

Now, check the fuse in the middle of the disconnect (the one with the yellow price tag), and check the white Romex cable coming out of the top of the disconnect. The Romex is probably 14 AWG, and labeled something like "14-2 w/ground". If so, make sure that middle fuse is a 15-amp fuse. The left fuse is a 20-amp fuse, which requires larger (12 AWG) wire. 20 amps is enough to overheat 14 AWG wire and possibly start a fire.

While you're at it, double-check the breaker on the main panel that feeds this disconnect, and check the size of the gray UF wire feeding it. It looks like 10 AWG UF (10-2 w/ground). If so, make sure the breaker feeding it is a 30-amp (or less) breaker. Personally, I'd put a 20-amp breaker in front of this - if there's an overload, the entire underground feeder is more protected, and flipping a breaker is a lot cheaper than replacing a $5 fuse.

You can get a watt meter like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Electricity-Analyzer-Monitoring-Equipment/dp/B07M8JKLG5/ and use it along with your electric bill to figure out how much of the charge is for the server.

Have you ever plugged in a watt meter to see what your PC consumes over say a week? Something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Energenie-429-856UK-Power-Meter/dp/B003ELLGDC.

Something like this?

Poniie PN2000 Plug-in Kilowatt Electricity Usage Monitor Electrical Power Consumption Watt Meter Tester w/ Extension Cord https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0777H8MS8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_.vlxDbWXF53FM

While this is commendable, how much power are you using? I would think that would be the big issue if you did this for a long time. If you're not sure how to measure, you can get something like the KiloWatt to determine. Once I did this sort of thing and figured that out, I decided to build a Ryzen box.

https://www.amazon.com/Poniie-PN2000-Electricity-Electrical-Consumption/dp/B0777H8MS8/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1540739544&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=kilowatt+meters&psc=1

Relevant: http://www.amazon.com/4-port-4-Legged-Octopus-Design-Purple/dp/B002SEEC78/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335023697&sr=8-1

Just a standard home AC power meter.

I specifically use an Energenie

https://www.amazon.com/Poniie-PN2000-Electricity-Electrical-Consumption/dp/B0777H8MS8/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=killawatt+meter&qid=1572154034&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExRTY5VEkwUVdUSEdKJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjM2MTU4M1ZDNExYTjhBSEVVSSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzA0NDczNUxIVkI1UjZRTDU0JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Killawatt

For example
Poniie PN2000 Plug-in Kilowatt Electricity Usage Monitor Electrical Power Consumption Watt Meter Tester w/ Extension Cord https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0777H8MS8/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_FNxCDbWDCVFY8

Plug everything into this.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P8M7N9F/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_J12jDbYP3VMZB

I mean...there are octopus cables.

Is that what you're looking for?

this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0777H8MS8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Kettles use a lot of electricity, but for a very short amount of time (unless you fill the kettle right up every time like an insane person).

At my day rate electricity of about £0.21 per kWh, it would cost about £0.63 if I left the kettle boiling constantly for an hour. It generally takes about 2 minutes to boil the kettle with enough water for two cups (minimum fill), so the cost of the kettle works out at between £0.01 and £0.02 per cup depending on whether I make one for just myself or use the extra water to make someone else a brew.

It's misleading to only look at how much power something consumes without paying attention to how long it's actually on for.

If you want more insight into how much electricity a specific appliance actually uses, these are alright. Set the time, set your electricity rate (it supports differential tarrifs [economy 7, 10, etc] too), then plug it in for a couple of hours/days/whatever and it'll tell you how much power it's used, how much it's cost so far.

It also shows some other stuff that most people probably won't find useful like how much current the appliance is drawing, voltage, frequency, and power factor.

The input wires I think. Not sure about which breaker, I don't really know how the device handles multiple breakers. :x

220v or so I think. I'm looking to set this up: http://www.amazon.com/Efergy-E2-Wireless-Electricity-Monitor/dp/B003XOZG0Y/ref=cm_cd_al_qh_dp_i

The wattage meter just tells me how many watts I’m pulling I still adjust via the dimmer. So no, it’s not necessary at all just takes some of the guess work out of it.

This is what I have. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07DPJ3RGB?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I, personally, don't like "internet of things" doodads attached to my home's mechanicals. They're vulnerable to attack by botnets.

This one, in particular, is just a fancy Kill-A-Watt type device.

Is it something you really need or is it just a $300 gadget you kinda want because it looks cool?