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Volt Meter Reading - no loads

 
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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 1:20 am    Post subject: Volt Meter Reading - no loads Reply with quote


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With no loads applied to a 50 amp panel (pumps and heating elements not connected) when the panel is energized, the volt meter reads 000. Is this normal? I checked the volt meter wiring and it seems correct.
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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 2:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No, that's not normal. The volt meter should display your line voltage which in most cases is around 240. If running off 230 or 208, that would work too and that's what should be displayed. Load is irrelevant.

Did this used to work? Or is it a panel you just built?

Kal

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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2019 5:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Placed a voltmeter across the hot bus and boil relay connections and got 240 volts so that checks out. Also soldered the panel meter leads to spades to make sure I had solid connections for the small wires. Any suggestions? Should I replace the panel meter? Swap +and- leads on the panel meter? Thanks.
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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2019 7:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Did this used to work, or is this a new build where you've never seen the the voltmeter working correctly?

If it used to work and nothing has changed then likely the voltmeter is defective. Replacements are here: https://shop.theelectricbrewery.com/collections/power-supplies/products/3-digit-blue-led-digital-panel-volt-meter-700v-ac-5v-dc-supply
That said, before replacing it I would use a multimeter to ensure you are feeding it +5VDC on the power side (and have the + and - power lines hooked up in the correct order, you cannot reverse them). I would also check the AC signal side sees 240VAC. Order of the two AC signal lines doesn't matter (AC doesn't have polarity). You should be able to measure these (carefully) with the panel on using a multimeter. Measure directly at the voltmeter. There are 4 wires.

If this is the first time you're using the panel, it's likely a setup or wiring issue. See the "volt and amp meters" section of our troubleshooting guide: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25460

Cheers!

Kal

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We ship worldwide and support our products and customers for life.
Purchasing through our affiliate links helps support our site at no extra cost to you. We thank you!
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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2019 10:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kal thanks. First time set-up - I'll try your suggestions. One note too for DIY'ers. Got a suggestion from a friend of mine who builds industrial panels - for panels pulling larger amperage, in my case 50 amps, he suggested checking the termination connections for tightness after the panel is disconnected for the first one or two times. The terminations heat up and expand.

I found this to be the case with my panel. During the initial build before first-time start up, I checked the terminations tightness - all were rock solid. After I energized the panel for the first two or three times some lights flickered, I de-energized the panel and disconnected the panel from the power source. Opened it up and checked tightness of the element terminations and they were relatively loose- same with the main contactor. No issues with the lower amperage terminations. Tighten all while the panel was disconnected just to make sure. No issues with flickering and everything is running smoothly.
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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2019 11:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mjo2125 wrote:
Got a suggestion from a friend of mine who builds industrial panels - for panels pulling larger amperage, in my case 50 amps, he suggested checking the termination connections for tightness after the panel is disconnected for the first one or two times. The terminations heat up and expand.

That's a good suggestion! It's something we included in the printed sheet that goes with all our pre-assembled panels.

Kal

_________________
Our new shop with over 150 new products: shop.TheElectricBrewery.com
We ship worldwide and support our products and customers for life.
Purchasing through our affiliate links helps support our site at no extra cost to you. We thank you!
My basement/bar/brewery build 2.0
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