Hi, I want to build a data recorder to record the amperage draw of my heat pump.
The system runs on 240 volt. Is there a limit as to the maximum amperage the Arduino setup can read. (I know the current will not be traveling through the actual Arduino board itself.}
My system runs at about 25 amps max.
I haven't purchased any of the components yet, until I find out if it is do able.
Thanks,
TT
Read about Current Transformers and processing the output.
The OpenEnergyMonitor site has excellent tutorials on safely using Arduino to monitor household AC voltage, current and power consumption.
Tell us more about your data recording. If like my heat pump, more than 1/2 the time it is not running, so the current draw will be zero. Are you also recording the zeros? Is there more to your recording than the current. Do you also want to record the time, or something like that? How often will make a record of the current? Once a minute? Once an hour? You have a lot of secrets there in your project.
Do you feel comfortable pulling the cover off your breaker panel and clamping a current transformer around one of the wires going to the heat pump? Or will you put the clamp on a wire at the safety switch next to the heat pump?
Hi, Thanks for the response.
I can add a clamp inside the breaker panel. I would like it to start recording when the unit starts up, and stop when it shuts down. I would also like it to provide a time stamp, so I know how long it was running. I would like it to record a reading every 30 seconds when it is running only.
Cheers,
TT
How long will the wire be to get to the Arduino part of the project? Guess you will also need a real time clock. Where will the data be recorded?
I can mount the Arduino close to the breaker panel, approx. 2 feet.
I am going to purchase a SD card shield for my Uno. I really only want to read for a few days at a time, then download the data, and then reset it. I will only record when I feel like it, not running continuously 24/7/365.
Also purchase a push button so you can tell your program to properly close the SD card file before stopping the program.
Is the switch an ON/OFF type or intermittent ?
I guess I program the signal, as the SD card reader is a shield. I have no way to install the switch between the card reader and the Uno.
The switch is one connected to a digital pin on your Arduino. Set as inputPullup. When the pin goes low your code knows to close the recording file and go into an infinite loop to stop the code execution. Only then can you remove the SD card.
What if I just turn off the power to the UNO. As I mentioned I would not be running the logger full time. Would that suffice?
Yes, if you don't care about the last bunch of recorded data.
Mebbe just close the file when you sense the current drop? And open it when you sense the current increase? And save-with-flush intermittently while the current is flowing?
Oh, OK.
My components should be here next week. Then the fun starts. I'm going to work on the code to record the values. I might need some help with the code for this switch.
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