Electrical Question Regarding UPB Stuff

[kevingib]

Ok, I just finished getting my Omni Pro II working and all of the securty and camera up and running. I plan on starting on some lighting in the next day or two and have ordered 22 HAI UPB switches and 2 Phase Couplers because my house has 2 panels. After thinking about the electrical wiring a bit I am confused and want to see if someone can help me figure out what I have.

I have a 400A Meter that is split into a right and left feed each of 200A - each panel comes from the seperate box outside next to the meter. I orginally thought this was a sub panel setup but now dont think that is the case.

Basically here is what I have BOX A Meter BOX B
Each panel comes from either A or B. It dawned on me that potentially I will not get a signal to the second box since it really appears to not be a Sub of the other panel unless the Main box the meter connects to ties these together. The question is, Is this a 3 Phase System? If so what do I need to make the lights work everywhere from a single PIM. Also as an option Could I pull an outlet from Panel A and Mount it by Panel B and my OmniPro II and simply use 2 PIMS connecteed to the Omni?

[jackpod]

Can you be a little more clear and maybe I can help. Describe in more detail what you can. Do you have 2 boxes, one containing the meter? Are any of the large wires color coded? are you confident enough to use a voltmeter? (please be totally honest with that answer) how old is the house? are you in a commercial area or residential. Can you take a digital picture?

[kevingib]

The house is about 5 years old and I can use a meter just fine. I do Computer stuff for a living and test all sorts of components using my multi meter.


I have 3 boxes outside the house - 2 small ones on either side of a larger one. The larger box has the meter and the smaller boxes feed each of the panels. Both of the smaller boxes have the huge grey main cable exiting from them and going to each panel.

I can take a picture tommorrow after work if need be.

[jackpod]

Ok Good. Are there breakers in the meter panel or is it just the meter. what is in the smaller boxes? I don't think you have 3 phase, that is usually only found in commercial or condo/apartment complexes and 3 phase wouldn't be setup like that anyway. A picture would be a big help. Has there been a room addition to the house or possibly added wiring for a electric stove or dryer? How many breakers are in each of the sub panels that are fed from the small outside boxes? What you describe isn't normal, but you should still be able to get by using a single coupler in one of the sub panels. a coupler allows the protocol to be seen on both phases without the signal having to go back to the power company transformer. it can be anywhere on the circuit. I would be interested to find out exactly what you have there

[AutomatedOutlet]

I have seen this before. I don't think it's 3-phase although I have seen it in some houses over 10,000 square feet.

I think you actually have 2 main panels connected to the electricity in a "Y" formation. In your case, I think you will probably want to put on of the couplers in each box.

[JKaplan]

Kevin -

I'm with Jackpod on this.

It's 98% likely that what you see is 2 phases - 1 black, 1 Red (the two phases) White (neutral) and green (ground) entering each of the 2 sub panels. If you put even 1 coupler in just 1 of the panels (don't matter which), things should work fine.

There is a good chance things will work fine even without the coupler, depending on how far it is to the transformer that feeds your house/neighborhood.

Worst case, you could add a second coupler to the other panel.

If that doesn't work, something else is amiss.

Jerry

[kevingib]

Thanks for the insight guys. I will install a single coupler in the morning and begin programming switches.


Oh yea, Martin the house is 12,000 sq ft.

[jackpod]

12,000ft as in square feet? Choke, no wonder you have multiple subpanels, be geezus man, do you have your own substation too? In a house that size you would need 2 subpanel and 50 some breakers and miles of wire.


Off topic...

Hey Jerry haven't seen you in a while, Hope all is well

Jack

[kevingib]

62 breakers and 138 light or fan switches.


The original owner should have had a hardwired system installed when they had the house built but I guess they didn';t want to spend the extra 100K to cover the house.

[JKaplan]

Kevin -

In the 'mine is bigger than yours' dept. you've got me beat by 1K sq ft. Also, I'm my own idiot - when I renovated I foolishly thought that X-10 would work and so didn't add special control wiring for lights. UPB has finally solved the problem. I replaced the X-10 switches TWICE before giving up (need any?)

Since this was a 100-year-old house, the electricians wound up installing a total of 6 sub panels in the oddest places - they kept running out of circuits. They sold me a 600-amp main panel before I wised up and realized that I never use more than about 150 amps.

Jack -

I haven't been around as much because I got tired of the daily grind automating silly things around the house so I rejoined the real world by taking an actual job. The gainfully employed don't know how good they've got it. Using HS remote speaker program and a motion-detecting web-based video server, a fly can't move in the house without me knowing instantly at the office. Drives my co-worker's nuts.

Latest weekend projects: The video projector in the bedroom now turns off automatically at 1:30AM (this turns out to be non-trivial), and my wife has a single switch by her bedside that raises and lowers the six bedroom shades. I'm running out of things to automate. (I'm working up to a Stepford wife.)

[jackpod]

Jerry, Yes I need to find a day job. I am driving myself nuts around here. I finally finished my "small" 1650 sq ft addition (glad it wasn't any bigger) but i tell you, where does the day go. too many projects, seems like the "honey-do" list gets longer everyday. More gets added than taken off


Glad to hear all is well

Jack