Din rail meters....?

HappyHippyDad · Jan 25, 2022

My customer wants a meter for the small garage CU I am fitting.

The CU will have 2 circuits, 16A sockets and 6a lights.

My question is, do the din rail meters just monitor one circuit or can they do more than one. Could anyone link to a suitable din rail meter that monitors the whole usage for a consumer unit?

Thanks

Rockingit · Jan 25, 2022

The issue you may have is mechanical - CT coils can be large and cumbersome so inside a small garage CU you might struggle to get them in onto the incoming feed, despite the actual display only being a couple of modules wide.

HappyHippyDad · Jan 25, 2022

There's actually going to be plenty of room to fit a separate meter, I'm just trying to make it a bit neater.

Would it be better just to fit a normal meter? Are Din rail meters a faff?

HappyHippyDad · Jan 25, 2022

Rockingit said:
The issue you may have is mechanical - CT coils can be large and cumbersome so inside a small garage CU you might struggle to get them in onto the incoming feed, despite the actual display only being a couple of modules wide.

Oh I see!
I embarrassingly didn't realise they used CT coils. So basically, you just put the CT clamp around the Line and that monitors the whole CU?
It'll probably be a 5 useable way CU, just in case the meter is 2 ways and then 1 spare, so should be room.

Rockingit · Jan 25, 2022

HappyHippyDad said:
Oh I see!
I embarrassingly didn't realise they used CT coils. So basically, you just put the CT clamp around the Line and that monitors the whole CU?
It'll probably be a 5 useable way CU, just in case the meter is 2 ways and then 1 spare, so should be room.

I'm not saying that they don't exist (as in, a built in module) because they do (often used in P.V. installs) but again they're physically larger (bigger than an RCBO) and you may run into issues with protection for them, too. If you were working in a large panel then absolutely knock yourself out, but when a simple check meter is about £25-30 then I'm not sure all the lost skin on knuckles and swearing will make it worthwhile!!