DB question

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warrenpfo

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Good morning all. I am going to run my whole DB off the essential load of my 8kva sunsynk inverter and so wanted to ask a few questions.

1. My incoming meter on the side of the house has little paper stickers over the outgoing supply terminals to stop tampering. Am I too remove the supply at the DB, pull the wires back to the meter and then run them to the inverter and run a new supply to the DB from the inverter wasting a good 15m of 3 core 16mm cable or can a registered electrician remove the stickers undo the supply to the db pull the wires back and run them to the inverter and run a new supply from the Meyer to the inverter and replace with newstickers thus saving on cable?

2. If my existing db is going to run on essential load is it best practice to then remove the current EL and put it on the inverter DB as my existing DB will become a sub DB or do I just leave it as is and have no EL on the inverter DB?

Thanks
 
pay someone that knows what they're doing, you shouldn't be allowed to touch a screwdriver
 
You're going to want a changeover switch and isolators in your DB for this, in case your inverter stops working for whatever reason.
Don't try and save a few bucks on cables for a multi-thousand rand system that could burn your house down or kill you.
 
I think i have all that's needed in the Inverter DB. Picture attached below

But prior to securing the services of an electrician to install I want to educate myself on my options hence my questions.
b7577f2df1b22c782f2be57922e6efe5.jpg
 
so you're gonna need a 3 core cable from your meter box to the left hand breakers and to one pole of the changeover. 2 cores + earth from the left breaker to the inverter, 2 cores and earth from the inverter to the right breaker, and short cables from the right breaker to the other poles of the changeover. Then short cables from the output of the changeover to the input of your main DB. There must be breakers at both the DB and the inverter, btw, as I understand it.
You can use a 3 phase cable from the DB to the inverter, it has enough cores to run power both to and from the inverter.
 
@Sinbad all understood and again I will leave this to a qualified electrician to do.

What I want to know is if a qualified electrician is able to legally alter the output of the municipal meter thus allowing us to run a fresh new feed to the inverter as per your wiring instructions or if we are going to have to rather use the existing cable and waste what is not needed as my inverter sits closer to the meter than my DB.

Secondly the EL question is purely for my knowledge and interest.

Thanks
 
How does the meter look? Is there a main switch?
Usually you shouldn't touch anything from the main switch back to the municipal/eskom side.
So if it goes from the meter to a main switch and then your db you should be OK. If it goes from the meter to the main switch in your db then you shouldn't technically move it.
 
I am not looking to move the meter just want to know if I can run a new supply from the meter to the inverter.

And yes it goes 63amp breaker, meter and then to the current DB.
 
Not at all. All I want to know is if a qualified electrician is able to remove the existing cable and replace with new which is my preference although they will need to replace the stickers if that's what we calling them or if I have to work with what we got?
 
warrenpfo said:
Not at all. All I want to know is if a qualified electrician is able to remove the existing cable and replace with new which is my preference although they will need to replace the stickers if that's what we calling them or if I have to work with what we got?
Click to expand...
i would involve the local council to have them sanction the work.
iirc the meter belongs to them and they're extremely sticky on who pokes their fingers around in it.
your electrician probably wont face the same charges as you would, since it's your responsibility as owner bla bla.
 
I wouldn't mess with the meter. Use the wires that are already running from the meter to the main breaker in your current DB. Now instead of going from that main breaker output to the rest of your DB, go to the inverter grid port (with the appropriate surge arrestors and breakers, etc. as specified in the installation manual). Then the output from the load port (with appropriate breakers and earth neutral bonding, etc. as specified in the installation manual) goes into the earth leakage, etc. which ultimately feeds the circuits.

Agreed with comment above, definitely install a changeover switch as well, then when your inverter fails, etc. you can bypass it and use eskom power while you do maintenance on the inverter easily, etc.
 
warrenpfo said:
Good morning all. I am going to run my whole DB off the essential load of my 8kva sunsynk inverter and so wanted to ask a few questions.

1. My incoming meter on the side of the house has little paper stickers over the outgoing supply terminals to stop tampering. Am I too remove the supply at the DB, pull the wires back to the meter and then run them to the inverter and run a new supply to the DB from the inverter wasting a good 15m of 3 core 16mm cable or can a registered electrician remove the stickers undo the supply to the db pull the wires back and run them to the inverter and run a new supply from the Meyer to the inverter and replace with newstickers thus saving on cable?

2. If my existing db is going to run on essential load is it best practice to then remove the current EL and put it on the inverter DB as my existing DB will become a sub DB or do I just leave it as is and have no EL on the inverter DB?

Thanks
Click to expand...
get an IE to throw his eyeball around your panels and give you advice .muni responsibility ends at the meter outputs .as an IE im not getting involved or giving advice ,each install is different and my eyeballing is different to his .but leave as much as possible original .
 
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warrenpfo said:
@Sinbad all understood and again I will leave this to a qualified electrician to do.

What I want to know is if a qualified electrician is able to legally alter the output of the municipal meter thus allowing us to run a fresh new feed to the inverter as per your wiring instructions or if we are going to have to rather use the existing cable and waste what is not needed as my inverter sits closer to the meter than my DB.

Secondly the EL question is purely for my knowledge and interest.

Thanks
Click to expand...
run a seperate cable to and from the inverter you cant mix supplies in the same cable ,cable is not expensive but bad advice can be .you do need an earth leakage after the inverter which is why your inverter must isolate itself from the incoming home EL earth totally .earth to the inverter may not be bonded to the inverted earth .there must be a earth disconnect involved to isolate it .
edit : yes an electrician IE can disconnect you on the consumer side of the meter ,he should also have his seals to reseal the meter .some use a plastic cover with wire seals and lead seals .He may not work on the suppliers side of any equipment that is solely for the muni wireman only .
 
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soulie said:
your inverter must isolate itself from the incoming home EL earth totally .earth to the inverter may not be bonded to the inverted earth .there must be a earth disconnect involved to isolate it .
Click to expand...
What do you mean by this? Surely the same earth should be used throughout the AC in and out side of the inverter.
 
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