Total Generation Meter Stalled

[kiwiclive]

Hi Guys,

I've just installed a small solar system and use an iskra ME160 TG meter I bought from universal meter services (reconditioned and zeroed and cheap). It measures  to a granularity of 1/10 of a kw hour.

When I first turned the system on, it took the best part of a day before anything registered. I assumed that maybe it needs something like 1kwh to pass through it before it starts registering.

Well, it has been working fine since but now it seems to have stalled. I had an electrician around the other day to test RCDs etc and he was tripping the mains supply several times in short succession (Solar was turned off at the time).

Ever since then, the meter has not moved. The led still flashed ocassionally as some submultipe of a kwh passes through it. It also has a constant LED on at night (I presume because power is trying to go back the other way).

The soladin seems to be working fine and if I clip an efergy meter to the output from the meter (back into the mains), I measured 2kwh being generated today. But still the TG meter has not moved. All the wiring is ok.

Am I being stupid ?
Am I being impatient ?
Or does it sound like the meter has curled up it's toes ?

Clive

[Iain]

Clive
Give the guy at Universal meters a bell, he always seems helpful. I was warned to make sure it was wired the correct way around as they have a interlock/warning to warn if they have been driven backwards.
Iain

[kiwiclive]

Hi Iain,

Thanks for the tip. I'll give him a call tomorrow.

Clive

[kiwiclive]

Hi Ian,

It looks like the meter might be toast. The RCD testing may have done for it. In retrospect, it may have been wiser to have the AC isolation switch between the Circuit breaker and the TG meter rather than between the inverter and the TG meter.

So I'll get another meter although this will no doubt confuse the hell out of my ROO-FIT application as the meter, serial numbers and readings will all change 

[Iain]

Clive
"It looks like the meter might be toast. The RCD testing may have done for it. In retrospect, it may have been wiser to have the AC isolation switch between the Circuit breaker and the TG meter rather than between the inverter and the TG meter."

Or switch off the solar MCB when testing
Iain

[Alan]

Hello Clive

RCD testing should have no effect on the meter.

How is it wired. Have you tried swapping the supply and load cables over.

Regards

Alan

[kiwiclive]

Hi Alan,

No, I have not tried swapping the wires. It was working previously as it is currently wired (as on the diagram on lid - solar in on the left and output on the right).

The electrician checked the wiring prior to earth and RCD testing and did not alter anything.

A good suggestion though, I have nothing to lose, perhaps it has somehow got 'locked' thinking it was being tampered with as I would assume that electricity meters should be pretty robust and be capable of withstanding exactly this kind of thing.

The thing I find odd is that the led seems to still be counting (flashing occasionally) and power is passing through the meter. It's almost as though the mechanical counting display has become jammed.

I wonder if it is possible to take it out of circuit and connect it between a mains outlet and something that draws a reasonable current to give it a kick. Not sure if that would work and I'm sure its not legal either !!

[davebodger]

The thing I find odd is that the led seems to still be counting (flashing occasionally) and power is passing through the meter. It's almost as though the mechanical counting display has become jammed.
I wonder if it is possible to take it out of circuit and connect it between a mains outlet and something that draws a reasonable current to give it a kick. Not sure if that would work and I'm sure its not legal either !!

Well at this stage I would give it a good thump, or take it off the wall and shake it and hit it against something not too hard.
It does sound like the mechanicals have got a bit stuck.
What do you have to loose?
I don't see why zapping it with a quick bit of current is illegal.
As long as you don't run it for hours racking up phantom units   

[kiwiclive]

Well, that did it.

A few hefty thumps and it started counting again. It seemed to get stuck between 9 and 0.

I thought the days of thumping electronic boxes was long gone. Thanks for the tip :-)