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Indicator Light Good Practice


daniemare

Question

Hi All,

When adding indicator lights (see Hager CVN series link below) to your Distribution Board what is best practice?

Do you

1 - Wire the Lights to indicate that power is present. I.E.

  • 1 Light will be on for Eksom (and goes of when load shedding)
  • 1 Light will be on for Inverter (and goes of when Inverter is switched off)

Thus lights are on/off irrespective of which source you selected per your change over switch

OR

2 - Wire the Lights to indicate which source you currently use per your change over switch selection

Thanks for your advice

Danie

http://www.africa.hager.com/bs/products/energy-distribution/power-control-and-signaling/indicator-lights/indicator-lights/svn122/73131.htm?utm_source=print

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7 hours ago, markus_m2 said:

A simple relay would do the trick...

This is a safety thing, so what you want is for it to be super simple, less chance of failure.

There is also the danger that someone doesn't know this DB (where the light is in) is also supplied by the grid, and then he turns off the inverter and thinks it should be dead. When there are two sources, there needs to be a light on if the thing is hot.

If you want to see the status of the grid, I suggest using two lamps, one wired to the grid and one to the inverter. Both of them would be on during "normal" operation then. Then there is no confusion, ans both lights need to be dead before you can work on it.

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The important thing is that there must be at least one light on if there is power present. So you can fit two lights (so it also serves as an indication which source is active), or you can fit just one (which is what I've always done). This lamp is wired simply to the output of the inverter (top of the main breaker on the essentials DB), so that this lamp is on if the essentials are supplied.

The point is that the electrician switches off the main breaker... and then notices there is a red light that did not go out. This alerts him to the fact that more needs to be done. That is the bare minimum you need.

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@plonkster, to expand on your SOP, what about putting in a single light, difference being that it's mostly off and only comes ON when the grid is disconnected?

My reason behind this would be to have some visual warning that there's load shedding, and of course it will double up as an indicator light in case the electrician cuts the grid.

A simple relay would do the trick...

An additional audible warning would be first prize - load shedding creates an annoying buzzer that you have to acknowledge to switch it off. Anyone know how best to design such a audible warning system? (I presume a more complex relay setup)

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Hi Plonkster,

What you say about both circuits needing a light makes sense, but that's in contradiction to your original post further up? Your one light on essentials also won't warn the electrician to grid power when he switches off the inverter supply...

Anyways, I can have the Goodwe SmartMeters' light act as my "Grid power live" light. Just need to install a "inverter live" light...

 

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33 minutes ago, markus_m2 said:

What you say about both circuits needing a light makes sense, but that's in contradiction to your original post further up? Your one light on essentials also won't warn the electrician to grid power when he switches off the inverter supply...

True 🙂

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7 hours ago, plonkster said:

This is a safety thing, so what you want is for it to be super simple, less chance of failure.

There is also the danger that someone doesn't know this DB (where the light is in) is also supplied by the grid, and then he turns off the inverter and thinks it should be dead. When there are two sources, there needs to be a light on if the thing is hot.

If you want to see the status of the grid, I suggest using two lamps, one wired to the grid and one to the inverter. Both of them would be on during "normal" operation then. Then there is no confusion, ans both lights need to be dead before you can work on it.

This is what I am going to do then. 
Scenario 1 per my Opening Question. 

Thanks @plonkster

Any chance you can takena stab at my other question regarding the Surge Protection Device wiring?

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