[neil]

In one of my clusters, I have two 15 amp AC circuits running about 25 servers and some additional storage appliances. I'm looking into some nice power strips/units that have amp meters built into them (neat little LED display), but for now, I'd like to get a reading on how many amps I'm currently drawing out of each circuit.

Is there a safe way to read the amps being drawn from the circuit without interrupting service on this circuit?

I've considered some more "dangeorus" methods which involve a multi-meter and touching some live prongs, but I kinda value my life and the life of the equipment and would much rather spare such extreme methods.

 

[da_burl]

You need what is commonly referred to as an "amp clamp". You can find them to go on multimeters, or as stand-alone units. Basically, they are a clamp you can place on a wire and it measures the current by inductance. A place like Home Depot or Lowe's should have them, and you don't need a highly accurate one, just a high current one.

 

[bootman]

Quote:

Originally posted by da_burl You need what is commonly referred to as an "amp clamp". You can find them to go on multimeters, or as stand-alone units. Basically, they are a clamp you can place on a wire and it measures the current by inductance. A place like Home Depot or Lowe's should have them, and you don't need a highly accurate one, just a high current one.

This is correct, but you will have to measure the current at the circuit breaker panel.
You can't take an amp clamp and measure current at the power cord.
You need to separate the hot from neutral which is done at the panel.
The clamp (think crab pincers) goes around the hot (black) wire, not clamping right on it.

 

[Budgie]

Looks like this-
http://www.esitest.com/cart/634.html

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Quote:

Originally posted by neil I've considered some more "dangeorus" methods which involve a multi-meter and touching some live prongs, but I kinda value my life and the life of the equipment and would much rather spare such extreme methods.

Always remember to read current in SERIES to the circuit, not in parallel. The resistance inside the meter is only about 5 ohms when you measure current, so if you run it in parallel it might fry your multimeter.

Since you know that the circuit runs at 115v, can you find out how much power is being drawn by each circuit? If so you can computer the current from those two figures. Some UPS's and power supplies give you a power drawn reading, and this might help to come up with an accurate figure. Monster Cable's newer items like my HTS1100 come with a current readout built-in to the unit, which makes life a lot easier when you just gotta know the current draw of components.

 

[neil]

I have an AMP probe -- clamp like device -- but doesn't that require that you have to have a SPLIT in the cord, and the one part of the split goes inside the clamp and the other outside?

I'm interested in this device to do the measurement at the panel. But I think the panel at the co-lo facility is just a bunch of "modern" breaker switches.. (you know, the left/right on/off type black switches). Do I have to crack that thing open in order to do my measurements?

 

[CaptBubba]

Well, yes. You need to open it up. If it was wired by someone who knew what they were doing it should be all nice and neat inside. Just find the breaker to the circuit you want to measure and there will be a black wire coming out of it. Put the clamp about that, and you have your reading! Pretty simple actually. If you know which breaker it is it shouldn't take long at all.

 

[Wolfs motors]

Walk away, you have no business being inside the panel, by the way you are describing things you obviously no nothing about electricity . It will kill you and then burn down the place.
Call someone who knows what they are doing

 

[obobskivich]

Literally, this thread is nearly a decade old. What is it with newbies and unearthing the proverbial Ark of the Covenant?