Get hooked up

Installing Sense is a straightforward process that generally takes a licensed electrician less than 30 minutes to complete. Click here to watch the installation video or read more below.

What’s in the box? Installation Compatibility Wi-Fi Test Accessories

What's in the box?

The Sense monitor has been tested to UL and IEC standards for safety, and certified by ETL/Intertek as safe to install in your electrical panel.

Sense monitor

Two current sensors

Power cable

Antenna assembly

External mounting kit

Sense Solar comes with two additional sensors

Simple installation steps.

Turn off power and remove electrical panel cover.

Turn off power.

Open your electrical panel and turn off your main breaker. This helps protect you during installation. Don't forget your flashlight!

If you have solar, turn off your inverter. Refer to the solar installation guide for setup instructions.

Install the orange monitor inside or outside the panel.

Find a spot for your Sense.

The Sense monitor is designed to fit within your main panel. Find an open spot that works for you.

What if there is no room? Use the mounting bracket provided. See more installation configurations at help.sense.com.

Run the antenna and insert cables into monitor ports.

Install the antenna.

Using the back of a screwdriver, punch out the knockout cover in the electrical panel. Then, insert the antenna.

Clamp the sensors around the two electrical mains and connect to the monitor.

Connect the current sensors.

Clamp the sensors around the service mains so that both labels are facing the same direction. The direction of the labels on the sensors should be relative to the power source. Once placed in the final orientation, push the sensor lock in until you hear a click.

Connect the power cables to a 240V breaker.

Connect the power.

Connect the black wire and the red wire to an empty 240V breaker and the white wire to the neutral bus bar. Sense draws less than 0.1A, so you should use the smallest 240V breaker available for your panel.

Don’t have an empty breaker? Connect to an existing or add a new 240V breaker. Do not use a tandem breaker, unless it is 240V. Learn more at help.sense.com.

Close the panel and turn on power.

Close the panel.

Replace the panel cover carefully to ensure that there is no pressure on the sensor clamps that would cause them to open. Label the Sense breakers with the sticker.

Doing electrical work? Reattach each sensor to the same service main as before to avoid disrupting device detection.

Install the app and set up an account.

Use the app to complete setup.

Install the Sense app by visiting sense.com/app

Click “Get Started” and follow the on-screen instructions. The app will guide you through the Wi-Fi setup and account creation process.

Download the installation guide.

Click on the link to view the Installation Guide for your application.

Is your home compatible?

Sense is compatible with most home electrical configurations. Before you purchase a Sense monitor, be sure to confirm your home conforms to the following:

Your home has:

2.4Ghz Wi-Fi network with consistent internet connection. Sense is not compatible with 5Ghz Wi-Fi signals.

Its own electrical meter and accessible electrical panel.

Your electrical panel:

Is a split-phase 120/240V or a 400A split-service residential panel with individual panels up to 200A.

Must have enough space to fit sensor clamps with HxWxD dimensions of 3.375″ x 2″ x .75″ (85.73 x 50.8 x 19.05mm), and an inside diameter of 1”. The Sense current sensors may not be able to fit around busbars. Our sensor cables are 46″ (116.84cm) long and our power cable is 36″ (91.44cm) long. Cable extensions may be purchased separately here.

Does not drop below 32°F (0°C) or exceed 154°F (68°C).

Is not exposed to water or areas with high condensation (Sense complies with ANSI/IEC 60529 Rated IPx0).

Some homes have less typical configurations:

Multiple panels

Sense can work with multiple panels as long as they are subpanels, and the Sense monitor is installed in the main breaker panel. If you have separate service for each panel then Sense can only work with one of them, and you will need multiple Sense monitors to monitor your whole home.

Busbar panels

Busbar panels must have enough clearance for the current sensors to clamp around the busbar. Please see above dimensions.

Split service

Sense can work with split-service systems up to 400A where service is provided via dual panels. Data from both panels will be summed in the Sense app. This feature requires use of the monitor’s auxiliary port and thus this port cannot be in use by solar monitoring or another feature.

Subpanels

Sense can monitor subpanels, provided that the monitor is installed in the main panel and the subpanels are downstream of this panel.

Recessed or flush-mounted panels

Sense is compatible with recessed panels. You can read more about the installation process here.

Three-phase service

Sense is designed to monitor traditional homes in North America with split-phase 240V service, but it can also successfully monitor two out of the three legs of three-phase 208V service.

Parallel feed

At this time, Sense does not support a parallel feed configuration. We are working on a solution to better accommodate this configuration and hope to have it available in the near future.

To read more about panel compatibility click here.

Works with most solar systems

Sense Solar is compatible with most solar systems – those that connect directly to the main electrical panel, either breaker-fed or service-side tap. Click here for more.

Installing Sense Solar requires the additional steps of installing the second set of sensors around the solar feed supplying power through the electrical panel.

Click here for detailed information on Sense Solar installation.

Wi-Fi test.

To get the most out of Sense, you need a reliable internet connection. During installation the Sense app will run a signal strength test to determine if your Sense monitor has a stable connection to your router.

If any issues are found, the test will point you to troubleshooting articles at help.sense.com.

Looking for parts?

Our accessories store can set you up with Flex add-on sensors, extension cables for unique installations, and more.