Which loads to control, and why the order matters

Priority is the whole strategy

Your 9388A does not shut things off at random. Every controlled load is assigned a priority number by your installer. Priority 1 is the highest: last to be held back, first to come back on. Lower priorities are held back sooner and restored later.

When demand climbs toward your limit, the system works down that list. It does not wait for a spike to happen and react. It watches how fast demand is rising and acts before the limit is crossed.

Dryer: priority 1

The dryer sits at the top for two reasons.

First, it is user-initiated. You loaded it, you pushed the button, you expect it to run. Nobody starts a load of towels and wants the system to veto it.

Second, a dryer's heating element cycles on and off on its own every few minutes. Its average draw across a cycle runs roughly half its nameplate rating, so it is a smaller problem for the demand average than the label suggests.

Air conditioning: grouped high

AC units are typically assigned the same priority so they rotate. One runs while the other rests, then they trade. That keeps the house evenly cooled instead of leaving one zone to drift.

If one zone matters more, say the bedrooms or a downstairs living area, your installer can assign that unit a higher priority so it gets served first. Tell them during commissioning, or call support and we will schedule the change.

Water heater: often priority 17

Priority 17 is a special setting that means the load stays off for the entire on-peak period.

A water heater is usually the best candidate for it. A delayed reheat cycle is invisible to almost everyone, because a tank holds its heat for hours. You get hot water, the reheat just happens later, and one of the largest resistive loads in the house is fully removed from your peak.

Pool, spa, and hot tub: lower

Pool pumps, spa heaters, and hot tubs sit near the bottom. They are flexible, they are large, and nobody notices a filtration cycle that runs an hour later.

Bill's rule: control it anyway

Bill Brayden's standing advice to installers is blunt: customers rarely do what they say they will. If someone promises to program the pool pump so it never runs on-peak, do not count on it. Put it on the system.

Priorities are not an owner setting

Priorities are configured by your installer. Changing them is a support call, not a homeowner task. The Demand Limit remains the only setting you adjust.

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Questions about your own setup? Call toll free (888) 461-9336, direct (970) 461-9600, or email help@energysentry.com. Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM Arizona time.