Watt meter / Power meter / kWh meter

F

flarkblark

Guest
FYI--

After searching at length for a watt meter, i.e. to determine
how much power my appliances are using (and to prove that the
power company is reporting bogus information), I discovered
the Kill-a-Watt by Ahern. It costed about $35 and so far
it appears to be functioning perfectly.
 
"flarkblark" <plinius@mail.com> wrote in message
news:ba7436c4.0309110806.2d389674@posting.google.com...
FYI--

After searching at length for a watt meter, i.e. to determine
how much power my appliances are using (and to prove that the
power company is reporting bogus information), I discovered
the Kill-a-Watt by Ahern. It costed about $35 and so far
it appears to be functioning perfectly.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's a nice instrument. I have had one for about a year, and use it
quite often on equipment that I'm working on. Always works, no hassle, no
setup, no calibration. Always ready to go in a few seconds. Good
investment if you need to know those things.
--
Tweetldee
Tweetldee at att dot net (Just subsitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
 
"Tweetldee" <dgmason99@att99.net> wrote in message news:<2K58b.135114$0v4.9890200@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>...
"flarkblark" <plinius@mail.com> wrote in message
news:ba7436c4.0309110806.2d389674@posting.google.com...
FYI--

After searching at length for a watt meter, i.e. to determine
how much power my appliances are using (and to prove that the
power company is reporting bogus information), I discovered
the Kill-a-Watt by Ahern. It costed about $35 and so far
it appears to be functioning perfectly.

Yep, that's a nice instrument. I have had one for about a year, and use it
quite often on equipment that I'm working on. Always works, no hassle, no
setup, no calibration. Always ready to go in a few seconds. Good
investment if you need to know those things.
Click to expand...
Having one has turned out to be quite interesting. We've resolved
our problem with our power company (they overcharged by a factor of 3),
but using the meter to measure the power use of everyday appliances
has shown that the ratings on the back of devices aren't always accurate.

For instance, a TV rated at 120 VAC and 1.5 amps should use up to 180 watts
using the simple P=VA equation. However it only uses 85 W on average.
Similarly our desktop computer is rated at 240 W but uses about 80 W
even when the CPU is 100% occupied. Meanwhile the printer while it's on
standby is a mere 4 watts.

A laptop computer meanwhile varies quite a lot: running the CPU
at 100% with the screen on uses 55 W; with the screen saver on, 30 W,
and with the screen on but CPU utilization reduced it uses only 23 W.
 
"flarkblark" <plinius@mail.com> wrote in message
news:ba7436c4.0309131429.7d471123@posting.google.com...
"Tweetldee" <dgmason99@att99.net> wrote in message
news:<2K58b.135114$0v4.9890200@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>...
"flarkblark" <plinius@mail.com> wrote in message
news:ba7436c4.0309110806.2d389674@posting.google.com...
FYI--

After searching at length for a watt meter, i.e. to determine
how much power my appliances are using (and to prove that the
power company is reporting bogus information), I discovered
the Kill-a-Watt by Ahern. It costed about $35 and so far
it appears to be functioning perfectly.

Yep, that's a nice instrument. I have had one for about a year, and use
it
quite often on equipment that I'm working on. Always works, no hassle,
no
setup, no calibration. Always ready to go in a few seconds. Good
investment if you need to know those things.

Having one has turned out to be quite interesting. We've resolved
our problem with our power company (they overcharged by a factor of 3),
but using the meter to measure the power use of everyday appliances
has shown that the ratings on the back of devices aren't always accurate.

For instance, a TV rated at 120 VAC and 1.5 amps should use up to 180
watts
Click to expand...

? Depends on power factor.
It could be zero watts at 1.5 amps (although I *very* much doubt it.)






using the simple P=VA equation. However it only uses 85 W on average.
Similarly our desktop computer is rated at 240 W but uses about 80 W
even when the CPU is 100% occupied. Meanwhile the printer while it's on
standby is a mere 4 watts.

A laptop computer meanwhile varies quite a lot: running the CPU
at 100% with the screen on uses 55 W; with the screen saver on, 30 W,
and with the screen on but CPU utilization reduced it uses only 23 W.
Click to expand...
 
For instance, a TV rated at 120 VAC and 1.5 amps should use up to 180
watts

? Depends on power factor.
Click to expand...
No it doesn't, irrespective of the power factor the TV should use up to 180
watts.

> It could be zero watts at 1.5 amps (although I *very* much doubt it.)
 
In article <ba7436c4.0309131429.7d471123@posting.google.com>,
plinius@mail.com mentioned...
"Tweetldee" <dgmason99@att99.net> wrote in message news:<2K58b.135114$0v4.9890200@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>...
"flarkblark" <plinius@mail.com> wrote in message
news:ba7436c4.0309110806.2d389674@posting.google.com...
FYI--

After searching at length for a watt meter, i.e. to determine
how much power my appliances are using (and to prove that the
power company is reporting bogus information), I discovered
the Kill-a-Watt by Ahern. It costed about $35 and so far
it appears to be functioning perfectly.

Yep, that's a nice instrument. I have had one for about a year, and use it
quite often on equipment that I'm working on. Always works, no hassle, no
setup, no calibration. Always ready to go in a few seconds. Good
investment if you need to know those things.

Having one has turned out to be quite interesting. We've resolved
our problem with our power company (they overcharged by a factor of 3),
Click to expand...
That's really a rip-off. You should have that one written up in the
newspaper and it should be a consumer piece on your local TV news.
Let everyone else know that they may be getting overcharged, too.

but using the meter to measure the power use of everyday appliances
has shown that the ratings on the back of devices aren't always accurate.

For instance, a TV rated at 120 VAC and 1.5 amps should use up to 180 watts
using the simple P=VA equation. However it only uses 85 W on average.
Click to expand...
That's the way it should be. The rating should be the absolute
maximum and should never be exceeded, and the normal operating current
should always be lower than the rating.


[snip]

--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS? Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted. *All* email sent to it
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the
Subject: line with other stuff. alondra101 <at> hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@
 
"Mjolinor" <mjolinor@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:swY8b.627$qT1.262317@newsfep1-win.server.ntli.net...
For instance, a TV rated at 120 VAC and 1.5 amps should use up to 180
watts

? Depends on power factor.

No it doesn't, irrespective of the power factor the TV should use up to
180
watts.
Click to expand...
If the TV is rated at 120VAC and 1.5 amps you have no idea what the watts
are other than it may be any number between 0 and 180.
 
"R.Lewis" <h.lewis@connect-2.co.uk> wrote in message
news:bk24fl$4g8$1@thorium.cix.co.uk...
"Mjolinor" <mjolinor@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:swY8b.627$qT1.262317@newsfep1-win.server.ntli.net...


For instance, a TV rated at 120 VAC and 1.5 amps should use up to
180
watts

? Depends on power factor.

No it doesn't, irrespective of the power factor the TV should use up to
180
watts.


If the TV is rated at 120VAC and 1.5 amps you have no idea what the watts
are other than it may be any number between 0 and 180.
Click to expand...
Which is exactly what the first post said
 
plinius@mail.com (flarkblark) wrote in message news:<ba7436c4.0309131429.7d471123@posting.google.com>...
"Tweetldee" <dgmason99@att99.net> wrote in message news:<2K58b.135114$0v4.9890200@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>...
"flarkblark" <plinius@mail.com> wrote in message
news:ba7436c4.0309110806.2d389674@posting.google.com...
FYI--

After searching at length for a watt meter, i.e. to determine
how much power my appliances are using (and to prove that the
power company is reporting bogus information), I discovered
the Kill-a-Watt by Ahern. It costed about $35 and so far
it appears to be functioning perfectly.

Yep, that's a nice instrument. I have had one for about a year, and use it
quite often on equipment that I'm working on. Always works, no hassle, no
setup, no calibration. Always ready to go in a few seconds. Good
investment if you need to know those things.

Having one has turned out to be quite interesting. We've resolved
our problem with our power company (they overcharged by a factor of 3),
but using the meter to measure the power use of everyday appliances
has shown that the ratings on the back of devices aren't always accurate.
Click to expand...
Please elaborate on the power company overcharge. How did it happen,
did they correct the source of the error, and did they refund the
amount you were overcharged.

I'm particulary curious about this, as documented events of this sort
of vanishingly rare.

Harry C.
 
Please elaborate on the power company overcharge. How did it happen,
did they correct the source of the error, and did they refund the
amount you were overcharged.
I'm particulary curious about this, as documented events of this sort
of vanishingly rare.
Click to expand...
Not that rare.

They upgraded our meters for remote sensing and that resulted
in $300/month bills that should have been a third of that.

I guess they wanted to downsize the meter reader people.

If we hadn't complained they would never have fixed the
problem.
 
plinius@mail.com (flarkblark) wrote in message news:<ba7436c4.0309161047.4d8ec4a@posting.google.com>...
Please elaborate on the power company overcharge. How did it happen,
did they correct the source of the error, and did they refund the
amount you were overcharged.
I'm particulary curious about this, as documented events of this sort
of vanishingly rare.

Not that rare.

They upgraded our meters for remote sensing and that resulted
in $300/month bills that should have been a third of that.

I guess they wanted to downsize the meter reader people.
Click to expand...
This is a normal upgrade in most parts of the country, and generally
doesn't result in an overcharge.

If we hadn't complained they would never have fixed the
problem.
Click to expand...
So how did they fix the problem, did you get a refund from the
electric company?

Harry C.
 
Harry Conover wrote:
plinius@mail.com (flarkblark) wrote in message news:<ba7436c4.0309161047.4d8ec4a@posting.google.com>...
Please elaborate on the power company overcharge. How did it happen,
did they correct the source of the error, and did they refund the
amount you were overcharged.
I'm particulary curious about this, as documented events of this sort
of vanishingly rare.

Not that rare.

They upgraded our meters for remote sensing and that resulted
in $300/month bills that should have been a third of that.

I guess they wanted to downsize the meter reader people.

This is a normal upgrade in most parts of the country, and generally
doesn't result in an overcharge.

If we hadn't complained they would never have fixed the
problem.

So how did they fix the problem, did you get a refund from the
electric company?

Harry C.
Click to expand...
They probably installed the wrong current transformers for the meter.
--


Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
If we hadn't complained they would never have fixed the
problem.

So how did they fix the problem, did you get a refund from the
electric company?
Click to expand...
Actually, it appears NOT. We are quite alarmed by the latest bill.
It appears they said one thing and did another.

That's PECO for you.
 
plinius@mail.com (flarkblark) wrote in message news:<ba7436c4.0309201606.37801339@posting.google.com>...
If we hadn't complained they would never have fixed the
problem.

So how did they fix the problem, did you get a refund from the
electric company?

Actually, it appears NOT. We are quite alarmed by the latest bill.
It appears they said one thing and did another.

That's PECO for you.
Click to expand...
Picture yourself pounding you head against a rock wall, just to hear
the sound that it makes.

That's what dealing with a utility company is like!

Harry C.
 
That's PECO for you.

Picture yourself pounding you head against a rock wall, just to hear
the sound that it makes.

That's what dealing with a utility company is like!
Click to expand...
Yeah...makes me want to go off-grid.
 
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