Kill-a-Watt Meter December 19, 2020, 06:09:41 am I think it was Ron B. that suggested getting one of these meters to monitor generator voltage output. How exactly do you do that? Plug it into your 110 outlet while running the generator? Are there other uses? I think this is the device mentioned:Amazon.com: P3 P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor: Home Improvement As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Kill-a-Watt Meter Reply #1 – December 19, 2020, 09:39:35 am How Kill A Watt Works | HowStuffWorks 1 Likes
Re: Kill-a-Watt Meter Reply #2 – December 19, 2020, 01:50:57 pm Quote from: Joan - December 19, 2020, 09:39:35 amHow Kill A Watt Works | HowStuffWorksWish there was a 12-volt Kill-a-Watt version.Larry 1 Likes
Re: Kill-a-Watt Meter Reply #3 – December 19, 2020, 03:45:47 pm Larry, I bought a 12V in line power meter similar to this one, and spliced a 12 V plug onto the input side and a 12 V socket onto the output side. It serves the same purposes as a Kill-A-Watt meter, measuring "Current (A), Voltage (V), Watts (W), Amp-hours (Ah), Watt-hours (Wh), Peak Amps (Ap), Minimum Volts (Vm), Peak Watts (Wp)." 1 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Kill-a-Watt Meter Reply #4 – December 19, 2020, 10:48:54 pm Questions..I have used a Kill-a-Watt for a specific item plugged in. E.g. Description from the link Greg supplied says "Plug whatever item you want into the device and it will tell you the efficiency of that item by displaying the kilowatt per hour. " so you monitor the one item you have plugged in.Are you all saying that it will show generator output even if nothing is plugged in? Or does it only show generator voltage if there is a draw on the line (e.g. something is plugged in and assuming the device plugged in is pulling maximum voltage)? Andy - same question about the 12V you use. Does it just show the voltage of what is being used on that line (so useful for a higher usage 12v outlet such as where a computer is plugged in)? Or does it show what the battery is putting out for any device on any of the DC12 lines. It might be helpful to say where you installed it and what you watch.Jane
Re: Kill-a-Watt Meter Reply #5 – December 19, 2020, 11:19:12 pm "Does it just show the voltage of what is being used on that line (so useful for a higher usage 12v outlet such as where a computer is plugged in)?"Yes."Or does it show what the battery is putting out for any device on any of the DC12 lines."In theory it could, if hardwired into your system at the battery, but it's not the best tool for the job of monitoring your whole RV's electrical power use. A better choice for that purpose would be an amp-counting battery monitor such as Victron's BMV-7xx series or Balmar's SG200.Think of this one as being like a miniature, inline version of a BMV-7xx monitor, only with a built-in shunt. So...in my setup (with 12 V socket and plug spliced on), with nothing plugged into it, it knows what the voltage is at that point--that is, where it is plugged in. It has no way of knowing the voltage at the battery terminals, and of course there's no current without a load. (Presumably it draws some small amount itself, but factors that out.)Connect a 12 V device to its output side, and it knows the voltage and the current being drawn. By multiplying the two together, it calculates the wattage being drawn. And because it has memory and a real-time clock, it calculates watt-hours and amp-hours used since it was last plugged in, as well as recording peak volts, amps, and watts. A handy little gadget, and affordable at $18.A Kill-A-Watt meter does much the same, but with 120 VAC. With nothing plugged into it, it'll show voltage and line frequency. With an appliance plugged in, it will also tell you the amps and watts consumed, and by integrating over time, the kilowatt-hours used. The latest version can even determine the cost of running whatever is plugged into it. (Of course you have to tell it your utility's rate per kWh.) Both are tools worth having if you work with RV electrical systems. There is even an equivalent device for USB measurements, if you want to know how much power your phone is drawing from its charger. As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Kill-a-Watt Meter Reply #6 – December 19, 2020, 11:47:54 pm Quote from: Andy Baird - December 19, 2020, 03:45:47 pmI bought a 12V in-line power meter similar to this one, and spliced a 12 V plug onto the input side and a 12 V socket onto the output side. It serves the same purposes as a Kill-A-Watt meter, measuring "Current (A), Voltage (V), Watts (W), Amp-hours (Ah), Watt-hours (Wh), Peak Amps (Ap), Minimum Volts (Vm), Peak Watts (Wp)."Nice, an inexpensive way to measure 12-volt power usage, measured over time.With last summer's attempt to camp in isolation, we needed a way to taking more produce to limit or eliminate shopping more often than every two weeks. We tried an ice chest but found much of the produce was getting water-logged and we still needed to buy ice every two or three days. An electric cooler looked to be another way of approaching this problem, the existing coolers made by Dometic and ARB are expensive, in the $800-1400 range, a bit costly for an experiment A couple of months ago, Costco had a sale on Massino 12-volt compressor coolers, a 40-qt cooler was under $300.Amazon.com : Massimo 40L Electric Cooler with Trolley Wheels & Telescopic...We bought one and now have a month's worth of camping time to test it, so far so good. The cooler does a good job of maintaining its set temperature and the produce stays fresh and dry. It cools down to single digits but probably will be used primarily at higher temps for produce storage.The real question is how much power does it use and how the consumption changes according to the seasons and different ambient temperatures. Added insulation is planned, either as foam panels, a sewn insulated cover, or a combination of both.So far, with the short winter day's low sun, the 500-watts of solar panels have been more than adequate as long as the panels are not shaded. The effects of the summer's heat will be discovered next summer.The 12-volt power meter Andy linked to should help answer some of these questions and one has been ordered.Larry As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Kill-a-Watt Meter Reply #7 – December 20, 2020, 12:42:48 am "Costco had a sale on Massimo 12-volt compressor coolers, a 40-qt cooler was under $300."That is indeed a bargain!"The real question is how much power does it use"I'm gonna guess 3.5 amps when running... let me know how close I get. :-)(For those reading this, a compressor refrigerator like the $300 one Larry bought is in a different class from the inexpensive thermoelectric coolers that are available for a hundred bucks or so. Those can't get nearly as cold; for example, keeping food frozen is next to impossible. A compressor fridge like Larry's can chill down to single digits. It's up to you whether that's worth the extra cost.) 1 Likes
Re: Kill-a-Watt Meter Reply #8 – December 20, 2020, 02:05:24 am Thanks Andy, that is what I was guessing (re what the 12V killawatt measured) but I was not sure at all.I guess I need to check and update my old killawatt as I don't remember it showing voltage without a load (something plugged in using electricity).Jane
Re: Kill-a-Watt Meter Reply #9 – December 20, 2020, 02:01:53 pm Quote from: Andy Baird - December 20, 2020, 12:42:48 am"Costco had a sale on Massimo 12-volt compressor coolers, a 40-qt cooler was under $300.""The real question is how much power does it use"I'm gonna guess 3.5 amps when running... let me know how close I get. :-)The cooler uses around 4-amps, the information I can't provide is what percentage of time it is running vs. being off. The power meter should help answer some of my questions about its overall power consumption. So far, the existing solar panels are up to the task during the short days of fall, a winter test will occur when the current lock-down ends.The lifespan of the cooler is another question, having no idea of the quality of construction of cooling unit. The box is sealed and has no apparent way of opening it without possibly damaging it. This is another of my long-term experiments, stay tuned.Larry
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