Kill-a-watt meter?

[Walter E.]

Is anyone familiar with the Kill-A-Watt power meter? It's made in China and
sells for about $ 40.

I would like to know if it just measures AC amps or if it actually measurers
power consumption over time, like a month.

Would anyone know what the sensitivity is? Does is measure the power used by
refrigerators as well as radios and clocks?

Thanks

 

[mark Ransley]

Yes its a good unit, you need it for measuring units,
consumption

 

[Basil]

You should check with your local library ours has two. they
were provided to them by the power co.
Basil
for e-mail remove the "not" from my address

 

[chrism @ Project Licht 'n Stein]

Hi Walter,

I just bought one a couple weeks ago for $34.95 including shipping (to US
location) @ http://themeterguy.com

It measures Volts, Amps, Watts and VA(!), and Frequency. And it measures kWh
as well as "elapsed time" which allows you to run it for a month or longer
and compute the daily energy consumption (not sure if the clock will display
720 hours, though...but you could do the math...)

The sensitivity of it is supposedly quite excellent for a device that cheap
(according to some information that I came across while doing some
research). See the "Terry Fritz" report here:
http://www.themeterguy.com/advertising/Kill A Watt/killawatt.htm

Supposedly it now also runs fine with modified square inverters.

I have not regretted buying and using it as we are tracking and monitoring
our own usage in preparation to going from 15 kWh/day to 3.5 kWh...

Good luck!
chrism @ project lichtnstein.org

 

[Jeff]

Does this measure actual kWh, or kVA?

Big difference energy wise if the load is not resistive, which is pretty
much anything non incandescent or with only a heating element.

 

[daestrom]

Does this measure actual kWh, or kVA?

Big difference energy wise if the load is not resistive, which is pretty
much anything non incandescent or with only a heating element.

Mine reads both. Button for VA and another for Watts. Accumulates kW-hrs
along with total hours connected.

daestrom

 

[m Ransley]

I just leave mine plugged in apliances for a month then change
apliances. It has been tested to be very accurate.