 Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me. |
Forum Index : Electronics : Energy Monitors -Efergy
Page 1 of 2   |
|||||
| Author | Message | ||||
KarlJ Guru  Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
Got one today, interesting results Microwave -1.5KW WOW 6x 9W LED's only 30W (odd) standby power on the PC 20+W WIFI router 10W or less. 6 halogen 50W downlights -"only" 250W (also odd) vacuum cleaner 1KW solar pump for pool 1KW Reverse cycle heating (not that I needed it jut testing) 2.5KW TV at least 250W (42" plasma) so in conclusion, playing with the kids at the park is better for them and the planet Karl Luck favours the well prepared |
||||
Downwind Guru Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333 |
I think it shows that lighting transformers dont always put out as they are rated. As for the microwave, yes they are hungry critters, but when you test one against what a electric stove uses to heat the same food in time and watts used, you will find the microwave is rather efficient. If you consider over 50% of the weight of a microwave is the copper wound transformer inside you would have to expect it to be hungry on power. It is funny how you see things different with actual live data in power used, as i to noticed things differently with logging the power consumption of my house. To the point of running the computer for logging is cheap due to the fact you notice a increase in useage and start to turn thing off more so the saving in wasted power well offsets the cost of running the computer. One thing that showed up very clear is how the waterbed heater cuts in every 3 minutes almost on the dot and runs for 20-30 seconds at around 300 watts. As well as a few other things like i now consider myself a coffee addict, when i viewed a log file and seen how offten i boiled the kettle within the day. I guess im lucky that the fridge light dont use much power or i might consider myself having a drinking problem to, with getting the odd beer or 3 at times. 
They should call these meters Guilt meters and every new home should have several of them installed by law. Just like fire/smoke detectors. Pete. Sometimes it just works |
||||
| KarlJ Guru Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
LOL I bought it off ebay and doesnt have the Efergy label rather "Queensland government" at $57 vs $100 at Bunnings (or anywhere else on the web) good value. Laptop is barely noticeable at 27W fridge chomps a bit on cut-in and cyclic defrost, house with everything but the fridge off still eats 200W -guess thats the fridge! Luck favours the well prepared |
||||
GWatPE Senior Member  Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127 |
Hi Karl, above is a typical power usage of my place over a day. You can see the fridge, and the kettle, and computer and TV in the evening, as well as The appliances for cooking the evening meals. The fridge comes on about every 100 minutes. The days consumption was about 6.7kWhr, and the scaling is 3.5kW full scale. Gordon. become more energy aware |
||||
| KarlJ Guru Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
mmmm flash! Luck favours the well prepared |
||||
| GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127 |
Hi Karl, I have many logging systems. This one is based on reading and interpreting the 1200 or so character string from the CurrentCost power meter. I have 6 sensor clamp meters, and this graph is one of 11 that I can look at. Does the meter you have, have any output capabilities? Gordon. become more energy aware |
||||
SSW_squall Senior Member Joined: 20/03/2010 Location: AustraliaPosts: 111 |
We bought one of those Altronics energy meter kits at work so we could accurately measure the standby power of our subwoofer amplifiers. So i borrowed it and went around the house plugging it into anything that moved: By far the most annoying standby power item is the (dishlex) dishwasher it draws about 2.5w all the time meaning it uses about 60Wh a day. But it only takes about 45Wh to do a load of dishes, as we use the "fast" setting and have it connected to the hot tap so it doesn't have to heat the water. Because it has soft control buttons on the front panel that only light up when you press them there is no indication what so ever that it's using this power, so frequently it gets left switched on for days at a time, wasting more power than it uses during actual operation!! 
AB Einstein: Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler |
||||
| KarlJ Guru Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
Gordon the efergy has no output options but has led me to a couple of surprising conclusions. I thought standby power was minimal - Its not! Couple of $5 inline switches and some double sided tape to conveniently locate them next to the PC and the home entertainment and there is 50W of standby gone. I also got rid of 9 incandescent lightbulbs that were lighting our outdoor area at 40W each. We werent using them often but at 360W the lot, I wasnt having it. Looked at Beacon lighting but at $12 a piece for "candle" shaped bulbs, I could not see the good side and went for Big W on special spiral 8W jobs in a two pack for $6. so replaced the 9 with just 6 (still plenty of light) and now get 47W vs the 360W i had before and for a whopping $18. these little things 50W x20hrs /day standby = 365KW / year = 365 KG+ CO2 emissions and for the hip pocket about $80 a year. Thus energy meter paid for in well under a year. Karl Luck favours the well prepared |
||||
| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi All They are a very handy tool as my three phase one revealed a dud fridge using 6kw a day now replaced with new one that uses 1400 watts a day winter may be a bit higher in summer. The only thing that is a problem with it is it adds the solar output not subtract it from the total. Made me conscious of the workshop lights as they use over 1000w so have to get individual switches. 15 hp lathe motor only uses 2kw average power but off scale on startup. I found that idle current is 230 watts on the house, 110 watts for my filter ionizer to help breathing so I not turning that off, the rest is the computer and sat modem phone and several other power packs, The only thing is I get slightly different readings at different times and tracked that down to line voltage variation range 220 to 245 volts very interesting. . Best $50 I spent for a while. All the best Bob All the best Bob Foolin Around |
||||
| KarlJ Guru Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
Holy snapping footprints Batman! My 4 year old Panasonic "Genius" microwave uses a staggering 30W standby power. As for the solar adding rather than subtracting, this did cross my mind as a potential issue. The solution, move the clamp meter so it doesn't go around the solar cable (EG after the main switch and push the solar cable to the side so you dont clamp it in the bundle. Then IF you could be bothered, get a 2nd energy meter to measure the solar output. I'm going to hit up the manufacturers for a software change to allow two clamp meters and an add / subtract for those two. Certainly a market for it now. Karl BTW my "standby" daytime + laptop is down from ~250W to 100-120W. Nighttime with whole house shut down less fridge and transformers in roof for aircon controller and irrigation system (cant even find it). down to 85W which was 200W. Luck favours the well prepared |
||||
| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Karl You are having a ball with the new toy as am and it really opens the mind to what is happening, One thing of interest is that the wash machine doesn't use any current according to the meter, the only thing I can think of that it runs for less than the recording cycle of the meter, any ideas. The pickups are on the main feed lines before the meters, so it should get everything. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
||||
| Downwind Guru Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333 |
Hi Guys, Can one or both of you post some photos of this gadget and in perticular the clamp/sensor used. Im in the dark on this one. Pete. Sometimes it just works |
||||
| KarlJ Guru Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
I'm a little under the weather tech wise at the minute, cant find the cable for camera to PC (bugger) check out ebay for a squizefergy They don't handle Power factor correction (they cant know what PF an inductive load is using) thus things like pool pumps, fluro's (although most have PF correction) and anything with PF <<<than 1 ie something in the 0.6range its going to be a fair amount off base. I have read KW off the meter and KW off the efergy and they are real close (obviously the meter is more accurate BUT only measures down to 1 KW/hr) Karl Luck favours the well prepared |
||||
| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Pete Some photos of the meter and connections sorry if not to good as I haven't got this photo paste thing worked out yet All the best Bob 
Foolin Around |
||||
| Downwind Guru Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333 |
Hi Bob, Thanks for the shots. Do you know if the sensors are avaliable seperate, as they are a nice clamp on CT. It would be nice to be able to know what the wireless link transmitted on, as it wouldnt be to hard to build a receiver to pickup on the signal to log the data. Pete. Sometimes it just works |
||||
| Downwind Guru Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333 |
Ok, just had a look at the link Karl gave. The sensors are avaliable seperate and the wireless link works on 433mhz. I see there is a usb system available and software as well for the later models at a higher price. Food for thought here
Pete. Sometimes it just works |
||||
| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Pete It is a great little unit for the fifty bucks but if we could get it to log as well that would be great, it does have internal logging as you can get all the info up to the last three months if you read the destruction book, the only problem with it is it dosent read reverse flow of current, it just reads to zero and up again. Must be a good little transmitter as it is 50 meters away and in the steel power box and it still works. Spent today harvesting carrots so now have a bit more wind up my kilt. My weather station hasnt turned up yet, its amazing to me that I can get bits from China faster than local suppliers, Gold Coast, for less postage cost. I will look at the site Karl listed as the little clip on clamps could be useful. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
||||
| Downwind Guru Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333 |
With a ct i fail to see how it can read reverse flow current, as it is all just current that the ct will see, so there is no way the unit can know which way the current is flowing. It would need 2 sensors and some form of programming to be able to subtract one from the other or record each as seperate values. You dont want much for your $50.00 now do you??
I asked some questions to the ebay seller and the answers was as useless as bull boobs. (and they were simple questions too) Pete. Ps:- you comment about having wind up your kilt, i was wondering what is worn under your kilt. (or is it all in perfect working order.) 
Pete. Sometimes it just works |
||||
| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Pete I really thought it would load balance by making coffee on demand. Even so its good for the money, I liked the one with logging, if ever I become rich by some accident I would like one,dream dream. The kilt is waiting for wind to ruffle it and whats under the kilt is still kilted, cold weather you know. I await the promised SW wind to do some logging, its a bad thing when you can't even trust the weatherman. I now have the daunting task of cleaning up the carrot patch. thought I might plant some apple trees there as I have some I raised from seed, doing my bit for the environment. Have a couple of internal projects to keep the little boss happy and to also finish my room in the shed to house all the electronics, gunner be busy. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
||||
| Downwind Guru Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333 |
[quote]I might plant some apple trees there as I have some I raised from seed, doing my bit for the environment. Have a couple of internal projects to keep the little boss happy and to also finish my room in the shed to house all the electronics, gunner be busy. [/quote] You best keep the cookie cutter happy or you could be finishing the room in the shed sooner than you think. As for the apple trees i think seedlings take 7 years to bare fruit. (will you still have teeth to eat em then?) 
It could be worth while trying your hand at some grafting if able to source a nice donar tree. At least that way you will have fruit in 3 years. (and teeth to you would hope) 
Pete. Sometimes it just works |
||||
| Page 1 of 2 |
|||||
 Print this page |
