Power ususge monitor?

Sheep Shagger

Hi, apologies if this is covered elsewhere but couldn't find it anywhere using the search function.

Tenant had just been on to me to say the power usage has recently jumped (the last electrical work done in the apartment was replacing a water pump back at the start of October), am guessing it's not that that has just starting acting up.

Is there any reasonably priced monitor abailable to see what appliance is using what (or do you just turn each item on and off whilst watching the power metre box down in the car park for sudden changes).

Many thanks

Sheep Shagger

Found this one, anyone know any stockists in South Dublin?

http://purchase.ie/electricity-monitoring-socket

Cushie Butterfield

Are there electric storage heaters in the apartment? If so they're most likely the culprit, or even more likely your tenants aren't using them properly e.g. they may be using the convector heating function which basically eats electricity during peak hours. You may be better off finding this out before investing in any monitoring devices, or at least the one you are looking at as that wouldn't work with storage heaters as they are not 'plugged in' like a lamp or a tv.

Either way you may be better off going for one of the Owl electricity monitors where the sensors are clamped on to the electricity supply cables between the meter & fusebox, which would allow for monitoring of all appliances such as cooker, immersion heater, storage heating, electric bathroom heater/extractor fan etc & not just plug-in/plug-out appliances. Seeing as the meter is located in the car park it may or may not be necessary for an electrician to install the Owl sensor at the fusebox. Other more knowledgable posters would be able to advise you on this, or whether it's even an option given that it's an apartment with the meter in another location & not a straightforward scenario of clamping it on to a visable cable.

The chances are highly likely that the increase in electricity usage is down to either improper use of storage heating or just the use of it since the cold weather started.

Sheep Shagger

Thanks.

Yeah there are storage heaters there but the tenant is adamant they havnt changed the way they are using them.

They've also just told me that the hot water coming out of the tap is boiling all of the time - this leads me to believe something's up with tbe thermostat and that could be what's chewing power.

Won't get a chance to get to apartment till Friday at earliest but to be honest I'm pretty rubbish at these sorts of things do it might be a electrician I need anyway

Apparantly it's been bad for a few weeks but they've only just told me about it.

Looked at the energy monitors (the ones fixed to a wall) but was told they won't work in an apartment, as you say the metre box is to far away from the actual apartment

Bruthal

An energy monitor will work in the apartment but it needs its sensor clamp fitted on the live feed in the MCB board. Electrician needed to do that really.

CountyHurler

Bruthal wrote: »

An energy monitor will work in the apartment but it needs its sensor clamp fitted on the live feed in the MCB board. Electrician needed to do that really.

I've wondered about this myself... Can you recommend a good inductive meter for this? Actually is there a good general purpose inductive meter for using with the house, the car etc ?

They are nowhere near as accurate as putting an ammeter in series though are they?

Bruthal

CountyHurler wrote: »

I've wondered about this myself... Can you recommend a good inductive meter for this? Actually is there a good general purpose inductive meter for using with the house, the car etc ?

They are nowhere near as accurate as putting an ammeter in series though are they?

Energy monitors are actually nothing more than a form of grip ammeter. They measure only current, so are not actually measuring true watts. And they assume 230v is the voltage to calculate watts for display, although you can select one or two other voltages like 220 or 240 in settings I think.

Measuring only current means they would read slightly higher units used than a true watt meter would, for items with inductive loads. But for domestic use they work well enough.

I never really bought watt meters but electrical wholesalers have them. I fitted one or 2 for people that bought them themselves.

For a car an induction type one won't work. You can get DC type ones. I use one for battery powered rc aircraft applications.

ted1

might the previous bills have been estimated?

could explain for a larger bill. also if the heaters run of a thermostat, it's being colder for the past few months so they'll be kicking in more.

might they also have left the immersion on. with regards electricity usage, as a landlord I wouldn't get involved in a tenants usage.

CountyHurler

Bruthal wrote: »

For a car an induction type one won't work. You can get DC type ones. I use one for battery powered rc aircraft applications.

I kind of assumed that the clamp induction type ammeter would have had a AC/DC current switch like my MM, but I suppose since there's no need for AC measurement with the ones designed for use by mechanics... And no need for a DC measurement with the ones designed for electricians ....

I was looking at getting one of these type of power meters for use with general electronics projects / solar energy power measurement / car..... The Turnigy one is meant to be very good from what I've read..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxv9Rozs774

Having to break the circuit to insert it in series is the serious downside of this type of meter though..