Measurement and self-monitoring of the energy consumption of household appliances.
Knowing the energy consumption of appliances is always the first step to saving electricity. Before starting a project to reduce electricity in the home or office, it is important to measure the energy consumption of appliances. But the question arises, how are tools measured? In this article, we will show you how to use a simple single phase meter to perform some sample audits. We purchase a single phase energy meter for a nominal price and provide it so that the series connection with the appliance and plug is reliable. We use it with confidence to measure most instruments. If you have measurements and you know the areas of pain, you can always come back to this site to see how you can reduce power consumption on a particular device.
Using a single phase energy meter
All small appliances up to 4-5 kilowatts in the house can be easily measured with a single phase energy meter. You may have a 3-phase connection, but most plugs have a 240V connection and draw a current of 5 to 15 amps. A single phase energy meter will cost you Rs.300-Rs.15,000 (depending on the meter performance)Around 500 .The meter can be connected to the socket and the plug connected to it, which goes to the plug of the appliance. Once you have the device ready, you need to insert the plug of this new device into the plug point and the device plug into this device and monitor the reading for a while. Measuring an appliance per day can give a good idea of how many units an appliance consumes in a day and can be extrapolated to obtain units in the same month. If you have monthly units of all tools, you can estimate whether a particular device will take less or more and you can take appropriate measurements.
Note that such a device should always be rated for 5 and 15 amp plugs. The 15 amp plug can be downgraded from 15 amps to 5 amps using a 5 amp converter, so 5 amps cannot be upgraded to 15 amps.
Using a three-phase power meter
Three-phase energy meters are hard to come by (although not impossible). But the good thing is that large motors connected to a three-phase connection are only necessary when measurements need to be taken. We had to use those meters to take measurements of pumps and elevators in residential societies. They cannot be operated as easily as we did with a single phase meter. Since most pumps are connected directly to the mains via a switch, it can be difficult to insert the meter with the plug. In such cases, you must connect directly. In some cases, a CT (or current transformer) is also required if the current draw is high or the power / wattage is high. The cost of a three-phase meter is higher than that of a single-phase meter, but the same can be obtained for a single-phase meter as described above.
You’d think spending a few hundred rupees on a single used device would be worthless. As you add more appliances and rates rise, such a device can be used to track the energy consumption of appliances from time to time. Knowing where you are spending is important to knowing where and how to work.