Measuring your electrical use

[Sigdigit]

chilled air, swamp coolers, pool pumps, etc

Ok, lol, I give up.  What the HELL is a swamp cooler?????

[port1]

   When the humidity is low and the air is hot, misting the air with fine water droplets and allowing evaporation to cool the air, the machine using that technology is called an "evaporative cooler", and has been referred to as a swamp cooler because the early units used to produce a smell, probably from algae that used to collect within it.  It's only effective in cooling where the climate is dry and not humid/low dewpoints.
Not magic...science. 
 

Henry

[Sigdigit]

Ahhhhhh.  Swamp cooler, lol.  Still makes me laugh.

I will upgrade to a 200 amp Siemens loadcentre

If you have, or have any interest in getting a backup generator, consider putting in a GenTran load center with built in generator transfer switch.  I'm glad I did.  As long as I don't overload my generator, I can energize just about any breaker in my box (except central air compressor, too big of a surge load for my generator).  I have a mid-sized portable generator.  Most generator load centers that side beside your load center only allow for up to a handful of circuits to choose from.   With the load center w/built in transfer switch, you can do any combination of circuits as long as you don't go over the generator's capacity. I don't use the generator often, but when I do, man is it nice, especially when your sump pumps/well pump/furnace depend on it!

[port1]

   That's a good idea for Andrew, where his location could suffer from ice storms and resultant power outages.
I would recommend and "inverter quality" generator, as they produce nice, clean sine waves and the electronics in a dwelling like that!
Good suggestion, that Gentran....I have one myself.
 

Henry

[LarsWX]

Here is what I use to find out just what things are using, even figures out the cost per day, week month, year for you.

http://www.p3international.com/products/p4460.html

Isn't that limited to things that you plug in? It won't help with the big ticket items like chilled air, swamp coolers, pool pumps, etc. I use a WATTS Up Pro the same way as the KillAWatt device and it's very cool to determine what a plug-in item or a power strip uses.

The TED device I mentioned has the same functions as well as entering a meter read date that projects your bill as far as what you've used and what it expects will be used but it monitors "whole house" which is good to confirm the meter read, IMHO. They don't help if you need to know about a specific hard-wired load or sub-panel.

Don't mind me - I think I'm sub-consciously(?) trying to talk myself into buying one of those Brultech devices...

There are several whole house kilowatt meters out there but with this you can find all the power vampires like tv, cable boxes etc that draw power even when turned off...you might be surprised what can be saved.

[SLOweather]

Sigdigit PMed me and wanted to see a pic of the installation. Here it is, mounted on the backboard just outside the breaker box.

I have more CTs coming, so I'll try to remember to get pics of the inside while I'm installing them.

[Sigdigit]

hmmm.  wires, blinking lights, graphs.....what more can you ask for?  I feel my pulse quickening just looking at the pic!  I gotta get one now.

[Cienega32]

There are several whole house kilowatt meters out there but with this you can find all the power vampires like tv, cable boxes etc that draw power even when turned off...you might be surprised what can be saved.

Same with the WATTS Up device. It's great to learn all those hidden sources - especially with cable boxes. Blew my mind! This is the one I use (Watts Up Pro ES) with the 'real-time' software:

https://www.wattsupmeters.com/secure/products.php?pn=0&wai=342&more=3

Looks like they have one with a built-in web server now as well.


I see KillAWatt has a power strip style now - pretty cool.

http://www.powermeterstore.com/p6006/kill-a-watt_power_strip.php

[Cienega32]

chilled air, swamp coolers, pool pumps, etc

Ok, lol, I give up.  What the HELL is a swamp cooler?????

Like port1 said - an evaporative cooler. In my case, with the whole house unit (Master Cool Plus) on the roof, water pumps over a pad of sorts and the air is pulled thru and pumped into the house's duct work.

I had the same reaction as you when I (born & raised on Long Island) first moved to Vegas and heard "swamp cooler". If you ever have the chance to feel one running when it's raining or high humidity outside, you will definitely question the origin of the word "swamp". You feel like you're in one. This is my first home that uses one and while it is definitely a lot cheaper than chilled air (A/C), I still can't get used to the humidity. I have to use a window A/C unit in the bedroom if Monsoon keeps us too humid out here.

[mackbig]

My wife asked me the question yesterday... "what is on your birthday/xmas list".  My first answer was "its August"... then I said either $1000 worth of vp2 and accessories, or this little $200-400 electricity gadget.

Andrew

hmmm.  wires, blinking lights, graphs.....what more can you ask for?  I feel my pulse quickening just looking at the pic!  I gotta get one now.

[mackbig]

Chris,
I know its only been a few days since install.  But so far how close has the main power leg monitoring been compared to your official utility meter?

Thanks
Andrew

Sigdigit PMed me and wanted to see a pic of the installation. Here it is, mounted on the backboard just outside the breaker box.

I have more CTs coming, so I'll try to remember to get pics of the inside while I'm installing them.

[SLOweather]

I haven't been tracking that yet. Been having trouble with my new home automation/weather computer and a pesky NMI: memory parity error. The thing ran for a year with one app on it with no problems. Now that I've loaded it up, it's gotten flaky. So I'm in the laborious process of elimination to see Watt's Up. ;0

[mackbig]

I just noticed some of my timed lights on the cheap activehome controller I have were not coming on at the correct time.  I dont use it too much, the fad passed for me a few years ago.  But probably cause a lot of the stuff I bot was junk.  Problem is I purchased the software 4-5 years ago, and I just realized I did not reinstall after redoing my pc, so I have no idea where my install codes are.  Not a high priority, but will have to search the digital vault.

Keep us posted when you get a chance.  I just did the not too scientific.  Turn off a/c on a coolish day, write down what the meter says, then write it down again after 24 hours, then pick a hot day set a/c to normal operation (few and far between this year) and do the same measuremeants.

if the increase in efficiency of new a/c is anything like the bounce I got with the new pool heater, this gadget will pay itself off in no time.  Unfortunately, I was going to try and sneak it onto the misc budget, but now that I have been asked to the bday/xmas list, it will have to wait for Nov/Dec... 

Andrew

I haven't been tracking that yet. Been having trouble with my new home automation/weather computer and a pesky NMI: memory parity error. The thing ran for a year with one app on it with no problems. Now that I've loaded it up, it's gotten flaky. So I'm in the laborious process of elimination to see Watt's Up. ;0

[mackbig]

Henry and sigdigit,
Good idea.  I have always wanted to add a generator in the future, but was thinking full size standy natural gas one that could basically match the load of the house.  But at $7-10K after install, hard to pull the trigger considering in all my years of home ownership we have only lost power for more than a few minutes once (north east blackout of aug 2003 we were down for 12 hours, which was avg/short compared to some areas).   We have a very good grid here in Toronto region, very few above ground lines locally, aside from main supply corridors, but off course the Quebec ice storm in 1998 showed that is a weak link during a severe ice storm (1000 pylons knocked down)

Anyway I will research this idea, I guess its easier to get an all in one transfer panel, then adding one of the side ones after the fact.   I guess if you get a huge standby, you can just flip the whole thing, but if you are short, you then need to re-wire and pick and choose which circuits to actually power.

Andrew

Ps; I kind of guessed what a swamp cooler was, but when you first hear the term, you think, do the turtles, frogs, and snakes really need the water cooled down?

  That's a good idea for Andrew, where his location could suffer from ice storms and resultant power outages.
I would recommend and "inverter quality" generator, as they produce nice, clean sine waves and the electronics in a dwelling like that!
Good suggestion, that Gentran....I have one myself.
 
Henry

Ahhhhhh.  Swamp cooler, lol.  Still makes me laugh.

I will upgrade to a 200 amp Siemens loadcentre

If you have, or have any interest in getting a backup generator, consider putting in a GenTran load center with built in generator transfer switch.  I'm glad I did.  As long as I don't overload my generator, I can energize just about any breaker in my box (except central air compressor, too big of a surge load for my generator).  I have a mid-sized portable generator.  Most generator load centers that side beside your load center only allow for up to a handful of circuits to choose from.   With the load center w/built in transfer switch, you can do any combination of circuits as long as you don't go over the generator's capacity. I don't use the generator often, but when I do, man is it nice, especially when your sump pumps/well pump/furnace depend on it!

[SLOweather]

When we built this house, I installed a full size used manual 200 amp transfer switch, and a second cable to the motorhome pad. The 6kw generator is enough to run our necessities in a power failure. We just remember to manage the load ourselves. All heat producing appliances (stove, dryer, furnace, water heaters) are gas, so we don't have any big loads to contend with.

[wxtech]

hmmm.  wires, blinking lights, graphs.....what more can you ask for?  I feel my pulse quickening just looking at the pic!  I gotta get one now.

The new Nuts & Volts magazine has a project that may interest some.  It's intended to be a temporary fuse (200ma - 5A) replacement.  It has a current monitor LED display.  Build your own.
http://nutsvolts.texterity.com/nutsvolts/200909/?pg=43&pm=2&u1=friend

http://www.nutsvolts.com/ Project is "The Refuseable Box" by Ron Newton.  September issue page 42.  Nuts & Volts is a digital online magazine available to subscribers only.
Or, browse the magazine at your favorite news stand.

[port1]

As Andrew writes, one can spend a fortune on a natural gas, standby generator and all the accessories.
One of the buildings I manage has a huge generator, and as such our local County government has deemed the facility a Red Cross evacuation shelter.  Hurricanes or flooding....the facility can handle it.  Even a "Katrina-like" event.  I know I'll go there (I manage it!) in the event of such a terrible disaster.
Nevertheless, there's always the "home" power stand-by equipment.  Natural gas is the way to go, as that fuel is almost always available; not so with gasoline during a power failure, when the gas pumps have no electricity.  Those gasoline generators are o.k. but they need to be refilled daily, and that could be a problem during a long term event.
It's all based on how much you're willing to spend.  I'm for the gasoline solution for a "short-term" event. Then there's that science fiction scenario of a serious, heavy duty, long-term event, where you're the only dwellling with lights on (and heat) for weeks.  Those home invasion folks come-a-calling then, or so they say.  I know it's science fiction, or is it?
Smith & Wesson again.  Not that I advocate that....
The debate continues...

Henry

[wxtech]

Two good publications to prepare yourself and your family for a disaster. 
Fema - Are You Ready?  I printed myself a copy from the pdf online.  Now it's available in video format.
http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/
A long standing prep guide is Pat Frank's novel, "Alas Babylon".  The book is the longest pub in print ever after The Bible.  Copyrighted in 1957, and is available at all bookstores, and is still valid today.  Sound judgement about what is valuable in time of turmoil. 

[Sigdigit]

Alas Babylon was a great read.  I remember that being on the required reading list in high school.  As far as generators, my briggs and stratton ran 1k.  Then the new load center and outside outlet was a few hundred.  Pays to google search load center for the one you want, there are vendors that sell quite a bit cheaper than the manufacturer.  I'm buddies with an electrician, so he did the install for me for cheap.  So total was under 2 grand.  In NJ, worst case scenario for outages is usually about a week (ice storms).  Between the four 5-gallon gas can filled with stabilized gas in the shed, and the 26 gallon tank on my Dodge Ram pickup (I have a siphon hose), I figure I'm good for anything but an Alas Babylon situation!

[tomwxman]

I have a TED, which transmits wirelessly (powerline) to the base, which is connectable to a PC via USB to get all the reports you need. Very nice, and IMO cheap for what it does (and trivial to install):

http://www.theenergydetective.com/index.html

[Cienega32]

I have a TED, which transmits wirelessly (powerline) to the base, which is connectable to a PC via USB to get all the reports you need. Very nice, and IMO cheap for what it does (and trivial to install):

http://www.theenergydetective.com/index.html

I'm not too thrilled with their software. Likes to drop the USB from time to time for me.

[mackbig]

Got the go ahead to order from the budget department on Friday.  I had a few more questions which sales answered within minutes of sending.  So on Monday pulled the trigger. 

The sales girl was very helpful, sourced the shipping locally so saved over half of what paypal autocalculated next day delivery, even got to pay the u$ quoted price in c$.   She emailed back saying the payment was rec'd and she would send my tracking number shortly.  I was hoping to begin playing tonight (figuring it was too late Monday to ship).... I even pulled some cat5 on the weekend from my panel to my network hub.....but then silence.  Followed up by email yesterday around noon.  Called the phone line today, after several no answers going to vm, I left a vm. 

I am sure (hoping) there is a good reason for the silence....

Andrew

[LeomaTNWX]

I am hoping to get one for Christmas. Are you going to upload the info to the web with Check it?

[mackbig]

Perhaps...?  I dont see any prices on their site.  I am hoping there is some little short text dump I can get out of the stock software, that I can fling to my site, then create a bit of php (with a little help from my friends) to make it useful/viewable.  I doubt I would pay much if anything for the checkit.ca service

Andrew

I am hoping to get one for Christmas. Are you going to upload the info to the web with Check it?

[SLOweather]

The software from Tenholder is free, and includes a database, server, HomeSeer plugin, and charting program.