“Keep your electrical usage in check” |
It doesn’t matter whether you live on or off-the-grid, have a mansion or weekend cabin — The Kill A Watt is for everyone.
In the alternative energy scene, every watt counts (especially for the off-grid-ers). This tool is terrific for sniffing out energy hogs – helping you decide what appliances and electronics are worth keeping.
Power-Point
Most electronics have a UL label that specifies what it’s power consumption is in watts – Why not just believe what that says? Well, you might be surprised to find that they’re not always accurate.
I will use a hair trimmer as an example. On the UL label it says it uses 6 watts. Not bad, but the kill a watt says it ranges anywhere from 9 – 15 watts! Still reasonable, but that’s a far cry from what the label quoted.
HOW IT WORKS
The kill A Watt, made by P3 International, is very simple and easy to use. Just plug it into an outlet then plug whatever device you would like to test into the kill-a-watt. Once you plug something in and turn it on, you will have the option to view…
Voltage
Watts (instantaneous)
Frequency (hertz)
Kilowatts hours (cumulative)
The “cleanness”(quality) of the power can be evaluated by monitoring the frequency (hertz) and voltage.
The instantaneous wattage is perfect for checking things that don’t get left on for long periods of time, such as, vacuum cleaners, food mixers, paper shredders, etc,. While the cumulative KWH feature is more suited for stuff like refrigerators and washing machines.
Speaking of fridges… here something fun to try using the KWH feature. Experiment using different temperature settings. Does it make much difference? Clean out the dust bunnies clogging up the cooling fins. You may be surprised by the results – big or small. But just remember a little here, a little there, can add up big in the end.
Save Power Instantly
I’ll give you a little demo of how this monitor can help you conserve power instantly. I will use my laptop as an example. Guess how much I saved by dimming the monitor all the way down? 10 watts! From 32 watts (brightest) to 21 watts (dimmest).
NOT JUST FOR HOME
You can even take it to the store and compare products side-by-side. Don’t feel that you need to apologize or feel embarrassed for using it. After all, It’s your money that you’re spending, right?! You certainly want the most efficient, power saving device you can afford. It is a little bulky to carry around in your pocket, but well worth it.
It saved my hide the very first time I tried this. The memory is still crystal clear…
It was definitely time for a new stero system. The CD player had stopped working and the tape player worked…somtimes. I was Off to the store with my trusty Kill A Watt meter in hand. After plugging in various models I was quite surprised by the results. The power usage ranged anywhere from 11 watts to 300 watts! I never would have imagined they would vary so much. In the end, I opted for the 11 watt stereo. And guess what – it actually sounds real good. In this case the kill A Watt saved my hide big time! |
CONCLUSION
Want to take the first step to reducing your electrical usage? You simply can’t go wrong with the Kill A Watt. It’s rugged, simple and inexpensive.
I would highly recommend this power monitor being the first investment for your renewable energy tool belt. You will simply find it invaluable time and time again.
What Other Visitors Have Said
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Rave for Kill-a-watt meter Not rated yet
This item is an absolute must for anyone interested in knowing where all those killawatts on your monthly bill are going. A huge help in designing …
these are really helpful tools, Thanks