Different Types and Uses of Watt Meters

A wattmeter can be defined as an instrument that indicates the amount of electric current supplied to a circuit. In the earlier days, only professionals used this instrument but today you will find a variety of din rail energy meter that is available which is easy to use and quite cheap. Its use is to measure the amount of electric power that is utilized by an electrical appliance and to calculate the electrical costs.

Different Types and Uses

The measurement is indicated in watts. You will only find two types of meters- the analog and the digital meters. The analog meters are also referred to as the ammeters. It consists of a compass needle and a scale indicator. By the scientists of the earlier days, this was in fact the first device used in laboratories.

Professional meters: These meters are the most commonly used meters that are seen outside homes and apartments. The power department fixes these types of meters to measure the total electrical energy consumed by the households. In calculating the amount of power consumption the reading on the device helps a lot.

Meter with plugs: To measure the power consumption you will find meters that can be plugged into the appliance. This din energy meter is the most useful meter because it helps in detecting electrical problems that are related to the appliances.

Before Purchasing a Meter Few Things to Remember

Specific voltage range: For a specific voltage rating is provided to each instrument and an excessive amount of current can damage the instrument. Therefore it becomes necessary to select equipment that can be used to measure multiple voltage values.

Reliable manufacturers: It becomes important that you buy these meters from reliable and authentic manufacturers.

Authentic websites: It becomes important to select an authentic website that sells reliable products as you will find different online stores that supply din rail meter.

In measuring the overall power consumption a wattmeter is one of the most useful equipments that can be utilized. So it is necessary to purchase equipment which is in-built with a number of attractive features. Find a professional supplier online to get the best deal. Follow us on Twitter

Factors to Consider While Buying a Watt Meter

You may find the need to explore the different types of wattmeters available in the market today before narrowing down your choice of a standard wattmeter. So if you know about the different types of wattmeter, below are provided some tips that will help your purchasing decision while purchasing a kWh meter from a trusted manufacturer.

Go for a cheap, cross-needle Putt-Putt wattmeter if you want a measuring instrument that protects from the inverse attenuation effect.

Use the plug-in wattmeter to measure the power of a single appliance or at a specific outlet. Around your office or computer rooms, this instrument can be extensively used for testing the usefulness of an outlet and the power consumption of electronic items plugged into it. By calculating the power flow through a single outlet plug-in wattmeter can detect damaged electronics or bad electrical wiring. In this category one of the simplest and easy-to-use wattmeters includes the Kill-A-Watt EZ from the Power Meter Store.

Test Equipment Depot is liked by professional-grade, kWh energy meter, portable wattmeter’s and the Bird Model 5000-EX digital wattmeter is used by the on-site troubleshooting needs of electrical repair crews, system troubleshooters, and electricians.

Use digital wattmeters to stay on top of your electric bills as they evaluate the overall power consumption of an electrical system. These instruments have learned that how power is being consumed. In the electrical power flow, some advanced models even allow the power monitor to render small changes. In the marketplace, digital wattmeters like the Energy Detective and the EIG Shark 100 are quite a rage. The latter is used for more robust applications, such as large businesses or IT rooms and the former is used to monitor a home office or small business.

Digital radio frequency (RF) wattmeters are used to measure accurate RF power and gain in amplifiers, transmitter power, Standing Wave Ratio (SWR), bandwidth in filters, and return loss.

Some single phase kWh meter have a dual movement meter system that measures and displays forward as well as reflected electric power.

Find a reliable and reputed supplier that can give these products online at the best pricing range. Follow us on Facebook

Uses of Sine Wave and Modified Sine Wave Inverters

 While considering inverters two basic topologies are used: true sine wave and modified sine wave. While trying to decide which one is right for your project then you probably need to have run across them both. Below is provided more information in case you are not sure which to choose or why.

As the name says modified 24v pure sine wave inverter is not a true sine wave at all instead it is simply a stepped wave. Compared to a pure sine wave this wave is not as smooth. However, it may indicate that a modified sine wave inverter is not as good as a true sine wave inverter but maybe this is not the case. While only running a few small loads by narrowing their waveform they can save a lot of energy. To top it off they may even cost half the price of a sine wave inverter.

This not at all indicates that a modified sine inverter does not have some disadvantages to pure sine inverters. The few disadvantages of modified sine inverters are noise distortions that take place in certain radio/audio equipment, fluorescent lighting, transformers, and televisions. In some televisions, this can be in the form of a buzzing or visual distortion. But a 36v pure sine wave inverter is required for inductive loads (microwaves) or variable speed motors (drills, blender). You will find a few electric motors and transformers that draw more current and even run hotter.  However, in an RV or boat, they are a great choice for use and are commonly used in these applications.

True sine wave inverters are much more suited to pumps, running motors, and equipment that would otherwise be very much sensitive in accepting the modified sine wave. Since for some users, the noise distortion can be a nuisance if not a deterrent but a 48v pure sine wave inverter would be the best choice among all. But this never indicates that you cannot use both in the right application. 

All you just need to find a reliable and professional supplier that can give you the best deal on these inverters. Follow us on Twitter

Know About True Sine Wave Inverters and Modified Sine Wave Inverters

150w pure sine wave inverter generally converts Direct Current (DC) to Alternating Current (AC) that exhibits sinusoidal current. Modified sine wave inverters are used to convert DC to AC, but these exhibit non-sinusoidal current. Depending on the application, a significant effect can be produced by the difference between the currents. If your home or building uses a DC power source (e.g. solar panels) and with electrical devices and appliances it experiences problems then the problem may be in the electricity itself and not the electrical system or the products that connect to it.

Usage of Energy

The annoyances that are stated above generally cease when modified sine wave inverters are replaced with true sine wave inverters. But the effects produced on sensitive electronics and appliances can be more than annoying. Non-sinusoidal input can lead the equipment to operate less efficiently. In effect, to carry out its function equipment must use more energy than normal. This effect has a minimal impact on energy usage for devices that don't consume much energy like speakers. On the other hand for equipment such as lighting ballasts, the impact on energy usage is pronounced.

If a building is using a DC power source and consists of electronic equipment that is designed to receive sinusoidal AC then for energy efficiency using true sine wave inverters are essential. If provided the right conditions then by using this 200w pure sine wave inverter you can reduce a building's annual energy bill.

Wearing And Tearing

Equipment that utilizes energy inefficiently will operate inefficiently. In a lot of cases, it has been seen that inefficient operation results in the form of unforeseen maintenance issues and sudden mechanical failures. With complex systems, you will find these types of cases whose parts are prone to experience wear, such as motors. Along with driving up the energy bill by the use of modified sine wave inverters in the wrong equipment can also increase maintenance costs.

Compared to that 300w pure sine wave inverter that emits a sinusoidal current, inverters that emit a non-sinusoidal current are less expensive. However, by the increased energy usage the cost savings can be negated. Follow us on Facebook 

Learn the Limitations of Voltage Regulator

There are maximum integrated IC’s that need a constant voltage with which they could operate. They have their voltage regulator no matter whether it is a simple Logic Gate or a complex microprocessor. The most common operating voltages are 5V, 12V, and 3.3V.To act as a voltage source we have batteries and DC Adaptors as the maximum time to our circuit design they cannot be directly connected since the voltage from them is not regulated.

A voltage regulator is a beefed-up emitter follower. A transistor a stable reference is connected that spits out a constant voltage, dropping the remaining.

They even consist of a built-in error amplifier, which samples the output voltage (again through a divider), then with the reference voltage it is compared, the difference is calculated, and accordingly drives the output transistor. From voltage divider, this is far different, which through just a magnitude smaller faithfully replicates the input signal.

Limitations of Voltage Regulator

The simplicity of linear regulators is the biggest advantage; nothing else is needed.

However, they are available with their own set of limitations.

The working of the linear voltage regulator is associated with a variable resistor that provides feedback, dropping any unneeded voltage. Into heat this wasted energy is converted, making the power regulator hot and inefficient at high currents.

For example, a power loss of (12V – 5V)*1A is seen with a 5V regulator with a 12V input running at 1A, which is 7W. This says there is a lot of wasted energy, and the efficiency is only 58%.

So, at differentials of high input-output voltage or high currents, regulators have pathetic energy efficiency.

With the use of more than one regulator in series with decreasing output voltages (up to the desired voltage value) the input-output differential voltage problem can be overcome so that in steps the voltage is dropped. The overall power dissipation is equivalent to having one automatic voltage regulator across all the devices the heat load is spread out along with decreasing overall operating temperature.

By using a switching supply the power and efficiency limitations can be overcome, but the choice is application dependent. Follow us on Twitter

Everything You Need to Know About Contactors

Through contacts whenever a relay is used to switch a large amount of electrical power, it is designated by a special name: ac contactors. Contactors generally have multiple contacts, and those contacts are usually open so that when the coil is de-energized power to the load is shut off.

Control of electric motors is the most common industrial use for contactors

The respective phases of the incoming 3-phase AC power; typically at least 480 Volts for motors 1 horsepower or great are switched by the top three contacts. An auxiliary contact is the lowest contact which when compared to the large motor power contacts has a current rating much lower, but like power, contacts are actuated by the same armature.

In a relay logic circuit the auxiliary contact is frequently used, or for another part of the motor control scheme, typically switching 120 Volt AC power instead of the motor voltage. One central air contactor may have There are several auxiliary contacts in one contactor, either normally open or normally closed if required.

Three-Phase Electric Motor Contactor

For a three-phase electric motor here is a contractor that at a municipal water treatment plant is installed on a panel as part of an electrical control system:

Sample Contactors

At the top of the split ac contactor that too with the help of screw terminals labeled L1, L2, and L3, three-phase, 480 volt AC power comes into the three normally-open contacts. At the bottom of this device via screw terminals labeled T1, T2, and T3, power to the motor exits the overload heater assembly.

The overload heater units are generally black, square-shaped blocks with the label W34. For a certain horsepower and temperature rating of the electric motor, it indicates a particular thermal response.

The overload heater units must be replaced with units having a thermal response suitable for the new motor only when an electric motor of differing power or temperature ratings. On the appropriate heater units that need to be used, the motor manufacturer can provide information. 

In manually resetting the normally-closed switch contact back to its normal state a white push-button located between the T1 and T2 line heaters is used. Follow us on Facebook

How a Watt Meter can Help in Reducing Electricity Bills

For many decades electricity meters are around. The electrical consumption is measured by an electricity meter and it displays it on the screen. But we are very much used to the electricity portable kWh meter that measures the total electricity consumption of the entire house or office.

What is a Kill a Watt meter?

Measuring the consumption of electricity of the appliance directly connected to it, A Kill a Watt meter is a device. It is originally called a Kilowatt meter. It has an LCD that shows various readings like power factor, reactive power, current, true power, apparent power, voltage, energy consumed in kWh for the connected appliance. About the number of units consumed, some models also display estimated costs.

How to Use a Kill a Wattmeter

It is very simple to use a Kill a Wattmeter. In the line between the power supply and the appliance (of which you want to measure the electricity consumption), it needs to be installed there.

If you want to measure the electricity consumption of your refrigerator then unplug the power cable of the refrigerator from the power source and plug it in the port in the digital kWh meter. Now in the PowerPoint plug, this Kill a Wattmeter.

Leave it in that particular condition for a few days (or hours, whichever is suitable to you) and after that, you will observe that there is a reading on the LCD screen of the Kill a Wattmeter.

Models of Kill a Wattmeters

You will find kill a Watt meter in different variants. Although across all the meters the basic functionality remains the same few additional features are added in different variants. You must have some idea about them. Hence, these are few points for your knowledge:

• P4460 Kill a Watt EZ: The major shortcoming of a socket mounted kWh meter is that it cannot store information. To overcome this situation, this particular model includes a backup battery which helps in storing the information after it is disconnected from the power supply.
• P4400: It is the first and the most basic version of Kill a Wattmeter. Follow us on Twitter