This is the best review of the Kill-A-Watt so far, I purchased mine years ago it when I got my dehydrator, was afraid it's going to skyrocket my energy bill (nah, it did not, LOL). This device is extremely helpful for spotting 'power eaters' - mostly older appliances/devices - and possibly replace them with more environmentally friendly ones. Was absolutely blown away by the high consumption of my old fridge, my power bill shrunk significantly after replacing it with an 'energy saver'. Reading the instructions, well... or watching your video, helps as well. Great review/explanations.
Excellent job, Ben! Very informative and perfectly edited. You kept my attention all the way through to the end. I didn't even notice it had been 13 minutes. Thanks for NOT using loud annoying music like so many others do on their videos. Now I know how to use my Kill-A-Watt meter! LIKED AND SUBSCRIBED!
Great production quality, and a simple no-BS guide on how to use these devices and more importantly act upon the information. FYI in the UK you can get 240V versions of these meters (with a UK 3-pin plug interface) but they are limited to a maximum 2KW power draw. Keep up the great work.
You did absolutely everything but explain how the user can understand the watts used by a device IE the refrigerator, translate that into kilowatt hours shown on the KillAWatt meter and translate that to the cost per kWh on their bill,,,,,,,,,,,, you know-- the important bits. But really great story about the waterfall !!!
Great video, Ben. Thank you for all the great information. Our electricity bill has magically spiked up this winter - granted, we are home all the time right now, but I can't believe a desk lamp and a computer have added that much to our total. I'm going to go do some detective work. lol
Thanks for the cool video. I just pulled my old kill-a-watt out to check the different settings on the new bidet. Turns out the Eco mode really does save power. :)
@@BenjaminNelsonX i heard u say on video there is a way to reset so it saves money right? Or do i need to turn off sometimes the thing that is using many watts
A Kill-a-Watt lets you know how much energy a device uses. You then know what devices you may want to turn off, unplug, or put on a timer. You may also want to replace an old appliance with a newer, more efficient one.
Get a smart plug for 1/3 the price, and watch it live, on your phone! I did. Mine doesn't do PF, but my 3.9 cu ft fridge, I adjusted to come on less, and when it clicks on, peak is 137 watts then it slowly drops to 60ish watts. That's a lot less than the plate of specs on it says 1.4 AMPS/ Max Amps 6.5 1.4x120=168 So Haier is pretty spot-on. BTW it is 12 years old!
Nice- will be good to know if an old freezer is profoundly less efficient than a new one, etc. and also helpful to gauge actual current draw of items to be used in the field with an inverter to tell if the inverter will handle the load.
Excited to give this a try! I got a Kill A Watt from our local thrift store pretty cheap! Thanks Ben for the tutorial! I got the 4460 which has a battery backup and rememberers and resumes where it left off. 😊
Awesome overview, tips etc and is easy to understand! Seeing this in 2022! :) Have had the Kill A Watt for many years and just recently started using it again to check my power usage on appliances etc :)
Great Video!! FYI: i'm using an Poniie PN2000 has backlight & non-volatile memory. So want to save some $. 1ST Plug in your Xbox watch the numbers go up! Yea It's a power hog... Even when it's OFF! TIP: Turn [OFF] instant-On & Shuts-Off HD when not running. (Pretty Sure the PS is the same)
Just got one for only $12. Used it to verify wattage of certain items to see if they can on off of portable batter generator. Also it confirms the wattage Meter in my battery generator is exactly the same as the meter.
Right on Ben you hit all the important parts on the Kill-A-Watt mine works great. I use the MTP 3100 for whole house but it does not determine between solar production and utility use so I am looking for some thing more sophisticated.
For a really basic setup, I've been pretty happy with those little digital panel multimeters. I have one tracking power created from my solar and one on my EV charging setup. I just have to subtract those numbers out from my electric bill to know how much solar I'm making, how much I use for my car, and how much energy I use for everything else. It's basic, but works pretty well. I just have to remember to reset the kWh meters at the beginning of the month!
Those are clamp-on ammeters. They measure the electrical current of the wire running through them. Great for testing and for high current devices. You need to only have ONE wire running through them, NOT a cord with both a hot and neutral wire (or 2 hots). So, they really don't work for standard corded appliances the way a Kill-a-Watt type meter does.
you should not plug refrigerators into extension chords., they are supposed to be plugged in directly into a wall socket. something to do with voltage drop I believe. Usually written on the owners manual.
No no voltage drop. Depending on the gauge of wire in the extension cord it will draw more amps from the circuit and could melt the wire if it has a thinner wire on a long extension cord . Of course this only if the appliance actually draws alot of power itself . If you use Short extensions you might be ok with a fridge
Thanks Ben. Especially with the links to the whole house monitoring systems. I knew of the Sense system but wasn't aware of all the others. I'll definitely check them out.
There's definitely a number of whole house energy monitoring systems out there. I used an older version of TED a while back and liked it overall. I'll probably eventually be going with an Open Source Energy system in the not so distant future. It has good support for tracking solar and some tweaks you can't get with other systems.
Hello CARS! I thought it was so obvious that it didn't require explanation, but here goes... The Kill-A-Watt lets you know how much electricity different appliances use and how much that costs. With that knowledge, a person can then change their habits and/or appliances to conserve energy (ie. turn off the lights) or become more efficient in how they use it (ie. switch to LED light bulbs.)
What I want to now is, how many hours a day my new freezer is running. It seems to run all the time. We never open the door because we have not put anything in it. The appliance service guys stopped by, and said everything is fine, but they wouldn’t look me in the eyes.
Problem: Have a nice Stihl E 14 yolectri chainsaw. Got carried away, pulled too much current, boiled armature. Turned commutator, used it again for a long time. DANG! Did it again. This time opened a commutator armature winding. Found a new armature, putting it in. Getting old. Need an audible plugin overcurrent alarm so l can immediately back off on saw load to preclude boiling saw motor. No luck finding one on computer. Anybody got any ideas? Thx. Andy Eppink
Yes. The device shows you exactly that. Tracking Energy (power over a certain amount of time) is one of the main uses of one of these. Just plug in your refrigerator through the Kill-a-watt. Press the kWh button, and it shows you on the LCD display how much energy your fridge (or lamp or whatever else) has used since it was plugged in. This is especially useful for appliances like a refrigerator which cycle on and off. You could leave it plugged in for a day or a week and then do multiplication to figure out how much energy it uses in a month. By KNOWING how much energy something uses, you can decide to use it less, replace it with something more efficient, unplug it, or otherwise make decisions to save energy. As one simple example, at my parent's property, there are a few small decorative ponds. Those are powered by electric pumps, which send water to the top of a waterfall. The water cycles down, and then is pumped back to the top again. They are very nice and add to the aesthetic of the property. Using a Kill-a-Watt, we tracked the energy use and saw that it was relatively high. We decided that the ponds with their waterfalls did NOT need to run 24 hours per day. We put them on timers, so that they are off at night when people are sleeping anyways. Doing that saves up to $30 per month!
I'm curious on the how to save money part. I pay about 27 cents per kilowatt hour. Using your light bulb as an example... How much does it cost you to run a 60 watt incandescent light bulb for one hour verses a LED light bulb with the same luminary qualities (Light frequency, temperature and brightness)? I'll guess and say that my cost to run the 60 watt incandescent bulb would be 1.62 cents per hour.
I guess that to me, it was so obvious that I failed to explain it well: The Kill-a-Watt shows you HOW MUCH ENERGY you are using. Since you then actually KNOW how much energy you are using, you can then make better choices about how you use it.
how do I enter the 'RATE' that I am being charged per kwh so that it will tell me what it has, or will cost me in $X.XX per hr / day/week/ month/year. That is a great function on the Kill o watt P3 EZ model 4460. I bought 2 of these that you are showing in this vid, and so far I HATE this model. Can this model do those other great functions ?
How would you calculate the monthly cost of electricity one you have the kw/H number? ie where you find how how much the utility company charges per kw/H?
@@BenjaminNelsonX So what you’re saying is that I need to download and look at the bill! Lol. I never see it since I have it on autopay and don’t need to. I only see the amount due. What might be interesting is they have 3 price tiers based on the time of day the power is used. I’ll check my bill to see if they show that on the bill.
This is on my wish list. I'm just a power conscious guy. I wonder if there are any kill a watt vs videos. Have you tried any other comparable devices or versions of this.
There are some other similar devices. Kill-a-watt is probably the most popular. Some libraries sometimes have one you can check out. Often, you really just need one to check everything in your house, see how much electricity your refrigerator uses in a week, and then after that it's only really occasional use. Great device to at least borrow from a friend!
For a small load like a light, using an extension cord is fine but I would shy away from using an extension cord with devices that have a compressor like a fridge. A better option if you must use an extension cord would be a heavy-duty 12-10 gauge appliance cord. Also for $6-7 more you can often buy the EZ version that has an internal battery backup that saves the settings and the readings in the event of a power outage. All in all, it is still good info for the lay people who don't seem to pay attention to the energy consumption of their devices.
Well you just rained on my parade. I just bought the killawatt device I wanted to measure electricity going to my PHEV Honda Clarity. I certainly don't want to melt it or mess anything up. I just checked it, it says 116 volts. 10.54 amps. Has anyone left their Electric vehicles plugged into this thing for any length of time?
You can certainly give it a try, but it's been my experience that it's best NOT to leave anything plugged in that has a fairly high and CONTINUOUS draw. For an electric vehicle, I would say that you are better off charging from 240V power and using more of a "permanent" power meter. Take a look at a device I built for my car for how I included a 240V power meter. 300mpg.org/2018/07/22/diy-home-automation-controller-for-electric-car-charging/
Damn, I wanted one for my Smart car also (at 08:40). So is there an alternative that's cheap and easy to install? I'm not ready to invest in a 240 volt upgrade. Right now I have a 25 ft, 12 gauge heavy duty extension cord running from my laundry room to the garage and would like something to monitor that power draw. Thanks in advance.
Is there a monitor that will track usage by specific range of time. Example, I'd like to see what an appliance that I don't turn on and off (refrigerator, freezer, etc.) uses from 7-8 pm
Maybe you (or someone) can answer my question...I have a very similar device I bought to calculate power needs of various items I might want to plug into my generator in a power outage. I have a 7 cu ft chest freezer that says on the label that it is 1.7 AMPs @ 115V. If you multiply AMPS x Voltage, you should get WATTS required. In this case that would be about 195wt. When I plug the freezer into the monitor, I get very different numbers (??) The monitor displays .65 AMPS (instead of 1.7 AMPS), and it displays 60 watts (instead of my calculated 195 watts). Where am I going wrong here?
The number listed on the tag should show PEAK current in AMPS. The device should use no more current than that, but often very much less. That's one reason why you can't just use tags off appliances to calculate battery run-times. It IS useful to know the max current of appliances, so that you can know how many things you could have on all at the same time, even if they ARE pulling their maximum rated current. Peak current of everything total you want to run on the generator should be less than your peak generator current. The other issue is that appliances like refrigerators and freezers cycle on and off. At some times, they may be drawing maximum current, and at others no current at all. A Kill-a-watt or similar device can track the total amount of energy over some period of time.
@@BenjaminNelsonX So if that's the peak AMPs, than I can get the freezers surge watts by multiplying that by 120v (which would be 204 wt). Would that be correct?
I am looking to charge other cars besides mine. and need to be able to determine how much charge per car so I know how much to charge them $$$. 240 v, 200 amp service,
Probaby the easiest way to go is to use a device that measures current, voltage, and total energy by use of a current transducer. I used one on my garage electric car home automation system: czcams.com/video/ivrwbV-fAb4/video.html A device such as this: amzn.to/3LmjT09 It will track total energy used, and has a button to reset that info. Just reset the energy use before somebody starts charging and then look at it when they are done. You could also just mark down the start number and then subtract that from the finished number. You just need to put one of the two hot wires of the 240V power through the current sensor. Alternatively, you could install an old-school utility meter on just the output going to your EVSE(s). Get one with analog human readable numbers on it. I've purchased them before from this company: www.hialeahmeter.com/siphwame.html
Yes. Just remember that if you plug a power strip into the Kill-A-Watt, it will measure everything connected to that power strip. If you plug the Kill-a-Watt in to a power strip, remember that turning off the power at the strip will make the Kill-a-watt lose its stored kWh meter used information. Some other versions of this same device have non-volatile memory (back-up battery, etc.)
Great video. Question about the solar = Do you have a battery system with it or does the solar convertedly back to the grid to help off set energy usage?
Watt is a rate - think of it like gallons per hour. Watt-Hours are units of energy. Think of those like gallons of gasoline. In one hour, at a rate of 60 watts, a light bulb would consume 60 watt-hours.
Hi, if I wanted to plug this in for a month, with my gas furnace connected, would it show me how many hours it actually ran (not just time plugged in, as mentioned at 3:42) during the month? Want to infer how much gas is being burned.
It displays power in real-time in Watts. It shows total energy use over time (since you have plugged it in) in Kilo-Watt-Hours. This particular one does NOT show PEAK power or current, but there are a variations on this by the same company and other similar products. I'm sure there's one that tracks PEAK power or current use. Otherwise, if you just want to know how many devices you can plug into a UPS or other power source, I'd say to just plug them all in through the Kill-a-watt, and turn them on one at a time. The display will tell you exactly how much power you are using.
@@BenjaminNelsonX Thanks, since I own this one no reason going with a new model. Haven't used it in a couple years and your video was better than the manual. Funny thing is I originally bought this because I wanted to know the cost savings of pouring my coffee pot immediately into an insulated caraft as opposed leaving it on the burner. 😄
Clearly you must be an electrician or a electrical engineer, as am I, have you ever calculated what the price per gallon of gasoline as compared to your use of electricity for charging your cars batteries are. I would be very interested in knowing what the cost of gasoline would have to be to match your compared price of electricity.
I am NOT an electrician or engineer, but I can use web search to find info including the fact that a gallon of gasoline contains about the equivalent energy of 34 kWh of electricity. Average U.S. cost of electricity per kWh right now is $0.12. Therefore, the equivalent of a gallon of gasoline in electricity would cost very close to $4.00. HOWEVER, that's only the average cost for the same amount of energy. The average electric car gets the equivalent of over 100 MPG! So, if you compare a 25 MPG gas car, to an electric car, it's like you are paying $1.00 per gallon for electricity! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_gallon_equivalent
You certainly could leave it plugged in for a month. I've never felt the need to do that. Seems like just using it for a week and multiplying by four will give you a pretty good estimate of monthly use.
excellent video. Now what is the brand name and model of the 249V monitor behind you? There are so many available on amazon, but you have used yours for a while, so you must be happy with it.
@@BenjaminNelsonX ok, now I see what you did, you made the box yourself and put the meter in it. What you said on the video left me hoping that there was another video somewhere that showed you building it. So the only thing attached to it is the EV charger? Great info, I happen to have too much time on my hands and always thinking of things to do to find out why so much of my income goes to pg&e. Thanks for the inspiration.
@@gmazzina You can see how I built the power control for the EV Charger (which includes that 240VAC power meter) in my Home Automation videos. czcams.com/video/TszuTBUWsTo/video.html
Thanks for posting. It is a very good presentation. I used this kill-a-watt meter several years ago and and got very good results. Is there any way may i be able to contact you? Don't know how to get in touch with you. Please comment. Thank you.
I have been trying to find something like or an equivalent to this, for larger home appliances, like a 240 volt, 30 amp clothes dryer with a 4 prong NEMA 14-30P electric cord plug. Any suggestions?
I can't think off-hand of a consumer product that fits the bill, but I have a few thoughts. For something that draws a pretty steady load, you could just use a multimeter with an ammeter clamp. Use the meter to measure the current draw, then multiply by how long it runs. Otherwise, there are 240VAC panel meters which measure current, voltage, and total energy. I've used a few of these, including on my outlet for my electric car. You would just have to build it into a project box and add whichever plug and socket to it you would want to use. You could use something like this: amzn.to/3zukeI7 Take a look at my electric car home automation project: czcams.com/video/ivrwbV-fAb4/video.html In the video description, I have a parts list. It should give you some ideas.
@@BenjaminNelsonX Thank you for taking he time to reply. Your suggestion of the multimeter/ammeter clamp approach is appreciated and the notion of a 240VAC panel is something I’m definitely checking out . . . something along the lines of what’s shown here metersczcams.com/video/1ZXTArb3FGA/video.html, but the only catch is that I can’t seem to find a display that includes a “cost, per kilowatt hour” feature, like the Kill A Watt Meter; and that’s really driving me crazy, ‘cause it’s something I really want included. If you could point me to one that does and that’d be likewise compatible in that fashion, for a setup like in the herein referenced video, that’d be absolutely awesome. Meanwhile, thanks for the references you’ve provided thus far. Your videos are pretty intriguing. Thanks also for your time and consideration, as well as for whatever further and very much appreciated assistance, that you may be able to offer, in these regards.
Both AMPS and WATTS are RATES. They are how much current or power is being used RIGHT NOW. The most common units for energy are Watt-Hour or Kilowatt-Hour
This one keeps data as long as it's plugged in. A different model, the Kill A Watt EZ, has a battery backup and will store the data even if unplugged. amzn.to/2ZlNuBc
Are you talking about CHARGING your RV from the wall, or trying to figure out how much power you use IN the RV? If you only have a low current charging connection (15A or less) on your RV, then you should be able to connect it through the meter. If you are trying to figure out how much power you are using IN the RV, it's more complicated. The meter won't show you how much power was lost to the inverter, nor will it track any DC loads coming off your battery. These devices are designed for typical household AC power. If that's what you are doing, they work great. If you are looking for a power meter for an entire RV, or are using DC or a combination of AC and DC, there are other devices that are more appropriate.
Great video, I was wondering though what you or anyone else would recommend for something like their Chevy Volt. I am curious to know how much energy I am using monthly.
Hi Russ, On some modern EVs, energy usage can be tracked on a touchscreen or with an app. Otherwise, there are AC ammeter/voltmeter/AHmeter units available which you could wire up to a 120 or 240V outlet. I made a video talking about automating EV charging. As part of that project, I installed a meter to track energy usage. I usually reset the AH meter reading at the beginning of the month. At the end of the month, I can see how much total energy went to the cars. If you have more than one plug-in car, this can be a nice way to track total energy, either by using the same EVSE for both of them, or making sure you have a powerful enough circuit for two EVSEs and have the meter on that circuit. Please take a look at the following video: czcams.com/video/TszuTBUWsTo/video.html
@@BenjaminNelsonX @BenjaminNelson Thanks for replying back to me. I know I can take the info from the screen but it is not as ideal as having a device like the Kill A Watt. I will check out the video you recommend, ideally it would be nice to have a plug and play type device like the Kill A Watt. Thanks again for the reply.
@@gusbarber00 I don't know of any very small "just plug it in" devices that are designed for 240V AND relatively high current. What I use is similar to this: amzn.to/3qFjFcb You just have to install it in a box and put one of your power wires through the current sensor. Another option would be to use an old-school utility meter. I have one of those on my hydronic heating system to track how much electric energy I use over the winter. Here's a link to that style meter at the web page I purchased from: www.hialeahmeter.com/siphwame.html
@@BenjaminNelsonX I am just looking for one that works with 120v. It is just for my Volt. It is not a big deal it is mostly just for curiosity. Thanks again.
@@gusbarber00 You certainly CAN plug a Volt in to the wall through a Kill-a-Watt at 120V. However, it has just been my experience that continuous high current through them is NOT a good thing. If you have one of the 120V EVSEs that let you kick down to 8A, I would do that, and then just regularly check the Kill-a-Watt, and make sure you have good clean solid electrical connections.
Ok so the audience you geared this video towards already understand watts, amps, volts etc.... I do not! What I was hoping you would show is how to determine how much a particular appliance is costing me to run. For example an electric heater. How do I use the kill a watt to tell me how much this item is costing me?
Use the device to measure how many Kilowatt-hours (kWh) your device uses over some certain period of time. Multiply that by what you pay per kWh (which you will see listed on your electric bill) to get how much it cost to operate that device.
That's a dust pan. I scoop up sawdust in my garage with it. It's not over the electric panel, it's next to it because that's a very convenient place to keep it. There's no worries about the electric panel getting wet, shorting out, or any other issues.
It's fine, the only concern is that devices which are a heavy load and run for a long time, such as charging an electric car, you want to check on the device, as anything less than a perfect connection can cause resistance, which makes heat and can damage the outlet. This is true of standard electric outlets and any other devices such as power strips and portable energy meters.
Funny that you are using an old school electric to measure your power usage when the power meter itself uses 3 watts. (3:01) The Kill A Watt can't be used to save power. If you want to save power you power off the device. Not sure where you are, but where I live in California we are paying at time up to $.48 kWhr. And on some rate plans it can be as much as $0.78. If you have Alexa don't you have smart plugs? The TP-Link HS110 track kHr consumption just as the Kill A Watt does. You did make a nice video.
i actually don't recommend using an extension cord. yes it's convenient but if you do then please state the ratings of said cord. if you don't, people will just shoot over to the dollar store and get the cheapest 2 pronged cord. clearly that is not what you are doing here but might be something to consider stating in your video.
Isn't VA... Just Watts, because mathematically speaking VA is Volts times Amps, which equals watts... Just saying... It has been since 1990, but i don't think that has changed at all! lol
Technically, there is a difference between Watts and VA. It has to do with reactive power vs real power. Wikipedia can probably explain it better than I can.
@@BenjaminNelsonX The only difference is diode and resistors... 2 more factors in the equation. Like i said, I went to college for Electrical Engineering. I don't do Wiki... lol
Incorrect. These devices will not save energy. They simply tell you how much energy uses whatever you connect to them. Saving means using the lowest setting in heaters and turning stuff off!
You would think so but it depends on the device, I was amazed to discover one of those old VHS tape re-winders was using 1 watt just sitting there, and the stereo in my shop was sucking 15.2 watts turned off ! that's 24hrs a day 365 days a year, it's now on a power bar switched off ! @@andronatroncoulomb9299
This is the best review of the Kill-A-Watt so far, I purchased mine years ago it when I got my dehydrator, was afraid it's going to skyrocket my energy bill (nah, it did not, LOL). This device is extremely helpful for spotting 'power eaters' - mostly older appliances/devices - and possibly replace them with more environmentally friendly ones. Was absolutely blown away by the high consumption of my old fridge, my power bill shrunk significantly after replacing it with an 'energy saver'. Reading the instructions, well... or watching your video, helps as well. Great review/explanations.
Oh wow, 50$ a month saved for pond pumps is absolutely amazing, this thing paid for itself in 2 weeks!
Excellent job, Ben! Very informative and perfectly edited. You kept my attention all the way through to the end. I didn't even notice it had been 13 minutes. Thanks for NOT using loud annoying music like so many others do on their videos. Now I know how to use my Kill-A-Watt meter! LIKED AND SUBSCRIBED!
Great production quality, and a simple no-BS guide on how to use these devices and more importantly act upon the information. FYI in the UK you can get 240V versions of these meters (with a UK 3-pin plug interface) but they are limited to a maximum 2KW power draw. Keep up the great work.
Thank you, great vid. Just ordered one to monitor my tomato grow setup. They just legalized tomatoes in NY
Haha
That just got a legitimate laugh out loud outta me
You did absolutely everything but explain how the user can understand the watts used by a device IE the refrigerator, translate that into kilowatt hours shown on the KillAWatt meter and translate that to the cost per kWh on their bill,,,,,,,,,,,, you know-- the important bits.
But really great story about the waterfall !!!
I came here to learn how to make this calculation. I still don't know how to do it.
Thought hertz was just for speakers, and things of that nature learned something today.
Just picked up this model brand new at Goodwill for $7.
You paid too much.
Great video, Ben. Thank you for all the great information. Our electricity bill has magically spiked up this winter - granted, we are home all the time right now, but I can't believe a desk lamp and a computer have added that much to our total. I'm going to go do some detective work. lol
Thanks for the cool video. I just pulled my old kill-a-watt out to check the different settings on the new bidet. Turns out the Eco mode really does save power. :)
Well done video. I’ve had a unit that I forgot I bought and I completely forgot how to use. All good now!
This is a MUST see Video... I bought one 2 years ago and I'm an ASE CMAT. This made it very clear as to how KWH's work. Thank You!
Share with your friends so they can see it too!
Hello can i leave it connected many time? Does it melt even with 100 more watts or 200 more watts?
@@BenjaminNelsonX i heard u say on video there is a way to reset so it saves money right? Or do i need to turn off sometimes the thing that is using many watts
A Kill-a-Watt lets you know how much energy a device uses. You then know what devices you may want to turn off, unplug, or put on a timer. You may also want to replace an old appliance with a newer, more efficient one.
@@BenjaminNelsonX i did share the vid with my bro and cousin too can u respond my other question too plz
Get a smart plug for 1/3 the price, and watch it live, on your phone! I did. Mine doesn't do PF, but my 3.9 cu ft fridge, I adjusted to come on less, and when it clicks on, peak is 137 watts then it slowly drops to 60ish watts. That's a lot less than the plate of specs on it says 1.4 AMPS/ Max Amps 6.5 1.4x120=168 So Haier is pretty spot-on. BTW it is 12 years old!
Nice- will be good to know if an old freezer is profoundly less efficient than a new one, etc. and also helpful to gauge actual current draw of items to be used in the field with an inverter to tell if the inverter will handle the load.
Thank you Ben, excellent video and covered much more than just Kill A Watt device. Easy to follow, Clear, very Pro
good for calculating wattage use. if you are planning a solar install. the higher wattage equipment is easy to calculate on paper. good video.
Excited to give this a try! I got a Kill A Watt from our local thrift store pretty cheap! Thanks Ben for the tutorial! I got the 4460 which has a battery backup and rememberers and resumes where it left off. 😊
Wow! What a great find!! I tried looking for one at The Home Depot but they didn’t have any.
@@Gurlonline07 - I am just looking, see that Harbor Freight has them..
Thanks for all the extra tips!!
Awesome overview, tips etc and is easy to understand! Seeing this in 2022! :) Have had the Kill A Watt for many years and just recently started using it again to check my power usage on appliances etc :)
Bought one to evaluate how much power my cpap machine uses so I can figure out battery and inverter design for camping.
A lot of people apparently have little portable solar charger/inverter thingamajigs exactly for CPAP when camping!
Great Video!!
FYI: i'm using an Poniie PN2000 has backlight & non-volatile memory.
So want to save some $. 1ST Plug in your Xbox watch the numbers go up! Yea It's a power hog... Even when it's OFF!
TIP: Turn [OFF] instant-On
& Shuts-Off HD when not running. (Pretty Sure the PS is the same)
Just got one for only $12. Used it to verify wattage of certain items to see if they can on off of portable batter generator. Also it confirms the wattage Meter in my battery generator is exactly the same as the meter.
thanks for a great video by the way. great information. i am now sold on this device :)
Well when you said "Alexa...." you triggered my Alexa device and turned on my compressor!
thanks for the video, I just bought a kill a watt meter yesterday, wondering how to use it.
What a fantastic review on how to use my Kill-A-Watt. Very well done.
Very well explained!!
Excellent overview of this device thank you for taking the time to make and post your video
This was made just me! Thanks.
Great job Benjamin. Thanks so much for explaining.
Right on Ben you hit all the important parts on the Kill-A-Watt mine works great. I use the MTP 3100 for whole house but it does not determine between solar production and utility use so I am looking for some thing more sophisticated.
For a really basic setup, I've been pretty happy with those little digital panel multimeters. I have one tracking power created from my solar and one on my EV charging setup. I just have to subtract those numbers out from my electric bill to know how much solar I'm making, how much I use for my car, and how much energy I use for everything else. It's basic, but works pretty well. I just have to remember to reset the kWh meters at the beginning of the month!
Thank you, Benjamin. What about those devices that electricians use where the meter clamps around a cable and they read it?
Those are clamp-on ammeters. They measure the electrical current of the wire running through them. Great for testing and for high current devices. You need to only have ONE wire running through them, NOT a cord with both a hot and neutral wire (or 2 hots).
So, they really don't work for standard corded appliances the way a Kill-a-Watt type meter does.
you should not plug refrigerators into extension chords., they are supposed to be plugged in directly into a wall socket. something to do with voltage drop I believe. Usually written on the owners manual.
No no voltage drop. Depending on the gauge of wire in the extension cord it will draw more amps from the circuit and could melt the wire if it has a thinner wire on a long extension cord . Of course this only if the appliance actually draws alot of power itself . If you use Short extensions you might be ok with a fridge
soooo .. on your example ... could your pump be going bad? Could this be used to determine if well pump or large fan (120volt) were going bad?
Thanks for the video, very useful information!
Thanks Ben. Especially with the links to the whole house monitoring systems. I knew of the Sense system but wasn't aware of all the others. I'll definitely check them out.
There's definitely a number of whole house energy monitoring systems out there. I used an older version of TED a while back and liked it overall. I'll probably eventually be going with an Open Source Energy system in the not so distant future. It has good support for tracking solar and some tweaks you can't get with other systems.
Great video.
This guy explained to us how use a kill a watt meter and works, but no one words how it will safe our money, just AD!
Hello CARS!
I thought it was so obvious that it didn't require explanation, but here goes...
The Kill-A-Watt lets you know how much electricity different appliances use and how much that costs. With that knowledge, a person can then change their habits and/or appliances to conserve energy (ie. turn off the lights) or become more efficient in how they use it (ie. switch to LED light bulbs.)
What I want to now is, how many hours a day my new freezer is running. It seems to run all the time. We never open the door because we have not put anything in it. The appliance service guys stopped by, and said everything is fine, but they wouldn’t look me in the eyes.
Thanks for the video.
Problem:
Have a nice Stihl E 14 yolectri chainsaw. Got carried away, pulled too much current, boiled armature. Turned commutator, used it again for a long time. DANG! Did it again. This time opened a commutator armature winding. Found a new armature, putting it in. Getting old. Need an audible plugin overcurrent alarm so l can immediately back off on saw load to preclude boiling saw motor. No luck finding one on computer. Anybody got any ideas?
Thx.
Andy Eppink
Builtin overcurrent trip didn't work. Setpoint apparently too hi. Also, need loud audible warning so l can immediately back off on load.
They have a KAW 4460 with non-volatile memory now.
I've got a funky AC connection from the air conditioner that I wanted to test how would I go about that?
I would have appreciated more detail on how to actually see the energy use of a frij over a day. how does the device tell you that?
Yes. The device shows you exactly that.
Tracking Energy (power over a certain amount of time) is one of the main uses of one of these. Just plug in your refrigerator through the Kill-a-watt. Press the kWh button, and it shows you on the LCD display how much energy your fridge (or lamp or whatever else) has used since it was plugged in.
This is especially useful for appliances like a refrigerator which cycle on and off. You could leave it plugged in for a day or a week and then do multiplication to figure out how much energy it uses in a month.
By KNOWING how much energy something uses, you can decide to use it less, replace it with something more efficient, unplug it, or otherwise make decisions to save energy.
As one simple example, at my parent's property, there are a few small decorative ponds. Those are powered by electric pumps, which send water to the top of a waterfall. The water cycles down, and then is pumped back to the top again. They are very nice and add to the aesthetic of the property. Using a Kill-a-Watt, we tracked the energy use and saw that it was relatively high.
We decided that the ponds with their waterfalls did NOT need to run 24 hours per day. We put them on timers, so that they are off at night when people are sleeping anyways. Doing that saves up to $30 per month!
Great information, thank you for helping me.
Thanks
Thanks for sharing. Got valuable information. New here. Liked & Subscribed. God bless. Stay safe.
Very informative video. Thanks 😊
I'm curious on the how to save money part. I pay about 27 cents per kilowatt hour. Using your light bulb as an example... How much does it cost you to run a 60 watt incandescent light bulb for one hour verses a LED light bulb with the same luminary qualities (Light frequency, temperature and brightness)? I'll guess and say that my cost to run the 60 watt incandescent bulb would be 1.62 cents per hour.
I guess that to me, it was so obvious that I failed to explain it well: The Kill-a-Watt shows you HOW MUCH ENERGY you are using. Since you then actually KNOW how much energy you are using, you can then make better choices about how you use it.
Need one that has trending function to see if cycling and now electric bill us based on time of day and energy cost
You can't read the display
how do I enter the 'RATE' that I am being charged per kwh so that it will tell me what it has, or will cost me in $X.XX per hr / day/week/ month/year.
That is a great function on the Kill o watt P3 EZ model 4460.
I bought 2 of these that you are showing in this vid, and so far I HATE this model.
Can this model do those other great functions ?
How would you calculate the monthly cost of electricity one you have the kw/H number? ie where you find how how much the utility company charges per kw/H?
That’s right on your electric bill!
@@BenjaminNelsonX So what you’re saying is that I need to download and look at the bill! Lol. I never see it since I have it on autopay and don’t need to. I only see the amount due.
What might be interesting is they have 3 price tiers based on the time of day the power is used. I’ll check my bill to see if they show that on the bill.
Max Current = 15 Amps for the KAW P3...
This is on my wish list. I'm just a power conscious guy. I wonder if there are any kill a watt vs videos. Have you tried any other comparable devices or versions of this.
There are some other similar devices. Kill-a-watt is probably the most popular.
Some libraries sometimes have one you can check out. Often, you really just need one to check everything in your house, see how much electricity your refrigerator uses in a week, and then after that it's only really occasional use. Great device to at least borrow from a friend!
Great video thank you for sharing I have a question I have a table saw 220ac and I need to know what the power surge is that I can buy my inverter
For a small load like a light, using an extension cord is fine but I would shy away from using an extension cord with devices that have a compressor like a fridge. A better option if you must use an extension cord would be a heavy-duty 12-10 gauge appliance cord. Also for $6-7 more you can often buy the EZ version that has an internal battery backup that saves the settings and the readings in the event of a power outage. All in all, it is still good info for the lay people who don't seem to pay attention to the energy consumption of their devices.
How can I tell how many watts my baseboard heater?
not reliable type of tester, switch for a few days found arcing at the neutral line and failed.
Well you just rained on my parade. I just bought the killawatt device I wanted to measure electricity going to my PHEV Honda Clarity. I certainly don't want to melt it or mess anything up. I just checked it, it says 116 volts. 10.54 amps. Has anyone left their Electric vehicles plugged into this thing for any length of time?
You can certainly give it a try, but it's been my experience that it's best NOT to leave anything plugged in that has a fairly high and CONTINUOUS draw. For an electric vehicle, I would say that you are better off charging from 240V power and using more of a "permanent" power meter.
Take a look at a device I built for my car for how I included a 240V power meter. 300mpg.org/2018/07/22/diy-home-automation-controller-for-electric-car-charging/
@@BenjaminNelsonX ok. I'll look into the 240
Damn, I wanted one for my Smart car also (at 08:40). So is there an alternative that's cheap and easy to install? I'm not ready to invest in a 240 volt upgrade. Right now I have a 25 ft, 12 gauge heavy duty extension cord running from my laundry room to the garage and would like something to monitor that power draw. Thanks in advance.
Is there a monitor that will track usage by specific range of time. Example, I'd like to see what an appliance that I don't turn on and off (refrigerator, freezer, etc.) uses from 7-8 pm
Something along those lines would probably be best accomplished by a "whole house" energy monitor.
Maybe you (or someone) can answer my question...I have a very similar device I bought to calculate power needs of various items I might want to plug into my generator in a power outage. I have a 7 cu ft chest freezer that says on the label that it is 1.7 AMPs @ 115V. If you multiply AMPS x Voltage, you should get WATTS required. In this case that would be about 195wt. When I plug the freezer into the monitor, I get very different numbers (??) The monitor displays .65 AMPS (instead of 1.7 AMPS), and it displays 60 watts (instead of my calculated 195 watts). Where am I going wrong here?
The number listed on the tag should show PEAK current in AMPS.
The device should use no more current than that, but often very much less.
That's one reason why you can't just use tags off appliances to calculate battery run-times.
It IS useful to know the max current of appliances, so that you can know how many things you could have on all at the same time, even if they ARE pulling their maximum rated current. Peak current of everything total you want to run on the generator should be less than your peak generator current.
The other issue is that appliances like refrigerators and freezers cycle on and off. At some times, they may be drawing maximum current, and at others no current at all. A Kill-a-watt or similar device can track the total amount of energy over some period of time.
@@BenjaminNelsonX So if that's the peak AMPs, than I can get the freezers surge watts by multiplying that by 120v (which would be 204 wt). Would that be correct?
I am looking to charge other cars besides mine. and need to be able to determine how much charge per car so I know how much to charge them $$$. 240 v, 200 amp service,
Probaby the easiest way to go is to use a device that measures current, voltage, and total energy by use of a current transducer. I used one on my garage electric car home automation system: czcams.com/video/ivrwbV-fAb4/video.html
A device such as this: amzn.to/3LmjT09
It will track total energy used, and has a button to reset that info. Just reset the energy use before somebody starts charging and then look at it when they are done. You could also just mark down the start number and then subtract that from the finished number.
You just need to put one of the two hot wires of the 240V power through the current sensor.
Alternatively, you could install an old-school utility meter on just the output going to your EVSE(s). Get one with analog human readable numbers on it. I've purchased them before from this company: www.hialeahmeter.com/siphwame.html
You could even install something like this post. It has the meter already and is rated for outdoor use.
www.hialeahmeter.com/mipope.html
Have you ever had your eletric company overcharge you? Where you able to get your money back?
Can I use this attached to a power strip?
Yes.
Just remember that if you plug a power strip into the Kill-A-Watt, it will measure everything connected to that power strip.
If you plug the Kill-a-Watt in to a power strip, remember that turning off the power at the strip will make the Kill-a-watt lose its stored kWh meter used information. Some other versions of this same device have non-volatile memory (back-up battery, etc.)
Great video. Question about the solar = Do you have a battery system with it or does the solar convertedly back to the grid to help off set energy usage?
My home solar is a "grid-tie" system. No batteries needed. 300mpg.org/bens-solar-garage/
So when you have it set on Watts and it is showing say 59.1 ... is that to say that the light is drinking 59.1 watts per hour I assume?
Watt is a rate - think of it like gallons per hour.
Watt-Hours are units of energy. Think of those like gallons of gasoline.
In one hour, at a rate of 60 watts, a light bulb would consume 60 watt-hours.
Hi, if I wanted to plug this in for a month, with my gas furnace connected, would it show me how many hours it actually ran (not just time plugged in, as mentioned at 3:42) during the month? Want to infer how much gas is being burned.
Get a Nest thermostat, it tells you how many hours your furnace runs.
Thanks, will it show the average or max wattage or amps used over time? Would be good to know this so I know how many devices I can plug into my UPS.
It displays power in real-time in Watts.
It shows total energy use over time (since you have plugged it in) in Kilo-Watt-Hours.
This particular one does NOT show PEAK power or current, but there are a variations on this by the same company and other similar products. I'm sure there's one that tracks PEAK power or current use.
Otherwise, if you just want to know how many devices you can plug into a UPS or other power source, I'd say to just plug them all in through the Kill-a-watt, and turn them on one at a time. The display will tell you exactly how much power you are using.
@@BenjaminNelsonX Thanks, since I own this one no reason going with a new model. Haven't used it in a couple years and your video was better than the manual. Funny thing is I originally bought this because I wanted to know the cost savings of pouring my coffee pot immediately into an insulated caraft as opposed leaving it on the burner. 😄
Clearly you must be an electrician or a electrical engineer, as am I, have you ever calculated what the price per gallon of gasoline as compared to your use of electricity for charging your cars batteries are. I would be very interested in knowing what the cost of gasoline would have to be to match your compared price of electricity.
I am NOT an electrician or engineer, but I can use web search to find info including the fact that a gallon of gasoline contains about the equivalent energy of 34 kWh of electricity. Average U.S. cost of electricity per kWh right now is $0.12. Therefore, the equivalent of a gallon of gasoline in electricity would cost very close to $4.00. HOWEVER, that's only the average cost for the same amount of energy. The average electric car gets the equivalent of over 100 MPG!
So, if you compare a 25 MPG gas car, to an electric car, it's like you are paying $1.00 per gallon for electricity!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_gallon_equivalent
Will it display over 2000 watts when starting a motor?
Max is 15 amps
how long can i use it to monitor electricity? i'm planning to use it to check my MONTHLY power usage
You certainly could leave it plugged in for a month.
I've never felt the need to do that. Seems like just using it for a week and multiplying by four will give you a pretty good estimate of monthly use.
excellent video. Now what is the brand name and model of the 249V monitor behind you? There are so many available on amazon, but you have used yours for a while, so you must be happy with it.
They go under a couple of different brand names, but just make sure to get the AC version with the CT. Mine was a Drok amzn.to/3wnt2AE
@@BenjaminNelsonX ok, now I see what you did, you made the box yourself and put the meter in it. What you said on the video left me hoping that there was another video somewhere that showed you building it. So the only thing attached to it is the EV charger? Great info, I happen to have too much time on my hands and always thinking of things to do to find out why so much of my income goes to pg&e. Thanks for the inspiration.
@@gmazzina You can see how I built the power control for the EV Charger (which includes that 240VAC power meter) in my Home Automation videos.
czcams.com/video/TszuTBUWsTo/video.html
Thanks for posting. It is a very good presentation. I used this kill-a-watt meter several years ago and and got very good results. Is there any way may i be able to contact you? Don't know how to get in touch with you. Please comment. Thank you.
You can contact me by leaving a comment at 300MPG.org
I have been trying to find something like or an equivalent to this, for larger home appliances, like a 240 volt, 30 amp clothes dryer with a 4 prong NEMA 14-30P electric cord plug. Any suggestions?
I can't think off-hand of a consumer product that fits the bill, but I have a few thoughts.
For something that draws a pretty steady load, you could just use a multimeter with an ammeter clamp. Use the meter to measure the current draw, then multiply by how long it runs.
Otherwise, there are 240VAC panel meters which measure current, voltage, and total energy. I've used a few of these, including on my outlet for my electric car. You would just have to build it into a project box and add whichever plug and socket to it you would want to use.
You could use something like this: amzn.to/3zukeI7
Take a look at my electric car home automation project: czcams.com/video/ivrwbV-fAb4/video.html
In the video description, I have a parts list. It should give you some ideas.
@@BenjaminNelsonX Thank you for taking he time to reply. Your suggestion of the multimeter/ammeter clamp approach is appreciated and the notion of a 240VAC panel is something I’m definitely checking out . . . something along the lines of what’s shown here metersczcams.com/video/1ZXTArb3FGA/video.html, but the only catch is that I can’t seem to find a display that includes a “cost, per kilowatt hour” feature, like the Kill A Watt Meter; and that’s really driving me crazy, ‘cause it’s something I really want included. If you could point me to one that does and that’d be likewise compatible in that fashion, for a setup like in the herein referenced video, that’d be absolutely awesome. Meanwhile, thanks for the references you’ve provided thus far. Your videos are pretty intriguing. Thanks also for your time and consideration, as well as for whatever further and very much appreciated assistance, that you may be able to offer, in these regards.
isn't is safe to use extension for the refrigerator?
Yes.
for the AMP and Watt shown.. is that based on a per minute use or her hour?
Both AMPS and WATTS are RATES. They are how much current or power is being used RIGHT NOW.
The most common units for energy are Watt-Hour or Kilowatt-Hour
Will it maintain for 1 month analysis? I have 20 cubic ft freezer at 110volt. I want to measure use now and in August the hottest part of year.....
This one keeps data as long as it's plugged in. A different model, the Kill A Watt EZ, has a battery backup and will store the data even if unplugged. amzn.to/2ZlNuBc
I bought the PN2000 to see what my medium size RV draws is thus ok for that ???
Are you talking about CHARGING your RV from the wall, or trying to figure out how much power you use IN the RV?
If you only have a low current charging connection (15A or less) on your RV, then you should be able to connect it through the meter.
If you are trying to figure out how much power you are using IN the RV, it's more complicated. The meter won't show you how much power was lost to the inverter, nor will it track any DC loads coming off your battery.
These devices are designed for typical household AC power. If that's what you are doing, they work great. If you are looking for a power meter for an entire RV, or are using DC or a combination of AC and DC, there are other devices that are more appropriate.
Great video, I was wondering though what you or anyone else would recommend for something like their Chevy Volt. I am curious to know how much energy I am using monthly.
Hi Russ,
On some modern EVs, energy usage can be tracked on a touchscreen or with an app.
Otherwise, there are AC ammeter/voltmeter/AHmeter units available which you could wire up to a 120 or 240V outlet. I made a video talking about automating EV charging. As part of that project, I installed a meter to track energy usage. I usually reset the AH meter reading at the beginning of the month. At the end of the month, I can see how much total energy went to the cars.
If you have more than one plug-in car, this can be a nice way to track total energy, either by using the same EVSE for both of them, or making sure you have a powerful enough circuit for two EVSEs and have the meter on that circuit.
Please take a look at the following video: czcams.com/video/TszuTBUWsTo/video.html
@@BenjaminNelsonX @BenjaminNelson Thanks for replying back to me. I know I can take the info from the screen but it is not as ideal as having a device like the Kill A Watt.
I will check out the video you recommend, ideally it would be nice to have a plug and play type device like the Kill A Watt.
Thanks again for the reply.
@@gusbarber00 I don't know of any very small "just plug it in" devices that are designed for 240V AND relatively high current.
What I use is similar to this: amzn.to/3qFjFcb
You just have to install it in a box and put one of your power wires through the current sensor.
Another option would be to use an old-school utility meter. I have one of those on my hydronic heating system to track how much electric energy I use over the winter.
Here's a link to that style meter at the web page I purchased from: www.hialeahmeter.com/siphwame.html
@@BenjaminNelsonX I am just looking for one that works with 120v. It is just for my Volt. It is not a big deal it is mostly just for curiosity.
Thanks again.
@@gusbarber00 You certainly CAN plug a Volt in to the wall through a Kill-a-Watt at 120V.
However, it has just been my experience that continuous high current through them is NOT a good thing.
If you have one of the 120V EVSEs that let you kick down to 8A, I would do that, and then just regularly check the Kill-a-Watt, and make sure you have good clean solid electrical connections.
Mine stop working after a couple of months do you have any clue please?
Ok so the audience you geared this video towards already understand watts, amps, volts etc.... I do not! What I was hoping you would show is how to determine how much a particular appliance is costing me to run. For example an electric heater. How do I use the kill a watt to tell me how much this item is costing me?
Use the device to measure how many Kilowatt-hours (kWh) your device uses over some certain period of time. Multiply that by what you pay per kWh (which you will see listed on your electric bill) to get how much it cost to operate that device.
Knowledge is power but in how many watts?
Why would you hang your snow shovel over the electric junction access panel?
That's a dust pan. I scoop up sawdust in my garage with it. It's not over the electric panel, it's next to it because that's a very convenient place to keep it.
There's no worries about the electric panel getting wet, shorting out, or any other issues.
Is this safe to use on a 120v 15 amp 1200btu portable AC unit?
It's fine, the only concern is that devices which are a heavy load and run for a long time, such as charging an electric car, you want to check on the device, as anything less than a perfect connection can cause resistance, which makes heat and can damage the outlet.
This is true of standard electric outlets and any other devices such as power strips and portable energy meters.
@@BenjaminNelsonX thanks for the information.
is it safe to plug aircon overnight?
Yes.
Is there one that can handle 100-240v? I want one that can work back home too
Kill-a-watts are designed for 120V U.S. household voltage. There are other devices that can handle 240V.
@@BenjaminNelsonX thanks, they might be doing it by region.
Funny that you are using an old school electric to measure your power usage when the power meter itself uses 3 watts. (3:01)
The Kill A Watt can't be used to save power. If you want to save power you power off the device.
Not sure where you are, but where I live in California we are paying at time up to $.48 kWhr. And on some rate plans it can be as much as $0.78.
If you have Alexa don't you have smart plugs? The TP-Link HS110 track kHr consumption just as the Kill A Watt does.
You did make a nice video.
The Kill A Watt is not to save power, It's used to tell how much power your using.
7:57 Big Flex
i actually don't recommend using an extension cord. yes it's convenient but if you do then please state the ratings of said cord. if you don't, people will just shoot over to the dollar store and get the cheapest 2 pronged cord. clearly that is not what you are doing here but might be something to consider stating in your video.
Right. Proper use of extension cords always means using the shortest possible one with wiring thick enough for the appropriate current.
Isn't VA... Just Watts, because mathematically speaking VA is Volts times Amps, which equals watts... Just saying... It has been since 1990, but i don't think that has changed at all! lol
Technically, there is a difference between Watts and VA.
It has to do with reactive power vs real power.
Wikipedia can probably explain it better than I can.
@@BenjaminNelsonX The only difference is diode and resistors... 2 more factors in the equation. Like i said, I went to college for Electrical Engineering. I don't do Wiki... lol
2 minutes of great info and the rest is rambling...
Alexa starting to really scare me.🙄
Trying to save elderly widowed people money on their bills.
Incorrect. These devices will not save energy. They simply tell you how much energy uses whatever you connect to them.
Saving means using the lowest setting in heaters and turning stuff off!
But is off really off.......
You would think so but it depends on the device, I was amazed to discover one of those old VHS tape re-winders was using 1 watt just sitting there, and the stereo in my shop was sucking 15.2 watts turned off ! that's 24hrs a day 365 days a year, it's now on a power bar switched off ! @@andronatroncoulomb9299
P V did you actually graduate high school?
I hate people who trigger my Echo devices by using the Alexa word during videos!
How to use a Kill A Watt and save money - never says how to save money with it and half the video is about other things
Hack. Snake oil..
Benny I think you need a women