P3 Kill A Watt EZ Electricity Usage Monitor (P4460) Review
Vložit
- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- Review: 5/5
Absolutely Excellent, Quick, & Everything You Need (Almost).
It is an excellent tool that gives you pretty much everything you need quickly so that you can run around the house testing different things. It has nearly every calculation that you might be interested in. It is very easy to discover surprises for vampires that you didn't realize, as well as figure out the actual cost of things you knew drew energy but didn't know in actual costs, such as how much that computer actually draws if you leave it on. It is a nearly perfect tool. There are a few things I might wish for, like a back light, extension cord, or longer tracking than 99:99. But you can work with all that.
USING
You just plug it in, and plug the device into it and it starts working. It is a little hard to use directly without combining it with a separate power strip or extension cable. For example, it is awkward to read and might not fit if you plug directly into the existing socket in a power strip or wall outlet. It is much easier if you buy a separate power strip, plug this on top of it, just swap in by the power trip extension and device into this. Then you can easily fit anywhere, can tilt and read more easily, etc. In poor lit areas, you will need to carry a flashlight to help read the screen. I just run around with a paper, pencil, and flashlight and write down findings while testing a number of devices in a row. Just swap out an existing plug, hold reset for 5 seconds to start fresh, and you're off and just monitoring the results. Measuring is actually very quick if you are just testing current operating state of things. It only takes a minute or so to swap out, check current wattage and cost, and move onto the next plug. I test items individually plugged into a power strip under a desk in less than 10 minutes -- swap each, power on, reset, cycle through measurements, write down finding, move on.
RESULTS
It immediately tells you current voltage, watts in use, amps, Hz, and a few more, and then projects the costs per hour, day, week, month, and year based on what it has seen so far. You can enter your own utility rate in case you run at a high bracket. It keeps a running total in KWh, total cost so far, so to isolate a new device you hold reset for 5 seconds. If you want the total cost while operating in a certain mode such as to isolate when running at full power you just hit the reset and it assumes costs from that point on and assumes if it keeps running at that it will project out. So you can easily calculate after resetting the cost per hour. For example, how much your computer uses while on and doing intensive work, versus sleep mode, versus turned off. It is nice to know how much per hour something costs so you might think twice how long you run it in that mode. Then you can leave it on for a day or two to discover the realistic cost such as how much it affects your monthly energy bill overall. For example, my water distiller cycles and while cost per hour is one thing, I want to know how much I am really consuming per day and per month.
EXAMPLES
For example, I learned my space heater uses 1100W at at my utility rate of 0.34/KWh I know it costs me 0.35/hr to use, so now there is a concrete cost that I know. My desktop computer consumes 100W while idle, but my laptop consumes only 30W while idle. My older computer speakers use 5W whether on or off it makes no difference with the power adapter plugged in. My external hard drive draws about 5W while off too. My coffee maker surprisingly uses 6W while off, 6.8W while on, which adds up to $17.80/yr just to sit on my counter while off. Now I will put it on a power strip. Under a longer test for something that cycles, my water distiller, it realistically costs $25/month, which makes me rethink how much I draw from it. I learned my new wireless printers each draw 3 to 4W while in standby mode, but 0W while off. I use them infrequently, so I might as well just turn them off while not using them.
DRAWBACKS
There are a few things that could be slightly better, but are all workable.
1. I had to build my own dongle by attaching this to a power strip for easier swapping & reading. (cheap & easy)
2. Need a flashlight to read in low lit areas due to no back light (no big deal really).
3. Long running tests sometimes reset, or automatically at 99:99 rather than remembering only the most recent 99:99. So if you check it shortly after it rolls over or resets, it will not be accurate. (but sometimes works)
For more review details, please see my Amazon Review:
www.amazon.com/...
Product Title: P3 International P4460 Kill A Watt EZ Electricity Usage Monitor
Model: P4460
Pro tip: Don't plug a space heater into the Kill-a-Watt. On high heat settings, the space heater can draw enough power that it will kill the Kill-a-Watt (the plastic around the two prongs was partially melted and warped). Just a warning because I ruined my P4400 this way. Space heaters are also a fire hazard.
So kill-a-watt can get killed by a watt aswell!
yo dawg we heard you liked watts so plug your kill-a-watt into your kill-a-watt so you can watt while you watt
Induction cooker can kill it?
Well this discourages me a little bit. I know I'm replying off of a two-year-old comment but I was planning to you this and I HiFi component set up with about 12 different components - of course very very rarely what they all be turned on at the same time ( mainly just for a brief display). I was going to plug this into the wall, and then plug the surge protector into it and then plug all the components into the surge protector. Hopefully it wouldn't have the same effect?
@@JasonHenderson you need more up votes!
Great job on explaining how this works and how to use it and the benefits of using one.
The best review, I've come across yet. Thanks man!
People that complain about every creature comfort this devise is lacking would really complain at the price tag had it contained all said features....Sometimes you have to do a little work people...Get a friggin' flashlight and a flexible cord and deal with it.
I put one of these in a DIY outdoor stand to track power use of an electric car. It was sheltered from rain, but not from sunlight or humidity. After a few months (spring, early summer - Boston area) the LED display faded from view. So not good for outdoor use, unless perhaps also shielded from direct sun.
Great information. Thank you.
Just buy a 3 prong extender. You can find some in the electric section at Walmart. That cost a few bucks and are about 6-8 inches long making them perfect for plugging in fat objects into any outlet.
I would rather use a power extension cord instead of a power strip. Great review.
I went through my home and I replaced all my china plastic power bars with vintage early 80's US made ones. These babies are all steel cased, the outlets are actual wall outlet sockets, and the cord is a LONG cable made of real 14 guage copper wire. So they mean it when it says on the back "1,800w 15A". Fuck china and their products made of out gassing carcinogenic recycled plastic and fake pressed together sockets.
This is so helpful, thank you!!!
Great review thanks alot! Saved me a trip back to home depot!
Does anyone know where to find chart that clearly explains all the different features of each model ?
I don’t think the makers of this product could have made it any more confusing if that was their main goal.
I have tried to find it on the web. Can’t even find a working phone # or e mail address for the company..
Great review. Thanks.
Very useful info.👌
I get that on a power saving tool like this you don't want a backlight burning 100% duty cycle but they should add a switchable backlight.
@R Voit clearly the device doesn't save you power. It gives you the information so you can save power.
@R Voit what's with the caps
@rvoit GET OFF MY LAWN!
Q [and TY!]: have you tried plugging a power strip [with multiple appliances plugged into the strip] into the reader? Feel like it should work in theory, obviously you wouldn't be able to differentiate what $ each device in the strip would be but it could speed some detective work up... i think. Thoughts?
You may want to look at your bill again. Highest cost is in Hawaii at .27 cents. In Ohio we are at .072
Great video though mine arrived yesterday and Im unplugging all kinds of stuff that was costing money even though it was off.
Thanks
Rates are actually this high. You are probably referring to the baseline rate. At least in some areas (like California), they have tiered pricing. The baseline, cheapest rate, isn't the average, just some minimum that probably only the most frugal energy users and apartments may stay within. Beyond that it ratchets up quickly under normal usage, more the larger your house & family is. So every extra kilowatt is charged at the highest tier you are currently at, so any watt saved, saves at that rate until you fall to the lower tier. This is also why solar energy becomes an economical choice for your home, else at 0.072 you'd never make it back :) .
Up here in Alaska rates can be over $1/kWh. Look at eia.gov has average electricity costs and yes Hawaii is the highest average but especially in Hawaii and Alaska where we aren't tied into a larger grid, there are areas that are much, much higher. Many rural villages in Alaska have to fly or barge in diesel to run generators to produce electricity. I live in Anchorage where the rate is much better at $0.17 per kWh fortunately.
Long Island is .218 per KWh
Good review well done and thanks.
don't space heaters come with a warning that they should not be plugged into an extension cord?
Ive used space heaters on an extension cord and never had a problem, but I use an extension cord rated for a beefy air conditioner, that can handle a lot of amps and voltage/watts. The big fat yellow or orange extension cords.
@@kfl611 could you tell me how much your extension cord is rated for? The one I use is 15amps. I'm in Canada
@@Zenbeau I've seen some extension cords on Amazon that have a rating of 20 amps. But I think in general most of them are rated at 15 amps.
I have seen a model P4460 and I have seen a model P4460.01
Does anyone know the difference between them ?
What does the .01 at the end mean ?
I bought one from Amazon. It died completely in less than 3 hours of use. It would not even pass current to the device that was plugged in.
Hopefully you used Amazon's return policy to get it replaced or return if you lost confidence. All I can say is mine is still working, probably 10 years now.
why dont you reset it before you plug it so we can actually see the start up power when you turn the device on. would have been a better review if you did that. certain appliances have standby power usage so when you have it off it still uses power. From your review I cant even tell if you can check the start up power since you power your device on before you reset. You should reset then power the device on. The start up power really matters for people that are sizing inverters for their power generators.
It's possible the thing isn't fast enough to capture this value.
So what if I want an immediate power draw reading??? My unit doesn't display watts!
Great review. However, 112.5 VAC from 122.3 VAC? That's too much voltage drop for a 9 amp load, even on a 15a circuit. Your house's wiring (or at least that particular circuit) is questionable. There are NEC distance limits for each wire gauge.
Also your explanation of costs over time are assuming the thermostat is never satisfied.
Thanks!!
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?
Sorting out how long should it be plugged to get a good estimate.
Wow .34 is WAY TOO HIGH ! Drop them! Damn
My guy where do you live? 34 cents per Kwh, dang.
Energy rates are tiered. It is something like 0.11/kwh for "baseline" usage, which doesn't mean average. Then there are tiered costs for more usage above baseline. So once you are in the upper tier, any extra KWH used or saved is effectively at that highest rate. In our area, it goes something like 0.11, 0.20, 0.30, 0.34. I'm thinking of solar at some point.
what kind of space heater doesn't have a ground lol
Honey Badger Don't Give A Shit.... ;-)
Very poor review. You showed me YOU know how to use it but you did NOT show me how I can use it. You should have started by explaining the buttons, the menu etc.
Does it takes battery to run?
no. it runs on electricity that it is plugged into. good attempt at trolling.
@Jason Henderson he means to store information if the power goes out
@@JasonHenderson devices that store information uses cmos battery, I think that's what he's asking
Funny how you stated the Kill-A-Watt is an excellent device, and then you had to get 2 other helper devices to make it do what u wanted it to do. It is not very well designed in my opinion. Since it blocks both outlets, why not then have it suck power from both of them to help the blades stay cooler? Also, they need to beef up the receptacle on it cuz mine also partially melted from a sustained load of 1200 or so watts. Also, why do I have to keep pushing buttons to see the different numbers? Why doesn't it have a mode that cycles thru all of the info (power factor, volts, amps, watts...) like 1 second of each displayed until the users decides to stop it?
? he pays 34 cents per kw? I pay like 9.5 cents.... what the heck? This guy in Antarctica or something?
California. Not sure how most other states are, but my bill has tiered rates. But unless you have a small apartment, you are almost certainly going to go into the 2nd and 3rd tiers that are much more expensive. So each additional KW used is charged at the highest rate. So if you can save a KW, you save at the highest rate. It starts with a low price for a baseline rate for a certain number of KW per cycle, for about $0.11/KW, Then for certain % past baseline it charges in the $0.20s and then $0.30s.
But now I'm actually back down at baseline, but only because I installed solar panels and switched to net metering. Now it keeps a tab for how much energy I use or feed back at different segments of the day and charges the difference at the end of the year. I still had to pay above $700 at that mark. The peak time period still extends beyond when solar is generating as much. Now I got home batteries that will store it locally for use at higher peak rates when generated at lower cost times.
Fixed Rate $0.0517 Ohio
Your "actual power outlet" is called a plug.
I believe your actual power outlet is called a receptacle, and you stick the plug into it. But who knows. I was wrong once before.
borderline useless review