On Feb 28, 3:49 pm, Robert Allison wrote:
wrote:
What's a low-cost way to add a meter to an 110V electrical circuit?
This circuit runs from my service panel to our well pump. I want to
know how much electricity the well pump uses. Are there replacement
circuit breaker blocks that have meter functionality built into
them? ...or would a vampire a meter onto the circuit cable so that
it's sitting on the circuit between the service panel and the pump?
If so, what product? Is this something I can do myself? (I'm
comfortable wiring light fixtures, outlets, switches, etc.)

I know there are neat meters for $100 that plug into a standard
household outlet and then you plug your device into the meter and it
meters and compiles data until you reset it. Then you plug the meter
into a USB connection on your computer and dump the data into a
software that comes with the meter. ...but again all I have to work
with is a service panel, a pump, and a circuit that connects them, so
there is no outlet to plug into.

And by the way, I know the amount of electricity the pump uses is
negligible, and I'm not concerned about the cost of the electricity.
It's mostly an academic exercise. I'm just curious how much juice the
pump uses because on one has been able to tell me. It would be
interesting to know.

Please advise.

I haven't seen many well pumps that are 110 volt, but if you have
one, just install an outlet between the breaker for the pump and
the wire to the pump. Then install a plug on the wire. Then buy
one of these:

http://www.p3international.com/produ.../P4400-CE.html

Insert your energy cost per kw and it will give you either the
wattage used, or the dollar amount for that wattage. No need for
a computer.

If your pump is indeed 220, then I don't know of a meter like
this for 220. You could install a meter loop in the line at the
pumphouse and have a standard meter installed and read that,
though. That is not that expensive. However, this could be a
problem. With all the meter loops that I have used, I have
supplied the base and the electric company supplies the meter
itself. You may be able to find a used temporary loop for sale,
but the meter will most likely belong to the Electric Utility.
If you call the utility and ask them, they may provide you with
one or tell you what you need to do to get your well pump metered
separately.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

There are a number of companies on the web that sell real meters just
LIKE what the electric utility would use. As you said you also need a
compatible meter base and need to wire it. That is generally called
submetering. There are few companies that make and sell solid state
type devices to perform the metering function.

I know of no electric utility that loans or provides its meter for
submetering or other purposes. Generally they a don't do this because
the utility should be tracking their meters carefully. Meters are the
utility's cash registers. Once a utility company's meter gets out of
their hands, then it makes it easier for an energy thief to steal
energy because he would be using an "official" meter (logo, etc.) that
might not be spotted by a meter reader or other person. There are
other technical ways to track and find missing meters and also how not
to find them.