Electricity meters--WattsUp v. Kill A Watt
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 12:58 pm
I won't repeat many details about these two tools, but refer you to my article in a recent newsletter for a discussion and links:
http://energyteachers.org/ReadArticle.php?id=146
I just started using P3 International's Kill A Watt, and have come up with some comparisons between it and the WattsUp Pro and WattsUp Pro ES that I have used for a year.
The first difference is price: You can but a Kill A Watt for about $25, while a WattsUp costs between $75 and $190. I would buy many of the Kill A Watt for lending to students to take home and measure different appliances, while I would have the students connect one WattsUp Pro ES ($190, or $150 from EnergyTeachers.org) via its USB [was serial] port to a computer at school so that we could measure all sorts of appliances and see the measurements in real time on an LCD projector.
The difference in function is that the two WattsUp Pro models can download data to a computer. If analysis of tables and graphs fits into your curriculum, you should buy one of these models. Since you will be studying electricity-use, you should be able to get a grant from a utility-funded source in your state.
One difference not mentioned in any other review or brochure is that the Kill A Watt has no cord, and when you plug it into a standard outlet, it blocks the other outlet above or below from being used. Any WattsUp comes with a cord, which is a great advantage, especially since you can place it where it is easily read instead of behind a refrigerator. To get around this problem with the P3, you should buy a short, high-current-rated extension cord to go between the Kill A Watt and the outlet.
If you follow any of this advice, please reply to this post and let us know what you do.
http://energyteachers.org/ReadArticle.php?id=146
I just started using P3 International's Kill A Watt, and have come up with some comparisons between it and the WattsUp Pro and WattsUp Pro ES that I have used for a year.
The first difference is price: You can but a Kill A Watt for about $25, while a WattsUp costs between $75 and $190. I would buy many of the Kill A Watt for lending to students to take home and measure different appliances, while I would have the students connect one WattsUp Pro ES ($190, or $150 from EnergyTeachers.org) via its USB [was serial] port to a computer at school so that we could measure all sorts of appliances and see the measurements in real time on an LCD projector.
The difference in function is that the two WattsUp Pro models can download data to a computer. If analysis of tables and graphs fits into your curriculum, you should buy one of these models. Since you will be studying electricity-use, you should be able to get a grant from a utility-funded source in your state.
One difference not mentioned in any other review or brochure is that the Kill A Watt has no cord, and when you plug it into a standard outlet, it blocks the other outlet above or below from being used. Any WattsUp comes with a cord, which is a great advantage, especially since you can place it where it is easily read instead of behind a refrigerator. To get around this problem with the P3, you should buy a short, high-current-rated extension cord to go between the Kill A Watt and the outlet.
If you follow any of this advice, please reply to this post and let us know what you do.