Community Forums

ronspradley · 12-25-2013, 09:54 PM

Is there a meter that would plug into shore power pedestal that would measure electricity kw/hr used? Something to go between RV power cord and shore power pedestal? I have 50 amp plug. Trying to get an idea of how much electricity I am using so when I get to a place where I am paying separately for electricity I can both check what park says I am using and know in advance a pretty good estimate. As always, thanks for the response.

ronspradley

**pasdad1** · 12-26-2013, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronspradley

Is there a meter that would plug into shore power pedestal that would measure electricity kw/hr used? Something to go between RV power cord and shore power pedestal? I have 50 amp plug. Trying to get an idea of how much electricity I am using so when I get to a place where I am paying separately for electricity I can both check what park says I am using and know in advance a pretty good estimate. As always, thanks for the response. ronspradley

Mount this in your breaker box, and then readout the KWh on the little wireless screen. They also have a cheaper version that is a little less accurate because it doesn't measure voltage and phase, just amps - and then calculates KWh based on that.

I have the cheaper version currently on my S&B house. Works well.

http://efergy.com/us/products/elite-true-power-meter

BFlinn181 · 12-26-2013, 12:37 AM

You could pick up an old utility company electric meter and install it in a box that your shore cord could plug into, then a short cord and plug to the pedestal. I picked one up for $25 and it works.

ronspradley · 12-26-2013, 07:08 AM

I should be able to use the Efergy meter where the MH is parked for storage by hard-wiring into main breaker box that feeds RV plug. Or even wiring into the 50 amp RV plug box. That would tell me what usage is there and that would be useful info. But I would not be able to use in a campground to monitor/verify usage there. Maybe I could make me a jumper box with a 50 amp male feeding a box that has Efergy sending unit inside, then feeding wire out to a 50 amp female, then plugging MH into that.

And if I tried to basically use the same setup, but instead using an old utility electric meter, where would I find an old utility electric meter?

Thanks for the help. Gets me thinking.

ronspradley

**pasdad1** · 12-26-2013, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronspradley

I should be able to use the Efergy meter where the MH is parked for storage by hard-wiring into main breaker box that feeds RV plug. Or even wiring into the 50 amp RV plug box. That would tell me what usage is there and that would be useful info. But I would not be able to use in a campground to monitor/verify usage there. Maybe I could make me a jumper box with a 50 amp male feeding a box that has Efergy sending unit inside, then feeding wire out to a 50 amp female, then plugging MH into that. And if I tried to basically use the same setup, but instead using an old utility electric meter, where would I find an old utility electric meter? Thanks for the help. Gets me thinking. ronspradley

You would wire the Efergy into the breaker panel inside your RV. That way it works no matter where
You park, and even works to monitor your electrical usage on generator power.

It's really simple. Just slip the two clamps around each 110v wire coming into the panel. Then just plug the
low voltage wire from each clamp into the little transmitter box which is powered by two AA batteries. It's
basically a really small amp meter which measures the amp draw from each 50amp leg of
power coming into the RV. The wireless monitor receives the amp draw and calculates kWh and even
dollars spent (when you program it with your local electrical rate/kWh)

PyrateSilly · 12-26-2013, 10:11 AM

The meter here where we are at was wrong. The electric company came out and opened up and checked what we were pulling in BEFORE the meter. The meter was running like "someone had a drill hooked to it to make it spin" while we were really only pulling in 3 to 4 amps which would barely make it move. Needless to say the mobile home park had them come back and change out the meter for us and for 3 others at the same time. They got a deal if they did 4 at once instead of one at a time.

ronspradley · 12-26-2013, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pasdad1

You would wire the Efergy into the breaker panel inside your RV. That way it works no matter where
You park, and even works to monitor your electrical usage on generator power.

Duh........

Now why didn't I think of that. I would still rather have the meter being portable and before my power cord, but this would certainly work. This may be the way I go, if there is not a commercially available meter that would just plug into the shore power pedestal.

ronspradley

TQ60 · 12-26-2013, 11:40 AM

Mount it inside your panel...where the cord comes in...

ronspradley · 12-31-2013, 04:14 PM

I have not bought a power surge dog bone yet. Like the Progressive Dynamics portable unit. Reckon I could splice the Efergy meter into a portable surge protector and get the use of both, also keeping the kw/ph meter portable?

ronspradley

**pasdad1** · 12-31-2013, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronspradley

I have not bought a power surge dog bone yet. Like the Progressive Dynamics portable unit. Reckon I could splice the Efergy meter into a portable surge protector and get the use of both, also keeping the kw/ph meter portable? ronspradley

The Efergy unit is NOT water or weather proof. It can NOT be mounted inside a metal box, as the metal would block the wireless transmission.

Not sure why you don't want it in the motor home ?

If you want to take it out when you sell the RV there is no problem...... it installs and removes easily leaving behind no traces. The sensors simply clip around the wires, there is no cutting or modification to the wiring.

Here is a link to a video showing the install

http://efergy.com/instructionvideos/

ronspradley · 01-01-2014, 03:43 AM

Thanks Pasdad1 again. You say you are using the cheaper version of the Efergy monitor. What is the model you are using. The link goes to the $145. unit. Is that what you are using?

ronspradley

Libero · 01-01-2014, 06:00 AM

Thanks Pasdad1

I looked at that product based on your post. I am ordering 3 units. (one for my RV and two for my house)

I have quite an elaborate setup in my house with a backup gen on auto switchover, but the only power monitors I have are on my Gen panel and these are real time dumb analogue monitors for voltage and watts only and do not display kwh. Oh yes there is also an hours run monitor but I have no way of knowing KWH produced per hrs run right now.

I will put one on my incoming utility line and one from my Gen supply line so I have a good handle on power consumed from each source. Not really important in knowing this from the gen but nice to know stuff. It should provide me with data that will enable me to calculate generator operating efficiency (fuel consumed vs KWH provided). If that consumption per KWH goes up then there would be something causing the change. (The same logic would apply for an RV gen)

For my RV, I only have a 30A coach now, I will only be using one leg so I was thinking about how I could use one induction sensor for the "pedistal" line and one from the Gen line, just as I am planning to do for my house but having only one monitor this might not make sense.

Just musing now, need to look into the engineering aspect of this further. Of course one could put just one sensor at the panel input but that would read power regardless of the supply because it is after the transfer switch. As I said, I have not put my engineering hat on to factor all of the permutations and combinations on this yet. One does need to power the transmitter and that should be from a fused source.

For 50A service, of course there are 2 legs so why not just go at the panel entrance if there is room to insert the clamps. The other option would be at the transfer switch. Again have not thought this through totally and every coach will have its unique setup. Still have to power the transmitter from a fused source but putting an inline fuse would be simple in any case.

I see the more expensive unit comes with software for a PC. Need to look at this aspect further. Not certain what this does but I suspect manual data input would be required because I do not envisage any wireless connection to a PC. (could be???)

I don't know of any RV EMS that provides KWH consumption. Perhaps there are, but it would be so simple to do. Any RV manufacturers with your ears on out there?

Thanks again for posting that info.

Today is a good day, I learned something before I got out of bed. Doing this on my tablet while in bed.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

**pasdad1** · 01-01-2014, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronspradley

Thanks Pasdad1 again. You say you are using the cheaper version of the Efergy monitor. What is the model you are using. The link goes to the $145. unit. Is that what you are using? ronspradley

When I bought mine the "True power" version wasn't available yet, so I got the E2 classic. (Gotta have the "classic" !)

The true power version they say is more accurate because it also measures the voltage and uses that
In the calculation of KWh (instead of just using the voltage as a constant). Makes the install harder as the
transmitter needs the additional input wire for voltage I suppose.

I also purchased the engage hub accessory which receives the wireless transmissions just like
the display monitor, but when connected to your router, uploads your readings every 10 seconds
to the web portal at Efergy. This way after I login with a password, I can see my power info from
the Internet as well.

**pasdad1** · 01-01-2014, 07:42 AM

Quote:

For my RV, I only have a 30A coach now, I will only be using one leg so I was thinking about how I could use one induction sensor for the "pedistal" line and one from the Gen line, just as I am planning to do for my house but having only one monitor this might not make sense.

You could check with the support folks at Efergy, but I remember reading somewhere in their docs or
website that if you just had one line, you could just use one clamp with the transmitter, and leave the other
one disconnected. I believe it calculates each input separately, and then adds them together. In the
setup I'm instructed to enter 120 volts as the reference voltage (not 240). As each clamp is measuring the
current draw on a 120 volt line ( there just happens to be two of them)