Ammeter?

[Countrylass]

Can anyone help please? We've just got a device called ONZO from Scottish Hydro Electric which gives a remote reading of power use. Is there a similar device available for caravans? We are always conscious of how much power we use on sites especially as CC sites have notices urging everyone to stay below 1kW in cold weather. A device like this might make it easier.

 

[Past_it]

Not sure if there is one specific to caravans but the one you have will work in the caravan and will measure the AC current and KWs

 

[Countrylass]

Thanks for that. We wondered if that would be the case. We'll try it when we next venture out in the van.

 

[RonD]

Your device needs to be around one of the incoming mains wires to sense the current flowing. I'm not sure that is easily (or even safely done) in a caravan.

 

[Countrylass]

Thanks Ron. We just wondered if there was something we could buy. In winter we try not to use too much power and thought that there might be something which could easily tell us how much we were using.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Aldi from time to time do a 13 amp household fitting plug in adapter/meter
I have one in the garage where the van plugs in
You can see how many watts are being used
To use it inside the van would require a competent person to insert a 13amp socket and plug between the mains inlet and the van feed and the meter could be plugged in at that point
that's the nearest I've seen to what you want and would limit the supply to 13 amps max rather than 16 amps which is available at some sites

 

[Countrylass]

Thanks John G
That sounds great. We live a bit away from an Aldi but will check their offers on their website. He who does technical things can probably cope with any work involved if there is a pint of Hobgoblin or Fiddler's Elbow at the end of it.

 

[JP1]

As Ron D says, whole-house electricity monitors like the OWL (and presumably the ONZO gadget you have) need to be clipped around the live incoming mains cable that goes into your home fusebox. The OWL (I don't know about the ONZO) has a separate clip-on sensor for this, so that the monitor can be positioned in a more convenient spot. Whether or not you can use the sensor with the mains feed at a site depends on the wiring, I guess, but I suspect it probably won't be possible.
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Alternatively, you can buy a plug-in 13A meter that monitors a single socket — I think that's what John G is describing. This will only measure the power consumption of the device plugged into that socket though, unless, as John G suggests, a competent electrician can connect it between the mains inlet and the van feed. Maplin sells them for £8.

 

[Countrylass]

Thanks Julian, the ONZO thing connects very much as you describe. Maplins is a bit away but we may be passing sometime soon and we'll look there.
Thanks to everyone who has posted help.

 

[Chris_Hyde_Cheshire.]

You may be able to rig up a clip - on ammeter or good quality multimeter with the clip on attachment like electricians use. I have one that i use a work, really simple to use - you just need access to the live core on the incoming mains.

Chris.

 

[Countrylass]

Thanks Chris and everyone else. All the info has been very helpful and he who does technical things now has a project.