[OT] Re: Leaving a server on all day

[Richard Caley]

In article <3F7DF4CB-B993-11D8-8148-003065ABFD92 at mac.com>, Charles Swiger (cs) writes:

cs> You are correct that one needs to measure the voltage and use the RMS
cs> value, or DC series equivalent if you like that phrase, in order to
cs> figure out the power consumption accurately, but an {ammeter,
cs> amp-meter, DMM} which can deal with AC will do the right thing.

[from the we don't need no steeeeenking test equipment dept.]

When I did this kind of thing a few years ago (trying to get a measure
for things like the washing machine heating water and the kettle etc
as well as PCs) I did it by watching the electricity meter. 

The one I had at the time had a big rotating disk with ticks marked on
it counting off load as well as the dials recording larger units
(can't easily see the current one to check this is a normal
feature). I turned off everything I could in the flat, then turned
various things on and counted off ticks per minute.

I assumed that the electricity company was trying to do a reasonably
good job to get as much money as possible without getting caught
cheating, and in any case I was worried about money not the
environment, so whatever they were measuring was the right metric,
even if they were wrong scientifically.

-- 
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