I'm trying to find a convenient and standalone device to monitor the energy usage of a dehumidifier that I have in my crawl space, which is hard to access. It shares a circuit with an outlet that's close to my workspace, so I was wondering if there's a way to measure its energy consumption without physically plugging into the dehumidifier. I know there are split blocks for breaker boxes, but I'm looking for something simpler. Ideally, I want a plug-in device that can read volts, watts, and amps, or possibly something that connects to the circuit at the nearby outlet. Any suggestions? I'd prefer avoiding complex solutions, like those that require an app, and instead would like a straightforward device with a local readout that can run on battery backup during power outages.
3 Answers
I found this product that might suit your needs! Check this out: https://shop.emporiaenergy.com/products/vue-3-with-flexible-sensors?variant=46101868642559. But keep in mind it might be an IoT device without local support, which isn't what you're looking for.
Unfortunately, you can't measure the amps from a different outlet unless you're at the breaker or the specific outlet the appliance is using. However, have you thought about using a Shelly PM switch? They work on local Wi-Fi, meaning they don’t rely on the cloud unless you set them to. It could be exactly what you need!
I heard Kill a Watt used to sell a version with a wireless display. You might want to check eBay for that!
There's this plug option: https://a.co/d/f9qv6cZ. It looks like it has an app but doesn’t necessarily need it, which might work for your setup.
Yeah, that option sounds great but since it's IoT with no local mode, I’d skip it.