| Editorial Review
Reviewed by bright_idea on September 25, 2008
The Good
The ELF 3234 is a compact, inexpensive power meter that comes with standard Class 1.0 accuracy. The meter can also work with a wide range of current transformers.
The Bad
The menus on the meter are a little tricky first time you try but instructions are all in the included manual and quick start guide. The meter is not UL approved.
The Bottom Line
If you're looking to get your hands on an accurate, inexpensive power meter (eg. for sub-metering an electrical panel), you can't go wrong with this product. Just make sure you take the time to read the quick start guide which explains the hook up and the wiring in detail.
Full Review
Small, but Mighty!
The ELF3234 power meter is proof that bigger isn't always better. This compact meter delivers just about everything you need in a small footprint and for an excellent price. If fact it delivers a little more than most people need. I recommend this product for those looking for an inexpensive way to measure or sub-meter an electric panel, tenant or individual device that uses power.
Compatibility
This meter is pretty much universal and works with almost any standard electrical system, including single phase 110-120V (2 wire) to 220-240V (3 wire), and three phase (3 wire and 4 wire) electrical systems.
Wiring it Up
I found this meter very simple to setup. There are basically three sets of connections to make and all are well described in the documentation. The Quick Start Guide (included) has wiring diagrams for those less familiar - just be sure the read and follow the instructions carefully!
1. Give the meter a voltage reference for power calculations. You'll need one connection per live conductor. This will depend on the electrical system you intend to monitor.
2. Connect up the current sensors (sold separately, also called current transformers or CTs). The type and number of these you'll need will again depend on the electrical system you want to monitor, but at the very least you'll usually need one current sensor per live conductor (not the neutral!) and the maximum range of the CTs must be at least as high as the maximum current you expect your load to draw. The CTs must also have a 5A output at maximum current and have bare ended (unterminated) connectors to feed into the meter.
NOTE: Make sure you install the CTs the right way around! Otherwise it
will look like your hot tub is generating lots of power and making you
money!
3. Give the meter a power source. A free breaker spot at the panel is the
best place - it will take anything from 80 to 270V AC power (45 to 65Hz) using a
two wire connection.
Lastly, I highly recommend getting one of the plastic enclosures with your meter. These mount to the wall and give the meter something to live in. They also keep the connections safely tucked away from accidental fingers and give a finished look to the installed meter.
The Setup
Once you've get it hooked up, power it up and - again, using the manual - enter the setup mode. I won't describe how to do that here, the manual does it very well. It's not hard to setup the meter, but the small screen can only show one line of information at a time, so make sure you press the right buttons to scroll through the menu and setup options properly. The three yellow buttons on the front of the meter are used to change options.
Use and Operation
Once you have the meter up and running, there really isn't much more for you to do! Except to come back once in a while and check on your power consumption. The bright eight-segment LED display is easy to read in low-light conditions. If desired the meter can be re-set on a period basis (manually) and if you intend to bill power, you might want to consider setting a password on the meter so it can't be reset the day before you're supposed to read it!
To change the displayed parameter (or phase, in the case of multi-phase electrical systesm) the orange left/right buttons and yellow down button will do this for you quite nicely.
Summary
If you don't need bells and whistles, input/output options, complicated communications and non-power related data, this is a great inexpensive product and it'll do the job quite nicely!
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