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I am measuring a 9W LED with a clamp on ammeter. Why does it only draw 7.62W?


Fuse blowing in 12 multimeters rated for 200mA, only measuring 12.5mA. Why?Current/Voltage measuring using Ammeter/Votmeterwhy is wall voltage measuring 175V?Is “True RMS” applicable only to measuring AC voltage?Measuring current with multimeter (broken?)Arduino clamp ammeterWhen measuring a resistor with a multimeter does polarity matter?Is this current clamp meter measuring correct according to its specs?Why is a clamp meter unaffected by nearby wires?






.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty
margin-bottom:0;









5















$begingroup$


I bought a UNI T UT210E true rms multimeter.



I measured the current of 9 W LED lamp. It shows 0.033A. For the power I get $0.033 A cdot 220 V = 7.26 W$ only.



But bulb was 9W. Why this difference comes? Actually am new to electric.



I measured also a running 5hp water pump 3 phase with 240 VAC it gives



I1 = 7.35 A
I2 = 6.75 A
I3 = 6.15 A









share|improve this question











$endgroup$










  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Did you measure the voltage at exactly the same time, or just assume it was 220V?
    $endgroup$
    – Bruce Abbott
    Sep 29 at 7:20










  • $begingroup$
    No. I measure exactly the same time. My home AC is 220v
    $endgroup$
    – sss
    Sep 29 at 8:53






  • 4




    $begingroup$
    I would have to guess that the % accuracy of a 100A clamp-on meter, when measuring 0.033A, is no better than 20%.
    $endgroup$
    – Hot Licks
    Sep 30 at 0:59






  • 5




    $begingroup$
    I wouldn't trust a clamp meter at 33mA, especially when being measured with a 100A meter.
    $endgroup$
    – DKNguyen
    Sep 30 at 4:55






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    A lot of people colloquially describe mains power as 110/220V, which is what it was 100 years ago when Tesla won the war of the currents and mains power started to scale. Actually in most places, it's had several bumps since then, and I'd expect to see 120V, 230V or 240V.
    $endgroup$
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Sep 30 at 6:03

















5















$begingroup$


I bought a UNI T UT210E true rms multimeter.



I measured the current of 9 W LED lamp. It shows 0.033A. For the power I get $0.033 A cdot 220 V = 7.26 W$ only.



But bulb was 9W. Why this difference comes? Actually am new to electric.



I measured also a running 5hp water pump 3 phase with 240 VAC it gives



I1 = 7.35 A
I2 = 6.75 A
I3 = 6.15 A









share|improve this question











$endgroup$










  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Did you measure the voltage at exactly the same time, or just assume it was 220V?
    $endgroup$
    – Bruce Abbott
    Sep 29 at 7:20










  • $begingroup$
    No. I measure exactly the same time. My home AC is 220v
    $endgroup$
    – sss
    Sep 29 at 8:53






  • 4




    $begingroup$
    I would have to guess that the % accuracy of a 100A clamp-on meter, when measuring 0.033A, is no better than 20%.
    $endgroup$
    – Hot Licks
    Sep 30 at 0:59






  • 5




    $begingroup$
    I wouldn't trust a clamp meter at 33mA, especially when being measured with a 100A meter.
    $endgroup$
    – DKNguyen
    Sep 30 at 4:55






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    A lot of people colloquially describe mains power as 110/220V, which is what it was 100 years ago when Tesla won the war of the currents and mains power started to scale. Actually in most places, it's had several bumps since then, and I'd expect to see 120V, 230V or 240V.
    $endgroup$
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Sep 30 at 6:03













5













5









5





$begingroup$


I bought a UNI T UT210E true rms multimeter.



I measured the current of 9 W LED lamp. It shows 0.033A. For the power I get $0.033 A cdot 220 V = 7.26 W$ only.



But bulb was 9W. Why this difference comes? Actually am new to electric.



I measured also a running 5hp water pump 3 phase with 240 VAC it gives



I1 = 7.35 A
I2 = 6.75 A
I3 = 6.15 A









share|improve this question











$endgroup$




I bought a UNI T UT210E true rms multimeter.



I measured the current of 9 W LED lamp. It shows 0.033A. For the power I get $0.033 A cdot 220 V = 7.26 W$ only.



But bulb was 9W. Why this difference comes? Actually am new to electric.



I measured also a running 5hp water pump 3 phase with 240 VAC it gives



I1 = 7.35 A
I2 = 6.75 A
I3 = 6.15 A






multimeter clamp






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Sep 30 at 14:45









Freiheit

1095 bronze badges




1095 bronze badges










asked Sep 29 at 6:40









ssssss

673 bronze badges




673 bronze badges










  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Did you measure the voltage at exactly the same time, or just assume it was 220V?
    $endgroup$
    – Bruce Abbott
    Sep 29 at 7:20










  • $begingroup$
    No. I measure exactly the same time. My home AC is 220v
    $endgroup$
    – sss
    Sep 29 at 8:53






  • 4




    $begingroup$
    I would have to guess that the % accuracy of a 100A clamp-on meter, when measuring 0.033A, is no better than 20%.
    $endgroup$
    – Hot Licks
    Sep 30 at 0:59






  • 5




    $begingroup$
    I wouldn't trust a clamp meter at 33mA, especially when being measured with a 100A meter.
    $endgroup$
    – DKNguyen
    Sep 30 at 4:55






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    A lot of people colloquially describe mains power as 110/220V, which is what it was 100 years ago when Tesla won the war of the currents and mains power started to scale. Actually in most places, it's had several bumps since then, and I'd expect to see 120V, 230V or 240V.
    $endgroup$
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Sep 30 at 6:03












  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Did you measure the voltage at exactly the same time, or just assume it was 220V?
    $endgroup$
    – Bruce Abbott
    Sep 29 at 7:20










  • $begingroup$
    No. I measure exactly the same time. My home AC is 220v
    $endgroup$
    – sss
    Sep 29 at 8:53






  • 4




    $begingroup$
    I would have to guess that the % accuracy of a 100A clamp-on meter, when measuring 0.033A, is no better than 20%.
    $endgroup$
    – Hot Licks
    Sep 30 at 0:59






  • 5




    $begingroup$
    I wouldn't trust a clamp meter at 33mA, especially when being measured with a 100A meter.
    $endgroup$
    – DKNguyen
    Sep 30 at 4:55






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    A lot of people colloquially describe mains power as 110/220V, which is what it was 100 years ago when Tesla won the war of the currents and mains power started to scale. Actually in most places, it's had several bumps since then, and I'd expect to see 120V, 230V or 240V.
    $endgroup$
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Sep 30 at 6:03







1




1




$begingroup$
Did you measure the voltage at exactly the same time, or just assume it was 220V?
$endgroup$
– Bruce Abbott
Sep 29 at 7:20




$begingroup$
Did you measure the voltage at exactly the same time, or just assume it was 220V?
$endgroup$
– Bruce Abbott
Sep 29 at 7:20












$begingroup$
No. I measure exactly the same time. My home AC is 220v
$endgroup$
– sss
Sep 29 at 8:53




$begingroup$
No. I measure exactly the same time. My home AC is 220v
$endgroup$
– sss
Sep 29 at 8:53




4




4




$begingroup$
I would have to guess that the % accuracy of a 100A clamp-on meter, when measuring 0.033A, is no better than 20%.
$endgroup$
– Hot Licks
Sep 30 at 0:59




$begingroup$
I would have to guess that the % accuracy of a 100A clamp-on meter, when measuring 0.033A, is no better than 20%.
$endgroup$
– Hot Licks
Sep 30 at 0:59




5




5




$begingroup$
I wouldn't trust a clamp meter at 33mA, especially when being measured with a 100A meter.
$endgroup$
– DKNguyen
Sep 30 at 4:55




$begingroup$
I wouldn't trust a clamp meter at 33mA, especially when being measured with a 100A meter.
$endgroup$
– DKNguyen
Sep 30 at 4:55




1




1




$begingroup$
A lot of people colloquially describe mains power as 110/220V, which is what it was 100 years ago when Tesla won the war of the currents and mains power started to scale. Actually in most places, it's had several bumps since then, and I'd expect to see 120V, 230V or 240V.
$endgroup$
– Harper - Reinstate Monica
Sep 30 at 6:03




$begingroup$
A lot of people colloquially describe mains power as 110/220V, which is what it was 100 years ago when Tesla won the war of the currents and mains power started to scale. Actually in most places, it's had several bumps since then, and I'd expect to see 120V, 230V or 240V.
$endgroup$
– Harper - Reinstate Monica
Sep 30 at 6:03










5 Answers
5






active

oldest

votes


















21

















$begingroup$

That user manual (which you should link to in your question) shows the following:



enter image description here



Figure 1. Just because it's digital, doesn't mean it's accurate.



  1. You are measuring at the bottom end of the range and if it were an analog meter you would be squinting at it to try to make out the reading.

Figure 2. Reading position on an analog scale.



0 0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6 2.0 A
|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|
^-- 0.033 A


  1. The manual shows that that accuracy is only for readings > 5% of full scale, 100 mA on the 2 A range. I have no idea what is meant by "<20 residue readings".

  2. The manual doesn't make any claims about true RMS.

enter image description here



Figure 3. The crest factor of an AC current waveform is the ratio of waveform's peak value to its rms value. Source: Ametek.



  1. Your LED lamp will probably have a high crest factor (peak current to RMS value due to the rectification action of the diodes. The meter doesn't handle this well with a further 7% error possible.

Multiplying VRMS by IRMS gives you the VA and not the watts. To calculate the power consumed is more difficult and involves integration of the power curve. Digital power meters sample the voltage and current waveform many times per cycle, multiply the instantaneous readings together to get the instantaneous power, sum them (integration) and average the readings to give the average power.



In short, it's the wrong meter for a true power calculation.






share|improve this answer










$endgroup$





















    7

















    $begingroup$

    One more thing to consider - unless it has been measured with an accurate wattmeter, you don't know how much power your '9W' LED lamp actually draws.



    LEDBenchmark measured the characteristics of many LED lamps with high quality test instruments. Their Wattmeter has a claimed accuracy of 0.2% with voltage and current sample rate of 4800/sec. Some example test results:-



    '9W' Bulb draws 7.6W at 246V



    '9W' Warm White GU10 only draws 3.9W at 245V



    "9 Watt, Operating Voltage 80-240 Volt AC" bulb only draws 2.2W at 123V!






    share|improve this answer










    $endgroup$













    • $begingroup$
      OK. I use another meter and check it again
      $endgroup$
      – sss
      Sep 29 at 16:13






    • 2




      $begingroup$
      LOL, testing lamps from the Alibaba sh*tstream for quality... (EBay, AliExpress, Amazon)
      $endgroup$
      – Harper - Reinstate Monica
      Sep 30 at 6:06


















    6

















    $begingroup$

    Transistor's answer is correct, but I'm going to expand on it.



    You must have had the meter set on 2 amps. From the user manual, the accuracy is +/- (3% + 10), where the 10 means "ten counts". The resolution is 1 mA, so each count is 1 mA. Then the accuracy at, for instance, 40 mA (.040 A) will be +/- ((.04 x .03) + 10) mA, or basically +/- 10 ma. So your reading of 33 ma could mean the real current could be as high as 43 mA, or as low as 23 mA. 43 mA times 220 volts equals 9.46 W. 23 mA times 220 volts equals 5.06 watts.



    It's also not unreasonable that your 220 VAC varies by as much as 5% (you didn't actually measure it, remember), so your real power could be in the range of 9.96 to 4.8 watts.



    This does not include the crest factor problems which plague simple power measurements.



    Finally, if you don't connect anything at all, the meter can have a reading of as much as 20 mA (that, I think, is what the "20 residue" means). Since you are reading less than the rated minimum current (100 mA), you might have an error of as much as 20 ma, which means that your current could actually be as low as 13 mA, and the meter would still be reading within spec.



    As transistor says, you need a different meter. Specifically, you need a dedicated power meter which will sample both voltage and current at a fairly high rate, then multiply corresponding samples and do the math. LED bulbs are not like incandescents, which behave like simple resistors. They are non-linear devices which need special attention if you're going to try measuring them.






    share|improve this answer












    $endgroup$













    • $begingroup$
      OK. I use another meter and check
      $endgroup$
      – sss
      Sep 29 at 16:11










    • $begingroup$
      Typo, VA not W.
      $endgroup$
      – Unknown123
      Oct 3 at 11:59


















    1

















    $begingroup$

    You can't determine if the meter is good or not, just with a calculation of supposed bulb power. You should measure the current with an additional more accurate ammeter in series.






    share|improve this answer










    $endgroup$





















      0

















      $begingroup$

      Many LED lamps are designed in such a way that they take more than rated power given part of each AC cycle, but then give some of the power back during other parts. A clamp-type current meter without a voltage connection will have no way of distinguishing which way power is flowing during different parts of a cycle, and will thus have no way of subtracting the power which is returned to the mains from power which is taken from them. Instead, both kinds of power will be added together.



      Incidentally, transformers are rated in units of "VA" rather than "watts" for a reason similar to this: the amount of energy lost in a transformer will be proportional to the magnitude of the voltage times current regardless of which way the power is flowing. If a transformer which is 90% efficient is used to power a device which takes a certain amount of energy from the mains during part of each cycle, and returns it all during the other half, the device being powered wouldn't use any energy, but the transformer itself would waste twice as much as if the device took all the energy it received and simply dissipated it without returning it. Thus, clamp meters may be good for estimating energy dissipation in a transformer even if they're not good at estimating total energy consumption for some kinds of loads.






      share|improve this answer










      $endgroup$















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        5 Answers
        5






        active

        oldest

        votes








        5 Answers
        5






        active

        oldest

        votes









        active

        oldest

        votes






        active

        oldest

        votes









        21

















        $begingroup$

        That user manual (which you should link to in your question) shows the following:



        enter image description here



        Figure 1. Just because it's digital, doesn't mean it's accurate.



        1. You are measuring at the bottom end of the range and if it were an analog meter you would be squinting at it to try to make out the reading.

        Figure 2. Reading position on an analog scale.



        0 0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6 2.0 A
        |---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|
        ^-- 0.033 A


        1. The manual shows that that accuracy is only for readings > 5% of full scale, 100 mA on the 2 A range. I have no idea what is meant by "<20 residue readings".

        2. The manual doesn't make any claims about true RMS.

        enter image description here



        Figure 3. The crest factor of an AC current waveform is the ratio of waveform's peak value to its rms value. Source: Ametek.



        1. Your LED lamp will probably have a high crest factor (peak current to RMS value due to the rectification action of the diodes. The meter doesn't handle this well with a further 7% error possible.

        Multiplying VRMS by IRMS gives you the VA and not the watts. To calculate the power consumed is more difficult and involves integration of the power curve. Digital power meters sample the voltage and current waveform many times per cycle, multiply the instantaneous readings together to get the instantaneous power, sum them (integration) and average the readings to give the average power.



        In short, it's the wrong meter for a true power calculation.






        share|improve this answer










        $endgroup$


















          21

















          $begingroup$

          That user manual (which you should link to in your question) shows the following:



          enter image description here



          Figure 1. Just because it's digital, doesn't mean it's accurate.



          1. You are measuring at the bottom end of the range and if it were an analog meter you would be squinting at it to try to make out the reading.

          Figure 2. Reading position on an analog scale.



          0 0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6 2.0 A
          |---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|
          ^-- 0.033 A


          1. The manual shows that that accuracy is only for readings > 5% of full scale, 100 mA on the 2 A range. I have no idea what is meant by "<20 residue readings".

          2. The manual doesn't make any claims about true RMS.

          enter image description here



          Figure 3. The crest factor of an AC current waveform is the ratio of waveform's peak value to its rms value. Source: Ametek.



          1. Your LED lamp will probably have a high crest factor (peak current to RMS value due to the rectification action of the diodes. The meter doesn't handle this well with a further 7% error possible.

          Multiplying VRMS by IRMS gives you the VA and not the watts. To calculate the power consumed is more difficult and involves integration of the power curve. Digital power meters sample the voltage and current waveform many times per cycle, multiply the instantaneous readings together to get the instantaneous power, sum them (integration) and average the readings to give the average power.



          In short, it's the wrong meter for a true power calculation.






          share|improve this answer










          $endgroup$
















            21















            21











            21







            $begingroup$

            That user manual (which you should link to in your question) shows the following:



            enter image description here



            Figure 1. Just because it's digital, doesn't mean it's accurate.



            1. You are measuring at the bottom end of the range and if it were an analog meter you would be squinting at it to try to make out the reading.

            Figure 2. Reading position on an analog scale.



            0 0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6 2.0 A
            |---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|
            ^-- 0.033 A


            1. The manual shows that that accuracy is only for readings > 5% of full scale, 100 mA on the 2 A range. I have no idea what is meant by "<20 residue readings".

            2. The manual doesn't make any claims about true RMS.

            enter image description here



            Figure 3. The crest factor of an AC current waveform is the ratio of waveform's peak value to its rms value. Source: Ametek.



            1. Your LED lamp will probably have a high crest factor (peak current to RMS value due to the rectification action of the diodes. The meter doesn't handle this well with a further 7% error possible.

            Multiplying VRMS by IRMS gives you the VA and not the watts. To calculate the power consumed is more difficult and involves integration of the power curve. Digital power meters sample the voltage and current waveform many times per cycle, multiply the instantaneous readings together to get the instantaneous power, sum them (integration) and average the readings to give the average power.



            In short, it's the wrong meter for a true power calculation.






            share|improve this answer










            $endgroup$



            That user manual (which you should link to in your question) shows the following:



            enter image description here



            Figure 1. Just because it's digital, doesn't mean it's accurate.



            1. You are measuring at the bottom end of the range and if it were an analog meter you would be squinting at it to try to make out the reading.

            Figure 2. Reading position on an analog scale.



            0 0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6 2.0 A
            |---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|
            ^-- 0.033 A


            1. The manual shows that that accuracy is only for readings > 5% of full scale, 100 mA on the 2 A range. I have no idea what is meant by "<20 residue readings".

            2. The manual doesn't make any claims about true RMS.

            enter image description here



            Figure 3. The crest factor of an AC current waveform is the ratio of waveform's peak value to its rms value. Source: Ametek.



            1. Your LED lamp will probably have a high crest factor (peak current to RMS value due to the rectification action of the diodes. The meter doesn't handle this well with a further 7% error possible.

            Multiplying VRMS by IRMS gives you the VA and not the watts. To calculate the power consumed is more difficult and involves integration of the power curve. Digital power meters sample the voltage and current waveform many times per cycle, multiply the instantaneous readings together to get the instantaneous power, sum them (integration) and average the readings to give the average power.



            In short, it's the wrong meter for a true power calculation.







            share|improve this answer













            share|improve this answer




            share|improve this answer










            answered Sep 29 at 9:02









            TransistorTransistor

            104k9 gold badges109 silver badges233 bronze badges




            104k9 gold badges109 silver badges233 bronze badges


























                7

















                $begingroup$

                One more thing to consider - unless it has been measured with an accurate wattmeter, you don't know how much power your '9W' LED lamp actually draws.



                LEDBenchmark measured the characteristics of many LED lamps with high quality test instruments. Their Wattmeter has a claimed accuracy of 0.2% with voltage and current sample rate of 4800/sec. Some example test results:-



                '9W' Bulb draws 7.6W at 246V



                '9W' Warm White GU10 only draws 3.9W at 245V



                "9 Watt, Operating Voltage 80-240 Volt AC" bulb only draws 2.2W at 123V!






                share|improve this answer










                $endgroup$













                • $begingroup$
                  OK. I use another meter and check it again
                  $endgroup$
                  – sss
                  Sep 29 at 16:13






                • 2




                  $begingroup$
                  LOL, testing lamps from the Alibaba sh*tstream for quality... (EBay, AliExpress, Amazon)
                  $endgroup$
                  – Harper - Reinstate Monica
                  Sep 30 at 6:06















                7

















                $begingroup$

                One more thing to consider - unless it has been measured with an accurate wattmeter, you don't know how much power your '9W' LED lamp actually draws.



                LEDBenchmark measured the characteristics of many LED lamps with high quality test instruments. Their Wattmeter has a claimed accuracy of 0.2% with voltage and current sample rate of 4800/sec. Some example test results:-



                '9W' Bulb draws 7.6W at 246V



                '9W' Warm White GU10 only draws 3.9W at 245V



                "9 Watt, Operating Voltage 80-240 Volt AC" bulb only draws 2.2W at 123V!






                share|improve this answer










                $endgroup$













                • $begingroup$
                  OK. I use another meter and check it again
                  $endgroup$
                  – sss
                  Sep 29 at 16:13






                • 2




                  $begingroup$
                  LOL, testing lamps from the Alibaba sh*tstream for quality... (EBay, AliExpress, Amazon)
                  $endgroup$
                  – Harper - Reinstate Monica
                  Sep 30 at 6:06













                7















                7











                7







                $begingroup$

                One more thing to consider - unless it has been measured with an accurate wattmeter, you don't know how much power your '9W' LED lamp actually draws.



                LEDBenchmark measured the characteristics of many LED lamps with high quality test instruments. Their Wattmeter has a claimed accuracy of 0.2% with voltage and current sample rate of 4800/sec. Some example test results:-



                '9W' Bulb draws 7.6W at 246V



                '9W' Warm White GU10 only draws 3.9W at 245V



                "9 Watt, Operating Voltage 80-240 Volt AC" bulb only draws 2.2W at 123V!






                share|improve this answer










                $endgroup$



                One more thing to consider - unless it has been measured with an accurate wattmeter, you don't know how much power your '9W' LED lamp actually draws.



                LEDBenchmark measured the characteristics of many LED lamps with high quality test instruments. Their Wattmeter has a claimed accuracy of 0.2% with voltage and current sample rate of 4800/sec. Some example test results:-



                '9W' Bulb draws 7.6W at 246V



                '9W' Warm White GU10 only draws 3.9W at 245V



                "9 Watt, Operating Voltage 80-240 Volt AC" bulb only draws 2.2W at 123V!







                share|improve this answer













                share|improve this answer




                share|improve this answer










                answered Sep 29 at 10:04









                Bruce AbbottBruce Abbott

                32.6k1 gold badge29 silver badges46 bronze badges




                32.6k1 gold badge29 silver badges46 bronze badges














                • $begingroup$
                  OK. I use another meter and check it again
                  $endgroup$
                  – sss
                  Sep 29 at 16:13






                • 2




                  $begingroup$
                  LOL, testing lamps from the Alibaba sh*tstream for quality... (EBay, AliExpress, Amazon)
                  $endgroup$
                  – Harper - Reinstate Monica
                  Sep 30 at 6:06
















                • $begingroup$
                  OK. I use another meter and check it again
                  $endgroup$
                  – sss
                  Sep 29 at 16:13






                • 2




                  $begingroup$
                  LOL, testing lamps from the Alibaba sh*tstream for quality... (EBay, AliExpress, Amazon)
                  $endgroup$
                  – Harper - Reinstate Monica
                  Sep 30 at 6:06















                $begingroup$
                OK. I use another meter and check it again
                $endgroup$
                – sss
                Sep 29 at 16:13




                $begingroup$
                OK. I use another meter and check it again
                $endgroup$
                – sss
                Sep 29 at 16:13




                2




                2




                $begingroup$
                LOL, testing lamps from the Alibaba sh*tstream for quality... (EBay, AliExpress, Amazon)
                $endgroup$
                – Harper - Reinstate Monica
                Sep 30 at 6:06




                $begingroup$
                LOL, testing lamps from the Alibaba sh*tstream for quality... (EBay, AliExpress, Amazon)
                $endgroup$
                – Harper - Reinstate Monica
                Sep 30 at 6:06











                6

















                $begingroup$

                Transistor's answer is correct, but I'm going to expand on it.



                You must have had the meter set on 2 amps. From the user manual, the accuracy is +/- (3% + 10), where the 10 means "ten counts". The resolution is 1 mA, so each count is 1 mA. Then the accuracy at, for instance, 40 mA (.040 A) will be +/- ((.04 x .03) + 10) mA, or basically +/- 10 ma. So your reading of 33 ma could mean the real current could be as high as 43 mA, or as low as 23 mA. 43 mA times 220 volts equals 9.46 W. 23 mA times 220 volts equals 5.06 watts.



                It's also not unreasonable that your 220 VAC varies by as much as 5% (you didn't actually measure it, remember), so your real power could be in the range of 9.96 to 4.8 watts.



                This does not include the crest factor problems which plague simple power measurements.



                Finally, if you don't connect anything at all, the meter can have a reading of as much as 20 mA (that, I think, is what the "20 residue" means). Since you are reading less than the rated minimum current (100 mA), you might have an error of as much as 20 ma, which means that your current could actually be as low as 13 mA, and the meter would still be reading within spec.



                As transistor says, you need a different meter. Specifically, you need a dedicated power meter which will sample both voltage and current at a fairly high rate, then multiply corresponding samples and do the math. LED bulbs are not like incandescents, which behave like simple resistors. They are non-linear devices which need special attention if you're going to try measuring them.






                share|improve this answer












                $endgroup$













                • $begingroup$
                  OK. I use another meter and check
                  $endgroup$
                  – sss
                  Sep 29 at 16:11










                • $begingroup$
                  Typo, VA not W.
                  $endgroup$
                  – Unknown123
                  Oct 3 at 11:59















                6

















                $begingroup$

                Transistor's answer is correct, but I'm going to expand on it.



                You must have had the meter set on 2 amps. From the user manual, the accuracy is +/- (3% + 10), where the 10 means "ten counts". The resolution is 1 mA, so each count is 1 mA. Then the accuracy at, for instance, 40 mA (.040 A) will be +/- ((.04 x .03) + 10) mA, or basically +/- 10 ma. So your reading of 33 ma could mean the real current could be as high as 43 mA, or as low as 23 mA. 43 mA times 220 volts equals 9.46 W. 23 mA times 220 volts equals 5.06 watts.



                It's also not unreasonable that your 220 VAC varies by as much as 5% (you didn't actually measure it, remember), so your real power could be in the range of 9.96 to 4.8 watts.



                This does not include the crest factor problems which plague simple power measurements.



                Finally, if you don't connect anything at all, the meter can have a reading of as much as 20 mA (that, I think, is what the "20 residue" means). Since you are reading less than the rated minimum current (100 mA), you might have an error of as much as 20 ma, which means that your current could actually be as low as 13 mA, and the meter would still be reading within spec.



                As transistor says, you need a different meter. Specifically, you need a dedicated power meter which will sample both voltage and current at a fairly high rate, then multiply corresponding samples and do the math. LED bulbs are not like incandescents, which behave like simple resistors. They are non-linear devices which need special attention if you're going to try measuring them.






                share|improve this answer












                $endgroup$













                • $begingroup$
                  OK. I use another meter and check
                  $endgroup$
                  – sss
                  Sep 29 at 16:11










                • $begingroup$
                  Typo, VA not W.
                  $endgroup$
                  – Unknown123
                  Oct 3 at 11:59













                6















                6











                6







                $begingroup$

                Transistor's answer is correct, but I'm going to expand on it.



                You must have had the meter set on 2 amps. From the user manual, the accuracy is +/- (3% + 10), where the 10 means "ten counts". The resolution is 1 mA, so each count is 1 mA. Then the accuracy at, for instance, 40 mA (.040 A) will be +/- ((.04 x .03) + 10) mA, or basically +/- 10 ma. So your reading of 33 ma could mean the real current could be as high as 43 mA, or as low as 23 mA. 43 mA times 220 volts equals 9.46 W. 23 mA times 220 volts equals 5.06 watts.



                It's also not unreasonable that your 220 VAC varies by as much as 5% (you didn't actually measure it, remember), so your real power could be in the range of 9.96 to 4.8 watts.



                This does not include the crest factor problems which plague simple power measurements.



                Finally, if you don't connect anything at all, the meter can have a reading of as much as 20 mA (that, I think, is what the "20 residue" means). Since you are reading less than the rated minimum current (100 mA), you might have an error of as much as 20 ma, which means that your current could actually be as low as 13 mA, and the meter would still be reading within spec.



                As transistor says, you need a different meter. Specifically, you need a dedicated power meter which will sample both voltage and current at a fairly high rate, then multiply corresponding samples and do the math. LED bulbs are not like incandescents, which behave like simple resistors. They are non-linear devices which need special attention if you're going to try measuring them.






                share|improve this answer












                $endgroup$



                Transistor's answer is correct, but I'm going to expand on it.



                You must have had the meter set on 2 amps. From the user manual, the accuracy is +/- (3% + 10), where the 10 means "ten counts". The resolution is 1 mA, so each count is 1 mA. Then the accuracy at, for instance, 40 mA (.040 A) will be +/- ((.04 x .03) + 10) mA, or basically +/- 10 ma. So your reading of 33 ma could mean the real current could be as high as 43 mA, or as low as 23 mA. 43 mA times 220 volts equals 9.46 W. 23 mA times 220 volts equals 5.06 watts.



                It's also not unreasonable that your 220 VAC varies by as much as 5% (you didn't actually measure it, remember), so your real power could be in the range of 9.96 to 4.8 watts.



                This does not include the crest factor problems which plague simple power measurements.



                Finally, if you don't connect anything at all, the meter can have a reading of as much as 20 mA (that, I think, is what the "20 residue" means). Since you are reading less than the rated minimum current (100 mA), you might have an error of as much as 20 ma, which means that your current could actually be as low as 13 mA, and the meter would still be reading within spec.



                As transistor says, you need a different meter. Specifically, you need a dedicated power meter which will sample both voltage and current at a fairly high rate, then multiply corresponding samples and do the math. LED bulbs are not like incandescents, which behave like simple resistors. They are non-linear devices which need special attention if you're going to try measuring them.







                share|improve this answer















                share|improve this answer




                share|improve this answer








                edited Sep 29 at 18:21

























                answered Sep 29 at 14:11









                WhatRoughBeastWhatRoughBeast

                51.7k2 gold badges29 silver badges80 bronze badges




                51.7k2 gold badges29 silver badges80 bronze badges














                • $begingroup$
                  OK. I use another meter and check
                  $endgroup$
                  – sss
                  Sep 29 at 16:11










                • $begingroup$
                  Typo, VA not W.
                  $endgroup$
                  – Unknown123
                  Oct 3 at 11:59
















                • $begingroup$
                  OK. I use another meter and check
                  $endgroup$
                  – sss
                  Sep 29 at 16:11










                • $begingroup$
                  Typo, VA not W.
                  $endgroup$
                  – Unknown123
                  Oct 3 at 11:59















                $begingroup$
                OK. I use another meter and check
                $endgroup$
                – sss
                Sep 29 at 16:11




                $begingroup$
                OK. I use another meter and check
                $endgroup$
                – sss
                Sep 29 at 16:11












                $begingroup$
                Typo, VA not W.
                $endgroup$
                – Unknown123
                Oct 3 at 11:59




                $begingroup$
                Typo, VA not W.
                $endgroup$
                – Unknown123
                Oct 3 at 11:59











                1

















                $begingroup$

                You can't determine if the meter is good or not, just with a calculation of supposed bulb power. You should measure the current with an additional more accurate ammeter in series.






                share|improve this answer










                $endgroup$


















                  1

















                  $begingroup$

                  You can't determine if the meter is good or not, just with a calculation of supposed bulb power. You should measure the current with an additional more accurate ammeter in series.






                  share|improve this answer










                  $endgroup$
















                    1















                    1











                    1







                    $begingroup$

                    You can't determine if the meter is good or not, just with a calculation of supposed bulb power. You should measure the current with an additional more accurate ammeter in series.






                    share|improve this answer










                    $endgroup$



                    You can't determine if the meter is good or not, just with a calculation of supposed bulb power. You should measure the current with an additional more accurate ammeter in series.







                    share|improve this answer













                    share|improve this answer




                    share|improve this answer










                    answered Sep 29 at 8:07









                    Marko BuršičMarko Buršič

                    12.8k2 gold badges9 silver badges15 bronze badges




                    12.8k2 gold badges9 silver badges15 bronze badges
























                        0

















                        $begingroup$

                        Many LED lamps are designed in such a way that they take more than rated power given part of each AC cycle, but then give some of the power back during other parts. A clamp-type current meter without a voltage connection will have no way of distinguishing which way power is flowing during different parts of a cycle, and will thus have no way of subtracting the power which is returned to the mains from power which is taken from them. Instead, both kinds of power will be added together.



                        Incidentally, transformers are rated in units of "VA" rather than "watts" for a reason similar to this: the amount of energy lost in a transformer will be proportional to the magnitude of the voltage times current regardless of which way the power is flowing. If a transformer which is 90% efficient is used to power a device which takes a certain amount of energy from the mains during part of each cycle, and returns it all during the other half, the device being powered wouldn't use any energy, but the transformer itself would waste twice as much as if the device took all the energy it received and simply dissipated it without returning it. Thus, clamp meters may be good for estimating energy dissipation in a transformer even if they're not good at estimating total energy consumption for some kinds of loads.






                        share|improve this answer










                        $endgroup$


















                          0

















                          $begingroup$

                          Many LED lamps are designed in such a way that they take more than rated power given part of each AC cycle, but then give some of the power back during other parts. A clamp-type current meter without a voltage connection will have no way of distinguishing which way power is flowing during different parts of a cycle, and will thus have no way of subtracting the power which is returned to the mains from power which is taken from them. Instead, both kinds of power will be added together.



                          Incidentally, transformers are rated in units of "VA" rather than "watts" for a reason similar to this: the amount of energy lost in a transformer will be proportional to the magnitude of the voltage times current regardless of which way the power is flowing. If a transformer which is 90% efficient is used to power a device which takes a certain amount of energy from the mains during part of each cycle, and returns it all during the other half, the device being powered wouldn't use any energy, but the transformer itself would waste twice as much as if the device took all the energy it received and simply dissipated it without returning it. Thus, clamp meters may be good for estimating energy dissipation in a transformer even if they're not good at estimating total energy consumption for some kinds of loads.






                          share|improve this answer










                          $endgroup$
















                            0















                            0











                            0







                            $begingroup$

                            Many LED lamps are designed in such a way that they take more than rated power given part of each AC cycle, but then give some of the power back during other parts. A clamp-type current meter without a voltage connection will have no way of distinguishing which way power is flowing during different parts of a cycle, and will thus have no way of subtracting the power which is returned to the mains from power which is taken from them. Instead, both kinds of power will be added together.



                            Incidentally, transformers are rated in units of "VA" rather than "watts" for a reason similar to this: the amount of energy lost in a transformer will be proportional to the magnitude of the voltage times current regardless of which way the power is flowing. If a transformer which is 90% efficient is used to power a device which takes a certain amount of energy from the mains during part of each cycle, and returns it all during the other half, the device being powered wouldn't use any energy, but the transformer itself would waste twice as much as if the device took all the energy it received and simply dissipated it without returning it. Thus, clamp meters may be good for estimating energy dissipation in a transformer even if they're not good at estimating total energy consumption for some kinds of loads.






                            share|improve this answer










                            $endgroup$



                            Many LED lamps are designed in such a way that they take more than rated power given part of each AC cycle, but then give some of the power back during other parts. A clamp-type current meter without a voltage connection will have no way of distinguishing which way power is flowing during different parts of a cycle, and will thus have no way of subtracting the power which is returned to the mains from power which is taken from them. Instead, both kinds of power will be added together.



                            Incidentally, transformers are rated in units of "VA" rather than "watts" for a reason similar to this: the amount of energy lost in a transformer will be proportional to the magnitude of the voltage times current regardless of which way the power is flowing. If a transformer which is 90% efficient is used to power a device which takes a certain amount of energy from the mains during part of each cycle, and returns it all during the other half, the device being powered wouldn't use any energy, but the transformer itself would waste twice as much as if the device took all the energy it received and simply dissipated it without returning it. Thus, clamp meters may be good for estimating energy dissipation in a transformer even if they're not good at estimating total energy consumption for some kinds of loads.







                            share|improve this answer













                            share|improve this answer




                            share|improve this answer










                            answered Sep 29 at 18:48









                            supercatsupercat

                            40.4k1 gold badge66 silver badges115 bronze badges




                            40.4k1 gold badge66 silver badges115 bronze badges































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