How do I read this meter?

[1Garageman]

I was wanting to see how many amps this heater I am using in the garage is using/pulling. So I think I put it on the correct setting and put the arches around the wire and the dial on 20 A~. I the reading of .84.
Does that mean .84 amps? 8.4 amps? Help!
I want to learn how to read AMPS!

 

[MrMark]

I wouldn't trust that, but yeah, it means 0.84 amps, just like you said. I hope you only put it around one wire, otherwise it should be 0 if you grabbed both as the magnetic fields of opposite direction current flow will cancel each other out.

 

[LEVE]

From reading THE MANUAL, that seems about right.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

You do have ONLY ONE wire passing thru the tongs of the meter, correct? I'm sure any heater will draw more amps than that.

Charles

 

[Mike662]

To add to what others have said, clamp-on current meters need to be clamped around only one the two conductors in a typical AC cord.

You can create your own adaptor, or buy one of these line separators. The separator plugs into the outlet, then you plug the heater into the spearator. You can then clamp your meter onto the separator.

 

[1Garageman]

I wouldn't trust that, but yeah, it means 0.84 amps, just like you said. I hope you only put it around one wire, otherwise it should be 0 if you grabbed both as the magnetic fields of opposite direction current flow will cancel each other out.

Got'cha. I just looked that up and this video explained it. i wonder if I would just make my own out of an old extension cord? Just need to put the arc over the hot wire to get a true reading right?

 

[MrMark]

Got'cha. I just looked that up and this video explained it. i wonder if I would just make my own out of an old extension cord? Just need to put the arc over the hot wire to get a true reading right?

You can make your own or you can grab the wire in the electrical box if you can isolate the plug and shut everything else on the circuit off. That is probably what I would do rather than make the plug adaptor. If I had a lot of devices I wanted to test, I would make the adaptor or buy that linked adaptor.

You can grab EITHER wire; it does not matter other than you will see a polarity reversal.

I would be concerned about why your meter was reading .84 when it should have been on 0. I would test that meter against a known good meter before relying on it.

 

[1Garageman]

You can make your own or you can grab the wire in the electrical box if you can isolate the plug and shut everything else on the circuit off. That is probably what I would do rather than make the plug adaptor. If I had a lot of devices I wanted to test, I would make the adaptor or buy that linked adaptor.

You can grab EITHER wire; it does not matter other than you will see a polarity reversal.

I would be concerned about why your meter was reading .84 when it should have been on 0. I would test that meter against a known good meter before relying on it.

To get that meter to read that I put the wire in between the clamps at the top of it. I think when I floated it in the middle it didn't read anything, I will have to check that.

It is a CHEAP meter fro Harbor Freight, $14 i think.

 

[MrMark]

To get that meter to read that I put the wire in between the clamps at the top of it. I think when I floated it in the middle it didn't read anything, I will have to check that.

It is a CHEAP meter fro Harbor Freight, $14 i think.

OK, yeah, you don't put the wire between the clamps at the top; it won't do anything good.

The clamps have to surround the wire for it to work correctly. I have a Hall Effect model - that can do DC too - but all clamp meters should have the clamp fully closed.

Just test it then by making sure it reads zero when you grab the neutral and hot wires TOGETHER.

 

[nehog]

In fact, most meters (the Hall effect type) the wire must be centered in the space. My Amprobe has marks showing the middle of the space for users who are spatially challenged!