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Old 08-27-17, 09:27 PM   #25
jeff5may
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Grab a kwh meter from eBay or Amazon. The type to look for has inductive current sensing. Rather than just plug the unit into the instrument (like the kill-a-watt meters do), then into a wall outlet, the current sensors wrap around the hot wires of your mini split. There are types that have a ring sensor, and others that have a claw sensor, to measure the current draw. With the ring type, the power wires must be disconnected and run through the ring, then reconnected. With the claw sensors, the claw is opened to wrap around the wires, then closed. Obviously the ring type is more permanent and less foolproof than the claw type.

You can spend as much or as little as you like on the kwh meter. Naturally the more expensive units are going to have more bells and whistles than the economy models. Wireless communication with another device is a big one. Monitor the usage with an app that will spit out graphs and charts, or use paper and pen to log readings. Personal preference is Paramount. For the task at hand, either method will yield useful data and trends.
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