Tchibo Power Consumption Meter

droopsnoot

Does anyone have one of these devices, and still have the manual for it? If so, would you possibly be able to scan or photograph it and let me have a copy?



I got this one from a car boot sale without any paperwork. I'd like to know mainly how to reset the cumulative totals, without having to just remove the internal batteries as that's a bit of a fiddle.

I've searched the internet, contacted Tchibo who say they don't have a manual for it, but am struggling to find any information. Maybe it was sold as an own-brand meter, and that's why nothing comes up on the brand name. I've also searched on the model number on the back (which I can't post, because it's currently got the PC I'm typing on plugged into it) and got nothing.

I've tried pressing all the buttons, tried pressing them in combinations, holding them down for a period of time, all sorts. I can't quite drop on the reset procedure. A note on another thread suggests that some of these don't have a way to reset the totals, but it'd be handy to know that for sure.

Bendy_House

Soz, I know nothing about these.

I don't suppose it has a USB port? If it does, then that could be a way 'in'.

But I'd still be stumped...

droopsnoot

No, there's nothing like that unfortunately. Oh well, it's not the end of the world to pop the batteries out. I did a reverse image search to see if that helped, but that just found a load of stuff that looks a bit like it. When I try it again today, it finds this thread. 

I took it out of the PC power cable, the numbers on the back are:

Art. 247787
Model: 234774

Bendy_House

Stumped too.

I guess worth checking out other similarish meters, as good chance they'll be very similar internally.

A start (but sluggish video for some reason):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCLWNahqtmQ

Moss5

I have a similar device, about 20-years old. I have dug it out and fitted batteries to get the display working.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/k8Nwu79hceucyVB47
I have constructed a manual (of sorts) on an A4 page.
When you plug yours in and add a load, the top line should show the mains voltage. (just cycle through the menu by pressing the top button).
From your attached photo, it seems the micro-processor has failed to show the correct things on each line.

droopsnoot

Moss5 said:

I have a similar device, about 20-years old. I have dug it out and fitted batteries to get the display working.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/k8Nwu79hceucyVB47
I have constructed a manual (of sorts) on an A4 page.
When you plug yours in and add a load, the top line should show the mains voltage. (just cycle through the menu by pressing the top button).
From your attached photo, it seems the micro-processor has failed to show the correct things on each line.

Thanks, I've seen that I can scroll between different types of readings on the various lines and it does seem to work correctly as far as I can tell - in the photo it's just showing elapsed time. It's just that the usage on the bottom line is cumulative power used, and I'd like to reset it to zero to make it easier to use. I haven't found any combinations that will do that, other than taking the batteries out, which is fiddly.

Thanks for your link to your mini-manual, that's the closest I've come so far, and I hadn't seen how to set the price.

getmore4less

Most things work with a combination of  single press, multiple press and long press.

I would start with the long press to try to reset things

I have gone just gone for tapo p110  smart switch with energy consumption

Next day.
Found I have one of these Tchibo ones will have a look for the manual.

droopsnoot

I thought I'd tried all the button combinations, but will have another go at some point. Generally I can just make a note of the usage display at the start of the test period and then subtract it from the end reading, but if it's not using much, that doesn't really give much of a figure. Of course, the things that don't use much are less relevance, but I still like to know.

It would be great if you could find the manual. I have a lot of this sort of stuff lying around but finding it is often the issue. Around 15 years ago someone on a newsgroup (remember them?) asked for a set of installation instructions for a particular car alarm and I posted that I have them somewhere. Great news! Last weekend I found them.

getmore4less

I stuck a couple of new batteries in the Tchibo  and tried all sorts.

I can't get it to reset,  might as well start using it now anyway.

I prefer the two tapo p110 I got, they can hide behind items and I can watch on the computer continuous.

Currently monitoring (need to find these manuals as well)

Fridge freezer £xxx XXX 2000(ish) Samsung  SR-L3928B     404kwh/year on line info page

Chest freezer  £142 May 2004 whirlpool WCS8.0 (8Cuft) 212kwh/year data sheet at purchase
(special BG £100 off deal and the freezer is big for its capacity as loads of insulation)

This is the freezer from 4:20 when I moved the monitor over( also have the cumulative plots) 
The little blip after 9am is the lid light coming on.

 


That is looking like a timed cycle and the "off" periods have a periodic blib as if there is a timer on those.
might just be consistent energy loss 

Loads of other variable like summer/winter(its in a garage) adding stuff, taking stuff out, needs a defrost, lid seal is very old(do get build up around it), thermostat setting(not checked)...

Easy to overthink these things, bottom line what it costs, do i need to replace. 
 
Early estimate 0.27KWh over 10hr heading for 236kwh for the year( ~£70 on current tariff  more like £40 last year )

8cuft==226ltr roughly 1kwh per ltr

looking at AO at a few over 200l
230l 210kwh £400 smeg 
312l 296kwh £390 hotpoint
205l 252kwh £370 smeg
298l 288kwh £370 Beko
252l 272kwh £350 hotpoint

droopsnoot

Oh well, thanks for trying, I'm glad I haven't missed something obvious. 

I have yet to test the fridges because they stand in front of the socket so it's inconvenient, most of the stuff like TVs, routers and so on are pretty small numbers. I was surprised that my PC takes 12w when it is switched off (not on stand-by), so now it will get switched off on the wall when it's not being used. Makes hardly any difference, but no use wasting it.

getmore4less

I like the Tapo ones you don't need to look at them.

They have a daily reset so you can get the 24hr number for the things that need to be plugged in

This Tchibo thing oscillates between 0w and 4w when there is nothing plugged in?

One PC power supply(PC off) was showing 5w-6w,  on the Tapo its 1w-2w  

When I free up a tapo I think I will daisy chain to see what that gives me.


I remember seeing the manual a while(like maybe year or more)  back and I would have kept it.
It might be in one of the "I need to keep that" pile of boxes that needs another sort through.