http://www.my-messgeraet.com/CMS/index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=525&Itemid=27
What does the 5(32)A rating mean? Is it rated for 5 or 32 Amps?
WAG: Continuous vs peak currents
I can’t imagine that its that at all, a Watt meter is going to be reading a range of currents, however I also can’ imagine that the range is going to be between 5A to 32A either, as this lower number would be much too high.
As much as 5 amps continuous, 32 for brief periods up to 10 seconds or something.
This type of rating is not uncommon for instruments and supplies you expect to get hot.
Gas generator (supply)
Radio dummy load (instrument)
Linear power supply
Whether that’s what this rating is, I couldn’t say. In any case, it is not properly explained.
I bought this meter for about $20 from ebay to install on my home’s electrical panel. If it is rated for just 5A it is useless, even the fuses for individual plugs in my house are rated for 16A.
No wonder similar name-brand meters (truly rated for 32A) cost 6 or 7 times as much, such as this one made by Hager
The large, large majority of electrical devices in your home will draw much less than 5 amps or 600 watts. Looking around me at the moment, I doubt all the electronics in the whole living room are 600 watts combined (stereo, couple laptops, lamps, etc). You’d be able to use the meter full time of any of these items.
But say you have a space heater or vacuum cleaner that you know draws more than 5 amps. You’d simply install your meter but only run the heater for something less than the rated time. If the meter is in fact 32 amps max for 30 seconds max, you could safely run the heater for 20 seconds and monitor the power during that time. Again, though, who knows if that’s what the spec sheet means. I’m also sort of curious what the Ib unit of measure is for ‘starting current’.
All that said, I just noticed that the spec sheet has the thing rated at 230vac. Dog 80, are you in the US? Are you using this meter to measure the power to the whole house or individual circuits?
I’m in europe and my intention was to put the meter right after the RCD (residual current device), so essentially it will be metering the entire house consumption.
Anyway, I popped it open and judging by the thin traces on the PCB it will be barely able to handle 5 amps, let alone 32