Can I Use my Multimeter to Test How Much Power my Appliance (TV) is Using?


I wanted to know if my TV actually uses only 50W of power.

If it’s possible to use a multimeter to check, how do I do it and what should I avoid?

  • nothacking
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    9 months ago

    Yes, but differentiating between actual power and apparent power will be difficult without building a rather complex circuit. A dedicated power meter will tell you, as well as computing the power factor. On the flip side, a TV’s switching power suppy should have a good power factor, so apparent power (AC amps * RMS volts) is close to actual power.