Negative power in standby mode, positive in use?

  • Hi,

    I've just connected a (second) shelly 3em to monitor only some circuits in my house (the first measures the total energy consumed at the grid connector).

    2 of the three circuits are connected to monitor my induction cooker stove. They are showing a strange behaviour:

    * When the stove is on, the power consumption is roughly correct, according to what the total consumption Shelly sees. This consumption positive.

    * When the stove is off, there appears to be a small stand-by power use (around 2W), which presumably is correct, but this is reported as negative.

    What could this be caused by? I do not have much space in the fuse box, so the clamps have been arranged quite tightly, but they go round only those wires which they are supposed to go round. But maybe there is some interference which becomes apparent at the low currents? What should I check?

  • Welcome to the forum!

    Small negative power in off state is often to be seen: Due to the electrical components for interference suppression (mainly condensers), reactive power is „produced“. A screenshot of the power consumption of my wallbox shows this behaviour:

    C19445FF-0E20-4D7F-954A-38F6514A9702.jpeg

    My car uses Phase A and B only. Thus, phase C is idle - and shows the „production“ of reactive power.

    I don’t care about this…

    „Habt Geduld. Alle Dinge sind schwierig, bevor sie einfach werden!“ (aus Frankreich)

    „Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.“ (Marie Curie, 1867-1934)

    „Es reicht nicht“, rief Schiller, „Gedankenfreiheit zu fordern, man muß auch denken können, sonst fordert man Gedankenlosigkeitsfreiheit und die ist die Freiheit zur Dummheit, welche wiederum die schlimmste Unfreiheit überhaupt ist!“
    (Aus „Besuch aus Weimar“ von Gert Heidenreich, Schriftsteller, *1944 in Eberswalde)