Mark Henry

It sounds like your clamp meter might be working fine—you’re probably just dealing with one of the most common setup issues. To measure current correctly, make sure you’re clamping only one conductor (either hot or neutral), not the whole power cord. If you clamp the whole cord (which contains both wires), the currents cancel each other out, and the meter shows close to zero. Another thing—check if the clamp meter is set to the correct mode. Some meters have separate modes for AC and DC amps, and some require you to zero out the reading before measuring. And make sure the appliance (in this case, your kettle) is actually turned on and heating during the test. I ran into something similar when checking a booster pump setup in a small shop unit. The readings didn’t make sense until I realized I had clamped around both wires in the same jacket. Rookie mistake, but an easy fix once you know. If you're working around home systems like water heaters or pumps, especially in tight spots, I've found sites like plumbing services Singapore helpful for cross-referencing electrical and plumbing setups. Hope that clears things up! Once you get the hang of the clamp technique, it’s a really handy tool.

Also, make sure your kettle is actually drawing current at the time you're testing. If it's off or in standby mode, the reading will be near zero regardless of the setting. I had a similar issue using a clamp meter to check load on a water heater circuit during a bathroom remodel. The readings were way off until I realized I was clamping the entire cable, not just one conductor. Once I corrected that, everything lined up with expectations. If you're working on broader household systems and want to understand how electrical issues might tie into water heaters or pumps, sites like plumbing services Singapore are also helpful for general troubleshooting and service coordination. Hope this helps you get a more accurate read!