[pinkfreud55]

Could not find much on the subject - maybe wrong terminology.


I have cell phone charges and laptop power cords plugged in through my house - for convenience. My understanding now is that even when these devices are not plugged in, I'm still using electricity.


what I'd like is have a power strip that stops - on its own - drawing power when the device is not plugged into the cord - and the power cord remains connected to the strip.


Of course cheaper the better.


Anything like that out there???


PF

 

[Gizmologist]

The "vampire" loads (silly term IMO) of the chargers are probably not sufficient to activate the load sensing circuitry.


There has been a LOT of research on this and even though current is flowing in the charger supplies even when not to the device being charged, the overall current consumption is so low as to be needless to be concerned about.


In any event, the cost of a switching strip is much more than the cost of the current being used.


IMO don't sweat the small stuff.

 

[AV Doogie]

Maybe something like the below items would work....

http://www.wattstopper.com/products/details.html?id=74

http://bitsltd.net/Smart-Strip-Tour-...nstration.html

 

[CLS]



Quote:
Originally Posted by AV Doogie /forum/post/18197200


Maybe something like the below items would work....

http://www.wattstopper.com/products/details.html?id=74

http://bitsltd.net/Smart-Strip-Tour-...nstration.html

I've been on the lookout for this kind of product as well, thanks for the link AV Doogie.

 

[Gizmologist]

The strip shown requires a 10% shift between load and no load status to control ONE outlet. So if you have a an array of chargers, you will need to add a second strip connected to the first (not advised) AND the load will still need a major on/off difference to trip.


The first one (occupancy sensor) will require that you are in the room to activate the strip. Do you want to stay in the room while all your IPods etc charge?


since you said you wanted to control a bank of chargers, you will STILL pay substantially more for a controller of some sort than the KW consumption of the chargers.

 

[pinkfreud55]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Gizmologist /forum/post/18197196


The "vampire" loads (silly term IMO) of the chargers are probably not sufficient to activate the load sensing circuitry.


There has been a LOT of research on this and even though current is flowing in the charger supplies even when not to the device being charged, the overall current consumption is so low as to be needless to be concerned about.


In any event, the cost of a switching strip is much more than the cost of the current being used.


IMO don't sweat the small stuff.

I recently read on one of the articles of the avs homepage that the current drawn for a cell phone charger without the phone attached is equal to with the phone attached. Are you saying that this is in fact false? I will search for that article.


PF

 

[pinkfreud55]

Well can't find it. Not sure where I read that. So a few phone chargers and a 2 laptop power cords permanently plugged in is "small stuff".


PF

 

[ChrisWiggles]

The device you are searching for is called a "switch."


It is usually activated by a device called a "finger."


My .02 anyway...

 

[Gizmologist]

C'mon Chris, we need the techhie stuff. Basically it is impossible for a power supply to consume the same power with a load vs no load. There may not be MUCH of a difference but there will be a difference. The current consumed will be miniscule at best and the cost of the strip(s) will more than offset any savings.

 

[Gizmologist]

So how much phantom load do you have?


A cell phone charger uses 0.5 watts when it is just sitting there without a cell plugged in. That adds up to 0.012 kilowatt hours per day or $0.0017. For an entire month it uses 0.36 kilowatt-hours or $0.05 per month. Yearly it uses 4.32 kilowatt hours per year or $.60 per year.


An LCD TV of greater then 40 inches uses about 3 watts of power when it appears to be off, so the TV consumes 0.003 kilowatts per hour at a cost of $0.0042 per hour. For a day it uses 0.72 kilowatt hours or $0.10 every day. Per month it uses 2.16 kilowatt hours or $0.30 per month. Yearly it uses 25.92 kilowatt hours or $3.63 per year.


A computer uses 4 watts when it is off, 17 watts when it is asleep or 68 watts when it is on.


If you turn your computer off it is still taking in 0.004 kilowatts or costing you $0.00056 per hour which turns into 0.096 kilowatt hours a day or $0.01 every day. Over a month it uses 2.88 kilowatts hours or costs $0.40. In a year it will use 34.56 kilowatt hours or $4.83.


When you put the computer to sleep (lullaby little technology, go to sleep) it still draws around 0.017 kilowatts per hour or $0.00238 per hour. That is 0.408 kilowatt hours each day or $.06 per day. Monthly that works out to 12.24 kilowatt hours or costs $1.71 per month. For an entire year that adds up to 146.88 kilowatt hours or $20.56 for a year.


If you're like me and you leave your computer on all the time, it uses 0.068 kilowatts per hour, costing$0.01 per hour. Over one day it uses 1.632 kilowatts hours or $0.23 per day. If I left the computer on for a month it would use 48.96 kilowatt hours and cost $6.85. If I left it on for a whole year it would use 587.52 kilowatt hours and cost me $82.25.


After writing this blog I now turn my home computer off when I come to work.


A DVD player uses 1 watt while turned off or 0.001 kilowatt per hour and cost $0.00014 per hour so the DVD player uses 0.024 kilowatt hours a day and cost $0.00336 each day. Over a month it would use 0.72 kilowatt hours and cost $.10. Each year it would use 8.64 kilowatt hours and cost $1.21.

 

[pinkfreud55]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Gizmologist /forum/post/18200933


So how much phantom load do you have?


A cell phone charger uses 0.5 watts when it is just sitting there without a cell plugged in. That adds up to 0.012 kilowatt hours per day or $0.0017. For an entire month it uses 0.36 kilowatt-hours or $0.05 per month. Yearly it uses 4.32 kilowatt hours per year or $.60 per year.


An LCD TV of greater then 40 inches uses about 3 watts of power when it appears to be off, so the TV consumes 0.003 kilowatts per hour at a cost of $0.0042 per hour. For a day it uses 0.72 kilowatt hours or $0.10 every day. Per month it uses 2.16 kilowatt hours or $0.30 per month. Yearly it uses 25.92 kilowatt hours or $3.63 per year.


A computer uses 4 watts when it is off, 17 watts when it is asleep or 68 watts when it is on.


If you turn your computer off it is still taking in 0.004 kilowatts or costing you $0.00056 per hour which turns into 0.096 kilowatt hours a day or $0.01 every day. Over a month it uses 2.88 kilowatts hours or costs $0.40. In a year it will use 34.56 kilowatt hours or $4.83.


When you put the computer to sleep (lullaby little technology, go to sleep) it still draws around 0.017 kilowatts per hour or $0.00238 per hour. That is 0.408 kilowatt hours each day or $.06 per day. Monthly that works out to 12.24 kilowatt hours or costs $1.71 per month. For an entire year that adds up to 146.88 kilowatt hours or $20.56 for a year.


If you're like me and you leave your computer on all the time, it uses 0.068 kilowatts per hour, costing$0.01 per hour. Over one day it uses 1.632 kilowatts hours or $0.23 per day. If I left the computer on for a month it would use 48.96 kilowatt hours and cost $6.85. If I left it on for a whole year it would use 587.52 kilowatt hours and cost me $82.25.


After writing this blog I now turn my home computer off when I come to work.


A DVD player uses 1 watt while turned off or 0.001 kilowatt per hour and cost $0.00014 per hour so the DVD player uses 0.024 kilowatt hours a day and cost $0.00336 each day. Over a month it would use 0.72 kilowatt hours and cost $.10. Each year it would use 8.64 kilowatt hours and cost $1.21.

HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS STUFF - Cliff Claven of electricity. Thank you..... I can live with those numbers.


PF

 

[Gizmologist]

This was researched by another author and I just C&P'd it for you.


This has been researched many times and just as the numbers quoted for the massive power consumption have been touted as costing mega bucks, this research shows a more accurate accounting using actual numbers gleaned from power bills and device electrical info.


There are several devices in a home that cannot be practically turned off that are never listed such as the transformer used in the HVAC system to power the thermostat, the doorbell transformer (which could be wired to the Tstat to save power), miscellaneous clocks, etc.in addition to the more obvious things like computers.


IMO physically shutting off the computer or unplugging it as some folks encourage is a BIG mistake as continual rebooting wastes time and may easily result in myriad problems with the computer.


Electric heaters, stoves and water heaters are the biggest wasters of power as electricity as heating by electricity is the most energy inefficient method available for residential use. THERE is true vampire current usage.

 

[goonstopher]

For my next rewiring I am putting 2 power strips on the top of my rack and putting my ep2500, ep4000, reckhorn b-1, svs as-eq1, samson s-converter, Wii, blu ray player and possibly roku on them.


I figured all of those are either used together or rarely used. Sure it will be a little annoying but why not. To make it a bit more convenient you could run it all through a remote controlled outlet adapter.