34 replies to this topic

[borderreiver]

MtnMama, I'm lost. So, what are these "vampires" thingys"?

[johanson]

"I'm lost. So, what are these "vampires" thingys"?"

That's an expression for things that you turn off that you therefore think are not drawing any or very very little power, when they are actually using quite a bit.

My old Star Choice receiver, even when off (or so I thought) would draw 27 watts per hour. 27 watts times 24 hours per day times 30 days equals 19,400 watt hours or 19.4 KWH per month. If you leave enough things like that connected to the power, you will find your electric bill larger than you would like.

[MtnMama]

Its also called standby power, vampire power, vampire draw, phantom load, or leaking electricity. Here is a good article.
http://www.vampirepowersucks.com/default.aspx

[AlanMexicali]

Its also called standby power, vampire power, vampire draw, phantom load, or leaking electricity. Here is a good article.
http://www.vampirepo...om/default.aspx

This is a website explanation which I read and is misinformation, for whatever reason I do not know why.

http://www.thedailyg...ns/Phantom-Load

[AlanMexicali]

"I'm lost. So, what are these "vampires" thingys"?"

That's an expression for things that you turn off that you therefore think are not drawing any or very very little power, when they are actually using quite a bit.

My old Star Choice receiver, even when off (or so I thought) would draw 27 watts per hour. 27 watts times 24 hours per day times 30 days equals 19,400 watt hours or 19.4 KWH per month. If you leave enough things like that connected to the power, you will find your electric bill larger than you would like.

APPLIANCE TYPICAL ENERGY AVERAGE MONTHLY ESTIMATED
USAGE
Refrigerator With Top Freezer 34-183 kWh/mo
Freezer 34-62 kWh/mo

If a refrigerator typically uses 34 to 183 KWH per month when working explain how your receiver uses 19.4 KWH per month when not on? It would be more like .0194 KWH per month or less.


22-inch LCD TV (720P) 3-22 kWh/mo
42-inch Plasma TV (1080P) 29-233 kWh/mo

These figures present a range of typical use based on the average use of an appliance in good working condition. Actual use will vary based on patterns of use, age and condition of equipment.

[johanson]

If a refrigerator typically uses 34 to 183 KWH per month when working explain how your receiver uses 19.4 KWH per month when not on? It would be more like .0194 KWH per month or less.
.

I will be happy to explain this to you. It's really quite simple. When you turn your satellite receiver off, it's still powering the LNB for programming etc updates. If you don't believe me, get yourself a "Kill-A-Watt" meter, and leave it plugged in with the sat receiver (turned off) plugged into the meter. Once you have done this, you will better understand. Luckily the new 600 serious Shaw Direct receivers draw appreciably less power when off

Many years ago, I had an old GI 550 receiver that would continuously draw 35 watts, even if plugged in and turned off 35*24*30= 25.2 KWH

Here is a copy of an article I wrote on the subject in 2010 for the Guadalajara Reporter

" Phantom Electrical Loads

Friday, September 10 2010 14:09 Pete Johanson

Many of you remember the headlines in the Reporter when some readers learned to their horror that although they had not increased the amount of electricity they consumed that their bimonthly electric bills had more than doubled and that there was a valid reason for that increase.

When one first opens a residential account with the CFE (federal electric utility), he is charged a rate which includes a generous government subsidy. But should that client use more than a certain quantity of electricity during the first 12 months, that subsidy halts and will not return until that customer drops his consumption to an acceptable level.

At the higher elevations in areas like Guadalajara and Lake Chapala where air conditioning isn’t required, the maximum electricity you may use during the previous 12 month period and still receive the government subsidy is 3,000 Kilowatt hours (KWH) which averages only 250 KWH per month which isn’t much.

The typical billing period is 61 days. If you average less than 500 KWH every two months over the previous year, you are billed at the tariff 1 level. At 499 KWH your bill would be $972 pesos this month. If your bill averaged more than 500 KWH per two month period over the previous 12 months you would no longer receive a government subsidy. And without the subsidy, a person consuming say 501 KWH, would be charged not some $977 pesos but $2061 pesos, or more than twice as much.

At the lower elevations, you’re allowed to use more power before losing your subsidy. But wherever you are, your goal should be to drop your power consumption low enough to quality for this subsidy which in Guadalajara averages less than 8.2 KWH per day. That meter in the street measures the number of KWH you consume. Check it every day at the same time and you will know how you’re doing. If you forgot how to read that meter, check out www.jea.com/customer/meter.asp

You would think that if you turned everything electrical off that you would draw no more power. Wrong. There are many items that even when turned off draw power. Some of these items are TVs, stereos, satellite receivers, computers, printers, fax machines, modems. Some of the worst offenders are satellite receivers, I have one that uses 33 watts per hour when off, another at 29, and my old C band receiver consumes 24. Other things like a fax or a laser printer only consume a few watts when turned off, but connected. For a more complete list of the amount of power many items consume even when turned off, either measure the amount of power each item uses using a devise like a “Kill-A-Watt” meter or using your favorite search engine do a search for “phantom Loads list” and start reading.

I’ve grouped electrical items together that draw power when off and have plugged them into those power strips that have a switch thereon which I turn off. Doing so, I have further lowered my consumption by 88 watts per hour which equates to almost 130 KWH during a two month billing period, but I still have a ways to go to get that government subsidy.

Do your part to lower your electrical consumption and you may again receive the lower government subsidized electric rate."

[AlanMexicali]

Thanks for the good research info. I understand the Mexican DAC system quite well as most actually end up doing once they are told how to keep withing the bottom usage classes by others living here. We did have a Dish satellite installed in our house in Dec. I will definitely buy a "Kill a Watt" meter and start checking. My last job for over 15 years was involved heavily at times in setting up multiple VCR [550 units] and CD/DVD burners [65 towers and 12 disc printers] with the idea of saving energy.

If the numbers are correct, which you calculated, I would suppose you might have something there.


Do modern satellite receivers have a much better usage on standby, because I noticed when our old power strip was intermittent and cut off the programming took only about 5 minutes to settle down on most channels? I know our outside lights [3] cost some money to keep on until about 12 midnight but we use about $550.00 pesos per month in our house and have many things including a 2 person jacuzzi we use 2 or 3 times a week and our heat pump is on, on the many cold nights in our bedroom here in San Luis Potosi, Dec. and Jan. this year. Our water pressure pump comes on even when flushing a toilet and I have been researching a sistema hidroneumatica but the one I chose [so far] is too large to hide in our rooftop partial room with a large propane tank and other plumbing connections.

[jrm30655]

All it takes is one rainy season down here to understand that cutting things off/unplugging is essential to anything that is sensitive. Lightning strikes everywhere and the voltage jumps all over the place high and low.

[AlanMexicali]

Standby power summary table link:

http://standby.lbl.g...mary-table.html

Wattage/power use in the above table calculations:

http://standby.lbl.gov/faq.html#watts

It appears satellite receivers and cable boxes are always on, even in standby when turned off by the remote, but the other devices do not do this except cordless phones to a high degree. Most devices just trickle fed a small percentage when off, including computers.

[jguerin]

I have my Shaw Direct, TV, VCR connected to a Regulator which I turn off at night, thinking I am saving electricity! Are you saying I should unplug the Regulator? Thanks

[More Liana]

I have my Shaw Direct, TV, VCR connected to a Regulator which I turn off at night, thinking I am saving electricity! Are you saying I should unplug the Regulator? Thanks

Yes.

[Chooch57]

Myself I would not unplug the regulator......

[jguerin]

Why do you say so, not unplug?

[cedros]

I have my Shaw Direct, TV, VCR connected to a Regulator which I turn off at night, thinking I am saving electricity! Are you saying I should unplug the Regulator? Thanks

You would think that if the regulator is turned off no electricity would be going to your TV etc.

[Atlas]

True, however a lightning strike can still get thru your housewiring and hit your tv etc.. So, if you're going to unplug do it at the wall outlet.