Electricity saving devices: Are they for real?

[gregg_g]

Hi Everyone,
Just would like to ask for your opinion on these devices that can help you save electricity, are they for real? I was close to buying one, but kept thinking like the over hyped Super khaos for vehicles, which actually don't work?

So waiting for your opinion, kung hei fat choi....

[userfriendly]

My cousin purchased a electrical saving device called "Auber". After using it for 2 months, he said that his monthly bill is still the same.

If you want to save on electricity, try the following:
1. Change your incandescent bulbs and halogen lights to CFLs or flourescent lights.
2. Use a ceiling fan or electric fan instead of an airconditioner.
3. If you need to use an aircon, lower the thermostat and reduce the number of hours its used.
4. Install roof insulation, it will help keep your house cool thus reducing the need for airconditioning.
5. Use cold water.
6. Try not to use your computer, tv or radio. (I personally can't do this) Or just set your monitor to turn off when not in use.
7. Buy appliances taht are energy star rated and get the one with the highest energy efficency ratio or EER.

[yebo]

if you are talking about power factor correction devices, then yes but only on loads that use electrical windings like motors and transformers. it will work on your ref, aircon, water pump, electric fan, ballasted florescent lamps, old tv sets that use transformers inside, and even computer power supplies that use transformers. it will not work on new tv sets (no more transformer as those use solid state circuitry to lower the voltage), pl lamps, incandescent bulbs, your laptop's power supply, electric ranges and ovens, microwaves, etc. so you need to make a survey of the electric load in your house. check what wattage are your air con, ref, ect., and compare that with the total wattage of all electrical appliances including lighting. then if the ratio justifies it then...

what i suggest is to separate the circuit of all loads that need power factor correction (as i mentioned above, ref, aircon, pumps, etc) and have them all connecdted to a smaller energy saving device than what you would need to serve the whole house. more so, check if those appliances already have capacitors on them (this will be located right on the electric motors). if they do have already then it will be useless connecting those to a power factor device since, basically, a power factor device is just a big capacitor.

[mbeige]

One true solution is to use solar panels on your roof (waterproofed but wired to your main source of electricity). Here in the US if you have such a device, you can technically sell the electricity to the department and they'll deduct it from your bill. The more panels, the better.

[laklak]

if you are talking about power factor correction devices, then yes but only on loads that use electrical windings like motors and transformers. it will work on your ref, aircon, water pump, electric fan, ballasted florescent lamps, old tv sets that use transformers inside, and even computer power supplies that use transformers. it will not work on new tv sets (no more transformer as those use solid state circuitry to lower the voltage), pl lamps, incandescent bulbs, your laptop's power supply, electric ranges and ovens, microwaves, etc. so you need to make a survey of the electric load in your house. check what wattage are your air con, ref, ect., and compare that with the total wattage of all electrical appliances including lighting. then if the ratio justifies it then...

what i suggest is to separate the circuit of all loads that need power factor correction (as i mentioned above, ref, aircon, pumps, etc) and have them all connecdted to a smaller energy saving device than what you would need to serve the whole house. more so, check if those appliances already have capacitors on them (this will be located right on the electric motors). if they do have already then it will be useless connecting those to a power factor device since, basically, a power factor device is just a big capacitor.

Tumpak ito, and if i may add. All appliances when not in use (cellphone chargers, DVD players, AVR, transformers) once plugged in, still consumes power. So better unplug all devices which you dont use.

also, common design practice now for EEs ay yung paglagay ng capacitors for all lighting fixtures that require the use of ballasts. As to how it is connected, im not sure, but ill ask my boss how he does this.

[CVT]

Tama sina yebo,- power factor correction lang in the form of capacitors ang power saving devices. At designed lang ito, para sa mga inductive loads na hindi naman karamihan sa ating bahay......

1901:nolurk:

[badkuk]

we bought this "energy saving device" for our aircon -- basically a timer that shuts off the aircon after n hours *and* has an outlet wherein you can plug in an electric fan; once the aircon shuts off, the fan turns on.

we usually set the aircon to turn off at around 4am, then use the residual cooling + fan the rest of the way. i don't have any exact figures, pero common sense naman siguro, as your aircon runs at -2 hours daily B)

[kiper]

May pumunta dito sa bahay dati kumpleto with all info/clearbooks and stuff.. Yung mga gumagawa ng door-to-door, asking for meralco bills kung malakas daw ang konsumo namin sa kuryente. Di raw sila nagbebenta, pero pwede daw sila magpahiram ng unit for 2 months para demo/testing daw. Kung interested ka bumili, saka ka nila bebentaha. I asked how much? P15,000 per unit daw. Pinaalis ko na lang.

[niky]

we bought this "energy saving device" for our aircon -- basically a timer that shuts off the aircon after n hours *and* has an outlet wherein you can plug in an electric fan; once the aircon shuts off, the fan turns on.

we usually set the aircon to turn off at around 4am, then use the residual cooling + fan the rest of the way. i don't have any exact figures, pero common sense naman siguro, as your aircon runs at -2 hours daily B)

Had the same thing before it got drowned in the flood... Keep forgetting that I need to buy another one.

It definitely works... for about 1.5 - 3k pesos initial price, it lowered our bills by about 500p a month (not bad).

I got the digital one, don't trust the spring-loaded ones, eh (we bought it because the spring-loaded timer on our AC broke). Which one is yours?

-----

Would a capacitor still make a difference for more modern, energy-efficient refs? We have an LG ref which has an incredible efficiency rating (didn't really believe it)... when I lived in QC, I only had that, a TV and an electric fan. Months when we didn't use the TV and electric fan, we hardly had to pay anything for electricity.

[Jun aka Pekto]

looking inside the roof our house....... it's filled to the rafters with insulation.

That's probably why our house gets to a max of only 80F with the a/c off and all windows and glass doors under curtains even though it's +110F outside. We only need short periods of a/c use. The rest of the time, ceiling fans are enough.

Or, if it seems too warm inside the house....we just go outside for a minute and then come back inside. Then the house feels cooler.