Quote:
Originally Posted by michika
I think this is a hugely underdiscussed component to this hobby; carrying costs and efficiency planning. I hope more and more people chime in and really get this thread going.
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Definitely a good idea to take stock once in a while. Typically the items that are power hogs will be anything with a compressor or large heating element. So.... AC, fridge, freezer, chiller, electric baseboard heater, electric water heater, electric clothes dryer, electric range/stove, fish tank heaters and I guess big honkin' MH bulbs if you run a few 400 watters.
For most of us, the fish tank is probably not that big a deal when compared to appliances such as stoves, dryers & central AC. I have a clothesline & rarely use my dryer. Even in the winter I often use an indoor retractable clothes line in my south facing add-on sunroom to dry laundry.
What many folks forget about are the phantom loads that may not use big power, but because they're on or plugged in 24/7/365, will bump your kWh number up significantly over time. For example, my Shaw digital cable box uses 40 watts as long as it's plugged in. It doesn't even have to be turned on & does not have a PVR. I think it goes up to 43 watts when it's on & the PVR models use even more power. So this thing is using 40 watts just to keep the programming menu instant on when I turn on the TV to watch. I've started unplugging the power bar to my home theatre set up every night when I shut things down. It means a minor inconvenience in having to wait for the programming menu to reload, but I can live with that when it saves a few kWhs. I also turn off the power bar to my internet router when I'm done surfing. I think there are now power bars available that sense usage & automatically shut things down for you. Might be a worthwhile investment. My next TV will have a built in tuner & I will ditch the Shaw cable TV & be content with the two over the air digital stations. This will not only save power, but a good chunk on the monthly Shaw bill.