Power Factor for AC Pumps

[albert_dao]

What you SHOULD do is find out why your pump is running at a power factor completely out of line with my numbers. How old is it?

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by albert_dao

What you SHOULD do is find out why your pump is running at a power factor completely out of line with my numbers. How old is it?

About 4 years I think, in service for around 2.5. Everything seems good, runs like new and from my googling it seems a few users have discovered that RD pumps have low power factors. Also the bubble king 2000 is following a similar path. Doubtful I have two defective units.

[Jeff000]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Funny story, I just got a phone call from some direct energy provider wanting me to switch to them for electricity. I asked if they'll charge me for reactive power and she said she didn't know. I then asked how can you expect me to switch if you can't even tell me if I'll be billed for the imaginary power my pumps use. She hung up..

You're asking some girl that has no technical training, only a script to read to sell you the service and answers to standard questions.
Had you said power factor and not reactive power you might have gotten an answer.

I'm a sparky myself, but not a power lineman. But I did call a buddy working for epcor, he's a meter tech for them, he said the meters only measure actual power use for residential and light commercial.

They aren't even allowed to have the smart meters monitor power factor for statistics.

[sphelps]

Good stuff, thanks Jeff.

[mrhasan]

Lol. She must have been like..."huh, imaginary power"......she chose a great day to call you

[Baldy]

pretty much everything you guys are asking about is all 2nd year electrician apprenticeship. Residental meters measure power, not apparent or reactive power. the meters used on larger commercial and industrial buildings are called demand meters and only charge for true power used until the buildings peak apparent power goes beyond a cirtain point, then they are charged heavily for the extra demand. even if your pump has a pf of 0.5, and pulls 120 va or apparent power (120v*1a), its only using 60w of power, and your only charged for 60w of power. Power companies dont charge residential buildings for apparent power because most of the devices we use have power factor correction to 0.9.

[sphelps]

Yeah, yeah. Where were you this morning?

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Yeah, yeah. Where were you this morning?

I was actually thinking that too! So many words, searches and (umm...) interrogations could have been saved!