White goods power consumption

[cryptogram]

Having recently installed solar panels I'm now searching for the power cons umption of various equipment in the house and am struggling. For example, o ur kettle says it's 3 kilowatt. Fair enough, but I cannot find the power co nsumption of our Bosch dishwasher. It seems these days that you get told an energy rating so you can compare one machine with another, but that's not the same thing. To know that it consumes 2 kwh to do a wash is not the same thing as knowing that it consumes 2 kw (or whatever) while actually runnin g. One needs to know how much it consumes while running to know whether the solar panels, whose spot generation is known and varies a lot during most days, will power the machine for free or whether we've got to wait a bit fo r the sun to come out more. Anyone know where proper info can be got? I haven't been able to get it fro m the manufacturers' websites.

[Dave Liquorice]

Another well off parasite.

It will draw 2 kW when heating the water, naff all when standing, maybe a

100 or so W when washing with the pump running etc. ie it will wag about all over the place.

[newshound]

consumption of various equipment in the house and am struggling. For example, our kettle says it's 3 kilowatt. Fair enough, but I cannot find the power consumption of our Bosch dishwasher. It seems these days that you get told an energy rating so you can compare one machine with another, but that's not the same thing. To know that it consumes 2 kwh to do a wash is not the same thing as knowing that it consumes 2 kw (or whatever) while actually running. One needs to know how much it consumes while running to know whether the solar panels, whose spot generation is known and varies a lot during most days, will power the machine for free or whether we've got to wait a bit for the sun to come out more.

the manufacturers' websites.

Think about how a washing machine works. You turn it on and a valve opens to let water in, maybe 10 watts including the electronics. Then the motor starts running slowly, maybe 100 watts. At some point the heater element switches on, maybe 2 kW until the water is hot enough. Further through the cycle you have the fast spin, the waste pump, maybe you have hot or cold rinses.

In short, there is not a single figure. If you are determined to keep the consumption below the panel you are going to have to monitor both and suspend the machine if it needs "mains" (while maintaining supplies to its electronics so that it knows where it is in the cycle, unless you go for a machine with an entirely mechanical programmer).

[MrWeld]

consumption of various equipment in the house and am struggling. For example, our kettle says it's 3 kilowatt. Fair enough, but I cannot find the power consumption of our Bosch dishwasher. It seems these days that you get told an energy rating so you can compare one machine with another, but that's not the same thing. To know that it consumes 2 kwh to do a wash is not the same thing as knowing that it consumes 2 kw (or whatever) while actually running. One needs to know how much it consumes while running to know whether the solar panels, whose spot generation is known and varies a lot during most days, will power the machine for free or whether we've got to wait a bit for the sun to come out more.

the manufacturers' websites.

I haven't seen that kind of information published anywhere. You could collect this data using a single-socket energy monitor, or a whole-house energy monitor.

For example, I ran my washing machine for about 2 hours yesterday evening, and the resulting evening spike is aparent on this graph generated from my "CurrentCost" monitor:

The energy consumption seems to be heavily dependent on the wash temperature, this was a 40 degree wash.

[DerbyBorn]

The max power will be on the rating plate. Beat in mind that the power intake varies throughout its cycle so don't get too wound up by it. The efficiency rating in the maker's spec takes into account the usage throughout the cycle. Perhaps you could measure how much power it uses in your regular cycle.

[BruceB]

consumption of various equipment in the house and am struggling. For example, our kettle says it's 3 kilowatt. Fair enough, but I cannot find the power consumption of our Bosch dishwasher. It seems these days that you get told an energy rating so you can compare one machine with another, but that's not the same thing. To know that it consumes 2 kwh to do a wash is not the same thing as knowing that it consumes 2 kw (or whatever) while actually running. One needs to know how much it consumes while running to know whether the solar panels, whose spot generation is known and varies a lot during most days, will power the machine for free or whether we've got to wait a bit for the sun to come out more.

the manufacturers' websites.

One of these would allow you to measure the power being used:

[whisky-dave]

consumption of various equipment in the house and am struggling. For exampl e, our kettle says it's 3 kilowatt. Fair enough, but I cannot find the powe r consumption of our Bosch dishwasher. It seems these days that you get tol d an energy rating so you can compare one machine with another, but that's not the same thing. To know that it consumes 2 kwh to do a wash is not the same thing as knowing that it consumes 2 kw (or whatever) while actually ru nning. One needs to know how much it consumes while running to know whether the solar panels, whose spot generation is known and varies a lot during m ost days, will power the machine for free or whether we've got to wait a bi t for the sun to come out more.

from the manufacturers' websites.

In fact he should think about how any product works. Even my computer uses more power as I turn the brighness up, and more power when I burn a DVD, it even uses more power when the disc spins... Same coges for my TV regarding brightness and volume. The same goes for cars and MPG it doesn't give you the whole story. Spending more time at traffic lights tensds to mean you need more fuel for the journey and the more fule you carry and passengers and luggage them tha t will also reduce MPG.

I also think 'obese/fat' people should pay a surcharge on their flights whi le skinny people get a discount. :-)

[Martin Brown]

consumption of various equipment in the house and am struggling. For example, our kettle says it's 3 kilowatt. Fair enough, but I cannot find the power consumption of our Bosch dishwasher. It seems these days that you get told an energy rating so you can compare one machine with another, but that's not the same thing. To know that it consumes 2 kwh to do a wash is not the same thing as knowing that it consumes 2 kw (or whatever) while actually running. One needs to know how much it consumes while running to know whether the solar panels, whose spot generation is known and varies a lot during most days, will power the machine for free or whether we've got to wait a bit for the sun to come out more.

the manufacturers' websites.

Treat yourself to a plug in meter that you can plug the device into and measure its actual consumption. Likely to be about 100W for the motor,

2-3kW when its heating up water and 500W for spin dry. It annoys me a little bit that modern washing machines only accept cold water.

It doesn't present a steady fixed load.

[Davey]

Me too, but then it was pointed out that the reason is that modern low-usage machines generally don't use enough water to get the hot water down the supply pipe to the machine, which is certainly true in this house, the route to the laundry room is several yards of pipe. But then, it might be the case that the hot water tank and the washing machine were in the same room, which would make the argument invalid.

[newshound]

consumption of various equipment in the house and am struggling. For example, our kettle says it's 3 kilowatt. Fair enough, but I cannot find the power consumption of our Bosch dishwasher. It seems these days that you get told an energy rating so you can compare one machine with another, but that's not the same thing. To know that it consumes 2 kwh to do a wash is not the same thing as knowing that it consumes 2 kw (or whatever) while actually running. One needs to know how much it consumes while running to know whether the solar panels, whose spot generation is known and varies a lot during most days, will power the machine for free or whether we've got to wait a bit for the sun to come out more.

the manufacturers' websites.

when I burn a DVD, it even uses more power when the disc spins...

journey and the more fule you carry and passengers and luggage them that will also reduce MPG.

skinny people get a discount. :-)

I felt a *simple* explanation was required here, one product at a time

:-)

[polygonum]

skinny people get a discount. :-)

Remember it is the skinny people who seem to be accompanied by a tonne or more of luggage with at least 37 changes of clothing for a one week holiday. Fat people (and I tend to consider myself in that camp) wear what they are stood up in and carry a microbag with a toothbrush.

[F]

The manufacturers say that the heating-up time presents a soak time that is part of the washing process.

[The Natural Philosopher]

consumption of various equipment in the house and am struggling. For example, our kettle says it's 3 kilowatt. Fair enough, but I cannot find the power consumption of our Bosch dishwasher. It seems these days that you get told an energy rating so you can compare one machine with another, but that's not the same thing. To know that it consumes 2 kwh to do a wash is not the same thing as knowing that it consumes 2 kw (or whatever) while actually running. One needs to know how much it consumes while running to know whether the solar panels, whose spot generation is known and varies a lot during most days, will power the machine for free or whether we've got to wait a bit for the sun to come out more.

the manufacturers' websites. Hint. Power consumption only affecs cable sizes. Energy consumption is what you SHOULD be investigating.

[Andy Champ]

skinny people get a discount.:-)

AKA

We are not alone.

Andy

[Andy Champ]

Not so. He wants to know if his panels will power the machine. So he needs to know it will be sunny for the part of the cycle where it's heating water, and not dark for the rest of it :)

Andy

[Tim Streater]

Well, they might be, they might not be. If you're using cheap overnight volts to run the thing, then heating the cols as needed will be the best way.

[Chris J Dixon]

consumption of various equipment in the house and am struggling.

As others have said, the answer isn't that simple.

You might actually find it more informative to get kit like this:

(actually temporarily unavailable right now)

which allows you to monitor the situation in real time.

Mine works reasonably, though the wireless link is not as good as I would have liked.

Other makes are available.

Chris

[John Rumm]

Its not even that simple... the DW will take the most current when heating the water, and vastly less when washing. So even if you can't meet the peak current demand, yo may be able to more than meet the overall demand. That would mean that you could consume all of your solar energy in the house somewhere and offset the small period of time that you need grid assistance for the heating.

Get a plug in power meter if it bothers you that much. Most can be set to read instant current or power demand.

[John Rumm]

You can have a discount so long as you agree to sit between two fatties...

[John Rumm]

There is the secondary argument that starting a wash with cold water is actually better at shifting high protein content stains as well. A burst of hot water prior to soaking in detergent a bit may just set them.