Range clock - Disconnect it!

[CJT]

I think it'll light for a year on about a penny.

[Wayne Boatwright]

On Sun 01 Jun 2008 01:48:42p, Anthony Matonak told us...

That's only half of the reason to leave it connected. Most modern ranges have an electronic clock combined with the controls to set the temperature and turn the oven on and off. You disconnect that and you won't ever bake again.

Now, if you range is 30 years old, that's another story (usually).

Apart from the clock/timer on a range, most other "always on" devices have a reason for always being on. If unplugged or disconnected, you generally have to reset all the options every time you plug the device in. Good examples are VCR and DVD recorders, coffeemakers with programmable cycles, almost anything that stores settings.

Yes, you're paying for the convenience of using that energy, but it's terribly inconvenient if you don't.

[CJT]

poor

reason for always being on. If unplugged or disconnected, you generally

poorly designed

device in. Good

poorly designed

VCR and DVD recorders, coffeemakers with programmable cycles,

in volatile memory instead of the correct way

.

[George]

They generally deal with that by increasing system voltage levels and keeping the voltage as high as possible until they reach the point of utilization. For example the two transmission lines that come into my area used to be 120kV and last year they increased them to 240kV.

DC high voltage transmission lines have lower losses and are less expensive to build. They use solid state convertors at each end. 500 kV was the max for a while and I know the Canadians have a line in service for at least 20 years that operates at 735 kV DC and I read that the Chinese recently started construction of a 800 kV DC transmission line.

[Rod Speed]

Jeff Wisnia wrote

using electricity. (Small amount, but

power strips when not in use. These things

Thats a completely trivial amount of power compared with whats plugged into it.

left on to add a penny to your electric

Try a year or so.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 6/1/2008 3:09 PM CJT spake thus:

Right. Can you say "NOVRAM"?

[Rod Speed]

Anthony Matonak wrote

The most obvious example is raw meat which you want to start roasting while you are still out of the house, so its cooked when you show up later.

[George]

Sure, and for cases where power is required all of the time use a high efficiency switcher instead of the cheap walmart class junk currently in use.

[Rod Speed]

David Nebenzahl wrote

that things like clocks, wall warts,

That bit was JUST about the clock. There is no wall wart with a range.

And the clock he stupidly disconnected doesnt.

Too small an amount to bother about for anyone by a mindless anal obsessive.

See above.

Nope, completely stupid waste of time.

[Rod Speed]

Jeff Wisnia wrote

utilities could have forseen the

Yes, the power companys do that all the time.

resistive losses in all those distribution

Fraid not, essentially because the price of copper has increased dramatically too.

Nope, that would never have survived the dramatic increase in the use of electricity.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 6/1/2008 3:17 PM George spake thus:

Wow; so that old Tesla-Edison debate *isn't* settled science like everyone wants us to believe, eh?

Got any good reading links on this? I'm curious. And, in a nutshell, why does DC have lower losses? (Not disputing, just curious.)

[David Nebenzahl]

On 6/1/2008 3:27 PM Rod Speed spake thus:

You're missing the point, my friend. You're thinking "how much money will someone save on their electric bill by disconnecting a clock?" (the answer to which is, of course, practically nothing). I'm talking about the *collective* energy usage of all those millions of clocks, wall warts, etc., plugged in out there.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Why not? Don't like the convenience? You or your better wife stays home ll the time?

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, No kidding. I wonder what kinda car the OP'er drives.

[Tony Hwang]

Electronic timer uses energy as well as spring wound ones. Every thing in this world either produces or uses energy!

[Tony Hwang]

Whoa! Prove it with simple Ohm's law. If it is HV, how heavy is the cable gonna be? Is it EASY to generate HV DC, I mean pure DC?

[SteveB]

You, apparently, have never met my wife. If it is in the refrigerator or in the oven, the term "shelf life" does not apply because mysterious physics surrounding both. It will magically last forever, or change color and texture to become some new food.

Or, at least that's what she says.

I finally had to say, "If you can't tell me how old this is, I'm not going to eat it."

I still have to say that a lot.

Her mother is worse.

Steve

[Bob F]

AC has added capacitive and inductive losses, added to the resistive losses of DC.

[Bob F]

I suspect that many wall-warts waste way more power that the electric clock in an old oven.

[Rod Speed]

Tony Hwang wrote

on for has a MUCH more important effect

the max for a while and I know the

kV DC and I read that the Chinese

We aint horses, Tonto.

Not possible, because more than simple ohm's law is involved.

Depends on how much power you want to move thru it.

Its not that EASY, but still worth doing in some situations.