Home Voltage regulation

Someone has asked for an opinion from me about having a "VPhase" unit fitted.

I've only had time for a very quick internet search, and have read some of the info on the manufacturer's site.

The unit (shown in a video on the site that appears to show something with a toroidal transformer or choke linked to what may be a bunch of electronics under a cover. This reduces selected circuits in the house to 220volts, the argument being that EU equipment is designed to run all over Europe at their standard 220 rather than our 240 to 245 volts.

It seems to me that the unit is unlikely to recover its cost before it fails in some way (eg it has a contactor inside that bypasses it when the house draws too much current). It says it works by "Thermal" control. It costs approx £300 plus installation.

He does run some equipment that relies on synchronous motors for accurate speed control. The site doesn't mention frequency at all as far as I can see. His kettle will take longer to boil, I assume.

Any views?

Reply to
Bill
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The VPhase is a load of s**te.

However overvoltage protection will be the next big change in the IET regs.

Reply to
ARWadsworth

Exactly.

To boil X litres of water requires Y watt hours of energy so if you reduce the voltage the kettle will take longer to consume the same amount of energy and nothing will be saved. This will apply for all heating (and refrigerating} appliances. Worse still, because the kettle takes a little longer to boil, the heat losses will be slightly higher so the cost of boiling his water will be marginally more than before.

Tungsten lamps will be noticeably dimmer. CFL's will probably be just as dim as before but the chances are that the circuitry in the lamp will compensate for the lower voltage and consume just as much power as before.

Switch mode power supplies in most recent electronic devices like computers, TV's, DVD players etc will draw what current is required to power their internal components, i.e. slightly more current than they would on a 240V supply so the devices will end up consuming about the same power as before.

Overall this sort of thing looks like a good way of wasting =A3300.

--=20 Mike Clarke

Reply to
Mike Clarke

Nooooooooo...

240V incandescent light bulb lasts longer at 220V... ... unfortunately producing less lumens... ... requiring more lights... ... or a 220V bulb... ... which will restore the number of lumens ... and eliminate any saving.

All brought to you for =A3300.

Shower, storage heaters, immersion, kettle, dryer & compressors all draw too much current so bypassed. Everything else uses switched mode power supplies these days, TV, laptop, PC.

So it is costed out on X incandescents + Y fridge/freezer compressors

  • Z transformer wall warts + G alarm panel transformers + H fans (assuming not run for longer to compensate)? The breakeven must be several decades.

Lobby to get junk endorsed with what, a nonsense whitepaper? What next, explosive detecting magic cards?

Reply to
js.b1

erm thats £300 plus installation.

Reply to
ARWadsworth

Been discussed here in the past IIRC. I would be very doubtful of actually achieving any real savings with the thing. Anything with a heater will just run longer. Bulbs will be either dimmer or in the case of CFLs compensate by drawing current for marginally longer in each cycle. Universal motors will run a bit slower.

Reply to
John Rumm

Only overvoltage protection will be required.

There will still be no need for a "lets run everything at a 220V" VPhase setup.

I am guessing the 44% saving made on the digital cordless phone mentioned in this link

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because the person that had the VPhase fitted (at £300 plus installation) could no longer afford to telephone her daughter and that her telephone bill was reduced by 44%.

Reply to
ARWadsworth

That is crazy.

Reply to
js.b1

This thing was on You and Yours on Radio 4 this lunchtime.

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is a mention on the IET Forums with the link to listen again. They wanted an audience with Cameron etc and it will cost everyone dear.

Reply to
Part Timer

Reply to
harryagain

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