Parasitic Draw ,Wall wort's ETC

CDN_VT
CDN_VT Solar Expert Posts: 492 ✭✭✭
Many A time I have read , lower your consumption of power. So for the last few years we have been power concise of what were using. Did the entire house in LED lighting , fancy Hills external Clothes drier .. So i was just fooling around & measuring stuff since were in Harvest season (lots of freezers (4) & fridges(3) sucking now till we process the harvest) , just for giggles I measured one of my overhead doors 7 watts sitting open or shut , second unit I tested was 6 watts . I have 8 on the ranch , all the same make , the 12 foot doors are 7 watt resting also .. So I have now rewired them to be switched off via a manual switch. that was say 56watts 24/7/6570 days that I have been using them . We don't use the remote opener & I have removed the ant wire & grounded them (was a rash of break ins from remote openings, mine are before rolling codes ) .


So now i just turn on the power & open the doors as needed . Summer time the doors 6 are opened @ 6:30 & closed @ 7-9pm , winter only one is opened if needed.


Just a bit of stuff I did this weekend .

VT

Comments

  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Parasitic Draw ,Wall wort's ETC

    WOW! 6 and 7 watts is excessive. Measured my Sears a while back, one watt, just enough to power the remote receiver. But even one watt is 24 watt hours per day and that can be a lot for some off grid systems. 7 watts is over the top @ almost 170 watt hours, way over half what my converted fridge uses. (250 watt hours per 24 hours)
    Definitely pays to check these things and uncover any surprises. And 8 of them? over 1.3 kwh to just sit there doing nothing! WOW!
  • CDN_VT
    CDN_VT Solar Expert Posts: 492 ✭✭✭
    Re: Parasitic Draw ,Wall wort's ETC

    Wayne , I agree on the excessive , but with the sensors for kids with the fancy pads on two of them . I did check the (4) 12 foot openers that are paralleled on the same breaker , fancy non WCB kill-a-watt check & i got 29 watts resting . 128 watts to open one 12 foot tall by 20 foot wide door (shop bay door times4) .. the waste !!


    Just for all to understand & know ..

    VT