GFCI LED's and LED displays

Re: GFCI LED's and LED displays

My green lights simply turn off when the GFI opens (Just push the test trip).

In either case, those LEDs are not using much power at all... probably 50 mWatts or less. The math--Say you have 20 GFIs running 24x7:

0.050 Watts per device * 20 units * 24 hours * 365 days a year = 8,760 Watt*Hours = 8.76 kWH per year

Or about $0.90 to $2.70 per year, depending on the cost of power in your region. There is a possibility that the GFI electronics are using more power than the LED itself.

So, if this is a concern for you--Try taking connecting a GFI to a Kill-a-Watt meter and see how much watts/kWH the unit takes (and log Power factor, VA, volts, amps, etc.).

Then you will know how much they are really costing you.

Note, you can use one GFI breaker/outlet for the entire string--You don't have to install GFI's in every outlet. That will save power and costs. And you can install the GFI breakers per circuit (which are not cheap either).

In the end, LEDs, by themselves, do not consume much power at all... It is usually all the support electronics that do that. And, it is possible that the standby loads are very significant.

You have devices that are never "off" even when you turn them off (digital TV receivers, DVRs, etc.). And you have devices that just did not do a good job of power supply design and take a fair amount of power when "off" (older TV's, stereos, computers, etc.).

I still have an old stereo that would take 40 watts when "off". That was about 1/6th of my total power bill.

Start with the big stuff--Power you use (electric ovens, computers, entertainment systems, heating/hot water, etc..) first. If you have a 1,000 kWH per month power bill (typical north American home), then less than 1 kWH per month for GFI LED's is not even on the radar at the moment.

-Bill