Electrical advice

[Happy]

And with power saving little program in PC anyway one can have computer set up to do all the power saving moves itself.

My screen goes blank after 20 minutes and I am wandering if I shouldn’t set it on 10.
What worries me here, is the damage, power surge does to the screen itself on startup.

If it is anything as damaging as starting vacuum cleaner for example, then if you use computer it would be silly to damage it by constantly switching it on and off.

Does anybody have some comment on this little area?

 

[bunyip]

Well I'm mighty pleased to hear that PC's don't gurgle 40c worth of power every hour anyway!
I'll be turning mine off from now on when they're not in use.....wasn't aware of the fire hazard bit.

Thanks for the info.

Bunyip

 

[Smurf1976]

I'm happy to go into technical details if anyone really wants me to, but briefly I suggest the following based on both technical testing and field observations.

The bottom line is that consumer electronic devices have an intended lifespan of about 5 years from new to junk. This is lower for VCR's (about 4 years) and computers (about 3 years) and longer for non-washing machine whitegoods, built-in heaters, air-conditioners and stoves. For hot water heaters it is a question of maintenance - no maintenance and expect a burst cylinder anytime after 7 years.

But if you want it to last longer then, if it is an electronic device with a switchmode power supply (computers, videos, some washing machines etc)then I strongly advise that you disconnect power to the device when it's not being used. A bit impractical for videos etc but it's usually not hard to turn the washing machine off at the power point when not in use.

For computer monitors and TV's, in general don't switch it off for less than 30 minutes at a time and don't leave it on "standby". Frequent switching stresses everything whilst leaving it on standby tends to wear out the electronics and is how most monitor fires are believed to start. So if you're going to be away for half an hour then leave it on. Any longer than that and turn it off.

For fridges and freezers, keep it defrosted regularly if it's not frost free, keep the condenser clean (black pipes around the back in older models, often totally concealed in newer models and not requiring attention) and keep the door seals in good order. Be aware that the butter conditioner is in fact a heating element inside the fridge - enough said really, don't leave it on if you don't use it.

Most mains pressure hot water heaters (those with a tank, eg Rheem and Dux brands) have a sacrificial anode fitted to minimise corrosion. This wears out and should be replaced every 5 years (10 years for some heavy duty models eg Rheem Optima). Fail to replace the anode and in due course corrosion starts and you end up with a failed cylinder and quite possibly a flood. But you will not be able to replace the anode if there is no space (nearly equal in height to the cylinder itself) above the cylinder as the anode is a long metal rod which will not bend. Put the tank where's it's accessible if installing a new one... Strictly speaking it's a job for a plumber but anyone with a spanner or socket set and reasonable strength can do the job. A new anode costs less than $50. Be careful to not damage the tank lining when replacing the anode and turn the water off first. You will also get longer life from your hot water cylinder if it has a pressure limiting valve (typically 500KPa which is still "mains" pressure reduced only slightly) on the inlet. It's also advisable to flush the cylinder occasionally as an amazing amount of sediment settles out of the water and collects at the bottom of the tank. This is quite corrosive.

Fisher and Paykel washing machines. Turn the machine off at the plug when it's not being used otherwise the electronics run rather warm and this is likely to induce premature failure (a common complaint with these machines). This is not a safety issue as it's not that hot but simply a case of the warm conditions drying out the capacitors over time thus leading to failure. And never open the lid when the machine is spinning at full speed as there is a design flaw in some models which results in excessive voltage reaching the electronics. This has been known to cause instant failure. If you must stop the machine during the spin cycle then change the spin speed to slow first as this will greatly reduce the risk. The problem is worst in those machines produced after Phase 4 (ie newer models). It's no issue as long as you don't open the lid when it's spinning.

I have investigated the "doing funny things all the time" problem which is the usual cause of failure of F&P machines. On the machine examined it was a simple matter of resoldering the control board, mostly in the vicinity of the electrolytic capacitors on the 335VDC (measured voltage) side. These are physically the two largest capacitors on the board. It was a Phase 2 (circa 1995) machine that was examined and it has run around 20 cycles flawlessly since resoldering. Caution: These machines generate internal voltages up to about 500 Volts DC under certain conditions. This can KILL you. Don't attempt repairs if you aren't absolutely confident that you can work safely on mains powered equipment. Note also that there is some surface mount components that required resoldering on at least some models (if you don't know what this means then you shouldn't be doing the job).

Incandescent light bulbs do NOT wear out more quickly due to frequent switching. I have done very extensive (work related) testing on this. A lamp constantly flashing will last about the same number of hours as one constantly on. The flashing one will have been "on" only half the time but the overall lifespan is the same. And you wouldn't be flashing the lights at home so in practice the bulbs will last longer if turned off. "Surge" current when the light is turned on is irrelevant in the context of your electricity bill. No more than the bulb uses in a second or so anyway.

Fluorescent lights generally don't like being turned on an off. I suggest that you don't install them in places where they will be on for less than 20 minutes at a time. If you want far greater reliability and no flickering, especially if they are only used for short periods (eg bathrooms), then change the starters for electronic starters (simple DIY task, about $15 each (one starter per tube) from any electrical wholesaler, Thorn "Fluoropulse" is one such product). Be aware that these starters are NOT suitable for fittings with two 18 or 20 watt tubes but are suitable for other types including single 18 watt, single or double 36 (or 40) watt, single or double 85 (or 65) watt, circular tubes etc. And if you don't like the "white" light and prefer something that resembles the "yellow" light of an incansescent bulb then you need 830 type tubes ("warm white") rather than the 840 (cool white) that you probably have now. 840 are the type found in offices etc. 830 produces light similar to an ordinary bulb (still bright like an 840 but not as "white"). On the other hand if you want something close to natural daylight then you want an 860 tube (not good at home IMO - daylight is quite "blue" and "cold"). Try Bunnings, a lighting shop or an electrical wholesaler.

 

[Happy]

This is great stuff Smurf.

Would you care to go on?

There is also some information around about stand-by mode, being the biggest power consumer of this and next generation as probably one after that will have something not as power hungry.

Some stand-by power consumption is as high as 15W = about 1 kW in 67 hours and it translates to 130 kW a year about $20 a year.
Somebody might say this is not much I can afford that.
Multiply this by 5 devices per dwelling, multiply by 5,000,000 households + 5,000,000 offices in Australia only and add every other country, and it is a lot of power waisted, isn’t it?

Figure will be lower if device is used, as I believe that stand-by circuit is off when device is on, but this is only my guess.

 

[visual]

the asko is back
i`ve already done 3 loads of washing and it seems to be ok the door feels a little different but as long as it locks i`m going to put up with it who knows maybe they fixed that too!thats why it feels a little different,
much quiter and last rinse seems clean ,now i`m hoping that by writing this i have not jinxed myself.