thaimate Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 just saw these in the market ,you plug them into the mains and they supposedly save you about 20% on the bill,anyone tried them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrier123 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 just saw these in the market ,you plug them into the mains and they supposedly save you about 20% on the bill,anyone tried them? Did you intend attaching a picture cos I can't see one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaimate Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 just saw these in the market ,you plug them into the mains and they supposedly save you about 20% on the bill,anyone tried them? Did you intend attaching a picture cos I can't see one. sorry just my way of typing ,no picture ,they are just a small box with a plug that you plug into the mains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tywais Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 They're called PFC (power factor correction) and usually consist of nothing more then a capacitor. It is a known hoax/myth for many years now unless your house is just running one very big motor or an industrial facility that bills on VA and not on kWh then it helps very little. A little on the details > http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/226258-28-what-useful Lot's of information on various forums and technical sites if you wish to really understand phase angles, power versus VA, etc which are part of the PFC equation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G54 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 A former g/f had one plugged in. Never made on iota of difference. What they did do was to meddle with the meter outside after a rather stormy week weather wise. That worked, but the brother was an electrician and fcucked the meter somehow to make it register very little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldfish Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Tune in next week when G54 asks what to do when the meter reader asks why there are holes and knitting needles in his electric meter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slapout Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Best one I have seen was a small oblong cloth sack to be placed on top of meter to slow the counter down. Sack was full of sand and rock salt. It had a 'money back' guarantee but when you called the man peddling these things he had left town. Since meters are read monthly he probably spent about 3 weeks in each area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaimate Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 the reason i asked was that a friend has used his for 2 months and reckons he saved 2k (he does have a buisness that uses a lot of electricity),and have just been told by my son that next door has had one for a long time and they reckon it works. well one born every minute i just baught one for 1000baht Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmushr00m Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I asked someone who was selling those things if they really work. he said "no, thats why I sell in front of hotel, for tourist" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaimate Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 I asked someone who was selling those things if they really work.he said "no, thats why I sell in front of hotel, for tourist" the one i baught was from a friend but instructions are in thai ,they are sold in all the markets in Pattaya ,anyway will try it for a couple of months and see ,two people who have them seem happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artisi Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Don't waste your money - the savings for a normal household is virtually nothing over a month. http://powerelectronics.com/power_manageme...nt/705PET23.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefan Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I bought one a couple of years back - don't think it made a difference. Maybe you have better luck with it - maybe it's a "new and improved! - Now with pro-vitamin b5!" - version. Keep us posted! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaza Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I bought one a couple of years back - don't think it made a difference. Maybe you have better luck with it - maybe it's a "new and improved! - Now with pro-vitamin b5!" - version. Keep us posted! Cheers! It is very understandable that you wouldn't notice any difference Firefan's consume high voltages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasreeve17 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 The missus bought one a few years back, and I was pretty worried about the circuitry, so I always unplugged it when she wasn't looking, especially at night. She kept plugging it back in again. In, out, in out, became a bit of a game with me on the losing side, obviously. The game ended with a small electrical fire... nobody hurt, but I wouldn't plug one of those things in again, neither will the missus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syd barrett Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Here is a way I saved 20% on my electricity bill. 1. Stopped using the ceiling fan and use a floor standing fan. 2. Nothing on Standby, before TV and Hi Fi and Fax were all burning power. 3. Only boil a kettle with as much water as you need (usually 1 mug full). 4. Get all ironing of clothes done at laundry. Believe me I have seen a 20% drop in my bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G54 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Tune in next week when G54 asks what to do when the meter reader asks why there are holes and knitting needles in his electric meter Sounds like Voodoo That meter has been dodgy (fixed) for 2 years or so now and no one has noticed. Last I knew they were laying a feed to the mothers house from it. Hey, they could wire the whole village in and make a mint supplying electricity on the cheap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisyork Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Basic problem with electricity saving devices in Thailand is that electricity prices are so low / subsidised that it isn't worth the effort financially. In consequence I have limited my action to fitting "Savaplug" devices to all our fridges. Fridges use the motor power fully only on start up and then the motor is heavily overated for the running load. These plugs therefore allow a full wave form at start up and then "chop" the waveform during running. There's something like a 30% saving on elctricity consumption, which is significant for a device which is always "on". However in Thailand there is a much more significant advantage - the fridge produces 30% less waste heat! In our house the improvement in temperature in our living room is most noticeable. Unfortunately the company responsible is currently redisigning it and it isn't currently available! http://www.savawatt.co.uk/index.htm Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossy Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 (edited) In consequence I have limited my action to fitting "Savaplug" devices to all our fridges. Fridges use ............... heat! In our house the improvement in temperature in our living room is most noticeable.Unfortunately the company responsible is currently redisigning it and it isn't currently available! http://www.savawatt.co.uk/index.htm It is important to note that the electronic control devices produced by Savawatt are NOT the same as the simple PF 'correction' things being marketed here. They DO work, although I find a saving of 30% very difficult to believe. Edited January 19, 2009 by Crossy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notobnoxious Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I beg to differ! On their website they boast 1 million sold and these are PF Correction Devices. There is alot of rubbish sold on Thai Market stalls but i hear of one company who have invested heavily in producing a Quality alternative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossy Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I beg to differ!On their website they boast 1 million sold and these are PF Correction Devices. There is alot of rubbish sold on Thai Market stalls but i hear of one company who have invested heavily in producing a Quality alternative. IF they are simple PF modification (I deliberately do not use the word correction) devices, please explain how they save the consumer money as simply adjusting the PF makes a very small (if any) difference to the power measured by a true Watt-hour meter (which most domestic electricity meters are). You can get as technical as you like, many on this board understand AC theory and phasor diagrams IF someone can demonstrate mathematically that these devices will save me a significant amount compared with the purchase cost, I'll buy one tomorrow. And the "one company who have invested heavily in producing a Quality alternative" is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossy Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 (edited) If anyone is making 'Nola' PF correction units they really do work, I suspect the 'pass through' correctors work like this Nola power factor correctorFrank Nola of NASA proposed a power factor corrector for improving the efficiency of AC induction motors in the mid 1970's. It is based on the premise that induction motors are inefficient at less than full load. This inefficiency correlates with a low power factor. The less than unity power factor is due to magnetizing current required by the stator. This fixed current is a larger proportion of total motor current as motor load is decreased. At light load, the full magnetizing current is not required. It could be reduced by decreasing the applied voltage, improving the power factor and efficiency. The power factor corrector senses power factor, and decreases motor voltage, thus restoring a higher power factor and decreasing losses. Since single-phase motors are about 2 to 4 times as inefficient as three-phase motors, there is potential energy savings for 1-φ motors. There is no savings for a fully loaded motor since all the stator magnetizing current is required. The voltage cannot be reduced. But there is potential savings from a less than fully loaded motor. A nominal 117 VAC motor is designed to work at as high as 127 VAC, as low as 104 VAC. That means that it is not fully loaded when operated at greater than 104 VAC, for example, a 117 VAC refrigerator. It is safe for the power factor controller to lower the line voltage to 104-110 VAC. The higher the initial line voltage, the greater the potential savings. Of course, if the power company delivers closer to 110 VAC, the motor will operate more efficiently without any add-on device. Any substantially idle, 25% FLC or less, single phase induction motor is a candidate for a PFC. Though, it needs to operate a large number of hours per year. And the more time it idles, as in a lumber saw, punch press, or conveyor, the greater the possibility of paying for the controller in a few years operation. It should be easier to pay for it by a factor of three as compared to the more efficient 3-φ-motor. The cost of a PFC cannot be recovered for a motor operating only a few hours per day. Note that fixing the PF with a capacitor will not have the same effect, you need to fix the PF at source by reducing the motor supply voltage and increase its operating efficiency. Probably the most important bit of the above quote "The cost of a PFC cannot be recovered for a motor operating only a few hours per day." Edited January 24, 2009 by Crossy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossy Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Another paper on the Nola principle http://www.lmphotonics.com/energy.htm Only energy that is being wasted, can be saved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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