Hard Wired Standby Saver Device

[Ydraiggoch]

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has ever come across such a device....

I know there are plenty of Extension lead type devices on the market, but I was looking for an actual wall socket that could do the same function.

I would think you could get a Fused Spur with a socket connected as its load which could detect a device going into standby and then switching itself off.

Cheers

 

[ericmark]

With the exception of a Sky box, most items today follow the one watt maximum draw on stand-by. So there is little point fitting a stand-by unit which uses as much as the item being switched into stand-by. Also sockets are typically fused to 32A and rely on the 13A fuse in the plug, so any built in device must cope with 13A. However stand alone units have a fuse in their supply plug so can be rated at 5 amp total.

Think there is a system called X10 which allows remote operation, and also the nest and hive systems are being expanded all the time so likely you can get a socket which can be controlled from you mobile phone or PC. But that is not quite the same.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I would think you could get a Fused Spur with a socket connected as its load which could detect a device going into standby and then switching itself off.

Putting to one side the question of WOE you would want that, how would it turn itself back on?

 

[ericmark]

The idea is the control socket never switches off, it just detects if the current draw is above or below the one watt agreed standard for stand-by. So the computer connected to the master socket when switched off in turn kills the supply to monitor, printer, modem, USB hub which are all not required if the computer is not on.

However although I can turn off my laser printer the ink jet printer has a program to stop the jets getting blocked so every time it is switched off and on it goes through a cleaning cycle so one should never turn it off for less than a week. It costs too much in ink.

Looking at TV there is also a problem, the Sky+ box will not update or record if switched off and the blueray player uses less in stand-by than the stand-by switch uses. The PC used to watch recorded programs really gets upset if turned off before the shut down sequence is completed.

I have used current motoring switches, I had them measuring what the extractor fans used and should it drop below the set value it instructed the PLC to swap fans, it was assumed it had failed, if both fans failed it closed down the process to remove explosion risk. But the PLC used power so the system would not have saved money it was simply to remove danger.

Be it an RF controlled socket or a current controlled socket that control costs to run. It would seem the Hive and Nest systems have expanded to include things like sockets plus the old X10. But the power used by the system is high, so switching off the central heating because your going to be late home may save money, but switching off your lights the power used for the control likely exceeds the power saved.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The idea is the control socket never switches off, it just detects if the current draw is above or below the one watt agreed standard for stand-by. So the computer connected to the master socket when switched off in turn kills the supply to monitor, printer, modem, USB hub which are all not required if the computer is not on.

Yes - I know how the n-way strips work, what I can't see is how the "Fused Spur with a socket connected as its load which could detect a device going into standby and then switching itself off" could turn itself back on.

 

[eveares]

However stand alone units have a fuse in their supply plug so can be rated at 5 amp total

Why not 13 Amp, surely a standby extension lead should be able to cope with a total load of 13 Amps.

Think there is a system called X10 which allows remote operation

X10 is a Home Automation protocol, essentially allowing you to control devices from X10 wireless remote's, PIR's, timers, PC interfaces,etc... But it is just that, a automated remote control system, Plus X10 is very old and very prone to noise and interference.

what I can't see is how the "Fused Spur with a socket connected as its load which could detect a device going into standby and then switching itself off" could turn itself back on.

Possibly by only applying power to loads greater X watts. If that is even possible. Else, a Smart FCU/socket may have two outputs with one of them being the detected output.

 

[Iggifer]

That wouldn't work. Something can't draw power if there's nothing there to draw.

It would need to be in the form of a twin socket with separate internals, one being the always on socket and one being the switched socket controlled by the CT in the master socket

 

[ericmark]

Now I seem to remember Lister engine driven generators where the generator was also the starter, and flicking on one light switch started the generator and when last one was switched off the generator stopped. Never looked to see how it worked but I know it did. I would guess when off it put a DC current through the circuits to detect any load?

But with a mains supply why would you want to switch off the supply when not used?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That wouldn't work. Something can't draw power if there's nothing there to draw.

Exactly.

 

[eveares]

That wouldn't work. Something can't draw power if there's nothing there to draw.

It might for permanently on restive loads, but how many of those does one have these days that takes a considerable standby current.

Basically such a hypothetical device would be able to measure the input impedance or the DC resistance of the appliance if the 'off' state, and when the measured value of impedance/resistance got low enough indicating a 'On' state, it would turn the socket on. However I doubt this solution would be very practical as most devices these days can't present a measurable active load until mains power is applied.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That wouldn't work. Something can't draw power if there's nothing there to draw.

It might for permanently on restive loads,

How can that type of load, (or indeed any type of load) draw any current if no voltage is being applied to it?

Basically such a hypothetical device would be able to measure the input impedance or the DC resistance of the appliance if the 'off' state, and when the measured value of impedance/resistance got low enough indicating a 'On' state, it would turn the socket on.

How would it do that when the socket has been disconnected?

 

[eveares]

How can that type of load, (or indeed any type of load) draw any current if no voltage is being applied to it?

It can't, at least not at any significant voltage.

How would it do that when the socket has been disconnected?

Same way you can measure a resistor or a heating element with a ohm meter. By "Off" I meant that has no mains power applied to the appliance but instead a low voltage monitoring voltage is applied in the order of a couple of volts and the restive load is calculated from the voltage drop. Hence a ohm meter based threshold switch.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Off is off.

An off FCU, as proposed, is just like unplugging the equipment.