Saving electricity.

[winston1]

I have in mind to try putting a diode in parallel with the thermal switch, to prevent it cycling so much and speed up the coffee making - half or full power to the element, instead of complete on off.

If you do you should change your RCD to a type A if not already.

 

[JohnW2]

Ours is the same. We do an eco cycle unless plates are not too dirty/greasy in which case we use the rapid cycle.

Our DW offers similar cycles to yours, except that the "rapid" cycle (which is what we most commonly use) is 35 °C, rather than your 50 °C.

It’s not just electricity but water usage too.

True - but, although that some will argue that "any saving is worthwhile", one probably should look at the 9L difference between the lowest and highest water consumptions of your machine in perspective in relation to the ~350 L/day average household usage in the UK. A saving of water usage similar to that difference could be achieved by flushing a loo 1 or 2 times less per day.

There are also other 'less obvious' issues which probably deserve some consideration. Your 'ECO' cycle uses the same temp and a very similar amount of water, yet takes more than 6 times longer, than the rapid cycle. That presumably means that the primary difference is that the ECO cycle 'blasts' one's crockery etc. with jets of somewhat abrasive water for 6 times longer - which I imagine probably reduces the effective lifespan of the items. Even without using an ECO cycle, some of our bits of ("dishwasher-safe") rockery are definitely showing signs of years of exposure to dishwashers - and, were we fussy would probably have already been replaced for that reason.

Another issue which might concern the likes of eric is that 50 °C, let alone my machine's 35 °C, is not high enough to 'sterilise' the contents (and that goes for WMs as well as DWs).

Somewhat echoing what I've said above about water, and recalling that this thread started with a question about the potential 'saving' to be had by turning off a router for a few hours overnight, I think that there is a need for more education about 'perspective' and 'priorities'. It's not unusual see see people talking/asking about trivial potential energy savings, without them apparently understanding that much greater saving are to be had by shortening the duration of showers by a few seconds, putting less water into kettles, turning room thermostats down slightly etc. etc.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

I've long thought that kettles should be properly insulated to stop them wasting heat, and you should be able to set the temperature, 90 degrees is plenty for tea and coffee. So I had a look and I've had a Hubimex for a couple of years, which works really well...

Fair enough, but for those concerned about cost, if they have an alternative they probably should not be using any sort of electric device to heat water.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

.... The super processed food problem causing weight gain seems to show we should not use them too much, it is OK radio 4 doing a program on super processed food, but what is super processed food?

Quite. I have never really understood the 'blanket slanging off' of 'processed foods', since it surely depends upon what the 'process' is. Everything which happens in a domestic kitchen is 'a process'. I think there is a need for a much clearer explanation of what foods are regarded as 'bad for us' (even though official views about that seem to change every five minutes!).

Kind Regards, John

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Somewhat echoing what I've said above about water, and recalling that this thread started with a question about the potential 'saving' to be had by turning off a router for a few hours overnight, I think that there is a need for more education about 'perspective' and 'priorities'. It's not unusual see see people talking/asking about trivial potential energy savings, without them apparently understanding that much greater saving are to be had by shortening the duration of showers by a few seconds, putting less water into kettles, turning room thermostats down slightly etc. etc.

Exactly, the media etc. go on about things left on standby, which was to some extent valid long ago, when standby just meant the screen off on the TV. That is no longer true or valid. The best way to assess where your Kw are going is to actually check, many of the things will be near essesentials to be on, but worth while checking.

 

[JohnW2]

Exactly, the media etc. go on about things left on standby, which was to some extent valid long ago, when standby just meant the screen off on the TV. That is no longer true or valid. The best way to assess where your Kw are going is to actually check, many of the things will be near essesentials to be on, but worth while checking.

Quite so.

That is, of course, one of the alleged benefits which will come from 'smart' meters. However, rather than expect countless millions of people to do their own 'experiments'/'observing', it would surely be simpler (and probably much more effective) to simply tell them, clearly, where the greatest potential saving are to be had (and what potential 'savings' are too trivial to worry about). I doubt that it would take more than one side of A4 to give reasonably clear information/advice.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

That is, of course, one of the alleged benefits which will come from 'smart' meters. However, rather than expect countless millions of people to do their own 'experiments'/'observing', it would surely be simpler (and probably much more effective) to simply tell them, clearly, where the greatest potential saving are to be had (and what potential 'savings' are too trivial to worry about). I doubt that it would take more than one side of A4 to give reasonably clear information/advice.

Before the Smart Meters, they were giving away whole house energy monitors. A much better more worthwhile give away would be a plug in monitor for an individual appliance, able to log consumption for a day/week/month as well as show instantaneous consumption.

 

[JP_]

Talking of fridges, I do try to remember to adjust the power dial (no idea what its supposed to be called) for summer and winter.
I often forget though, and get annoyed that everything is warm in summer, or too cold in winter,

 

[JohnW2]

Before the Smart Meters, they were giving away whole house energy monitors. A much better more worthwhile give away would be a plug in monitor for an individual appliance, able to log consumption for a day/week/month as well as show instantaneous consumption.

One problem with that is that a good few of the most energy-consuming loads are not 'plugged in'.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

Talking of fridges, I do try to remember to adjust the power dial (no idea what its supposed to be called) for summer and winter.
I often forget though, and get annoyed that everything is warm in summer, or too cold in winter,

If the thermostat worked properly, that would obviously not be necessary, since you want the temperature inside the fridge to be the same in both summer and winter.

Kind Regards, John

 

[FrodoOne]

I watched my daughter boil the electric kettle, and pour the water into the pan, and asked her why, she said it was faster, and I replied I don't think so that ring is rated 5.5 kW and the kettle is 2.8 kW.

So she did the demo, filled kettle to mark, poured it into a pan, filled again to mark, turned of gas, and turned on the kettle, and there was a very marked difference in the time, lid was on the pan, but it took some thing like twice as long, so if twice and long to boil and twice as much power being used that is ¼ the efficiency of gas.

So there is not real gain using gas to boil the kettle, in fact if to factor in how much hotter it makes the kitchen, and the fact you need a cooker hood to remove combustion gases, then it is likely more expensive to use gas.

But maybe due to using a hob rather than kettle, so when I got home, did the same test, and the 3 kW induction hob boiler the water same time as the 2.8 kW kettle.

Because of the above "quote" you may find the following "video" to be of interest.

 

[StephenStephen]

Fair enough, but for those concerned about cost, if they have an alternative they probably should not be using any sort of electric device to heat water.

Kind Regards, John

...unless they have solar and sunshine, of course

 

[JohnW2]

...unless they have solar and sunshine, of course

Indeed - and also batteries if they wish to boil water during the hours of darkness

Kind Regards, John

 

[pcaouolte]

you may find the following "video" to be of interest.

I can't waste 25 minutes of my life on that video, what point was it trying to make?

One of the replies under the video did make me laugh though::
"Kettles may theoretically be faster, but I usually just boil a large pot of water on the stove top,and then freeze it for later use."

 

[JohnW2]

I can't waste 25 minutes of my life on that video, ...

same here, but ...

One of the replies under the video did make me laugh though:: "Kettles may theoretically be faster, but I usually just boil a large pot of water on the stove top,and then freeze it for later use."

That would also be my first reaction! To make any sense of the statement, one probably has to assume that they are boiling water to 'sterilise it'!

KInd Regards, John