Standby power wastage.

[kai]

I am surprised that the 17th edition did not require that DP switched sockets outlets be fitted in all domestic circuits, for proper isolation, as increasing number of appliances in the home have that dreaded standby energy wasting feature, which nobody wants anymore!

The fire at a Tower Block in London, this summer, was probably caused by a faulty TV left on standby, but if a switched socket had been fitted, it could have saved many lives!

 

[Taylortwocities]

Well, regs say that a plug and socket is a valid form of isolation.

Even if you made DP switches mandatory, you would also have to enforce the use of them by the user.

And there's no chance of that!

 

[Steve]

but if a switched socket had been fitted, it could have saved many lives!

Why?

I admit, I turn off my TV in my bedroom at the socket, because it has an annoying "active standby" feature which means it "invisibly" powers up from time to time of its own accord (dont know why but its meant to) and it clicks all night as it comes on and off.

BUT most people dont turn things off at the wall!

 

[flameport]

Most of the deaths in that towerblock fire were due to the poor design of the building, which resulted in the the fire spreading very quickly to other floors.

 

[ColJack]

you have no proof that it was an electrical fault that caused the fire, it's more likely somebody's meth lab blew up or some drunk chav fell asleep on the sofa with a lit cigarette..

 

[ericmark]

There is a lot of bull **** talked about on subject of standby.
1) Modern equipment should use 1W or less on standby and any equipment falling into that group will not draw enough current to be really worried about and the alternative in many cases it to use battery back-up which is more cause for environmental worries than the 1W they use.
2) Many items are not truly on standby. But are carrying out some useful function such as software updates or timer functions.
So lets look at what can be put into standby mode.
a) Tumble drier may have standby so it can use off-peak power and there are models which have a special overnight mode and used overnight are A rated but if used as required are C rated. Not sure I like running one overnight but it is best option for environment.
b) Hard-drive and other recorders. Unless in standby mode these are unlikely to record any programs so no real option but leave on standby.
c) TV sets again as many also act as set-top boxes for older VCR’s and DVD recorders often no option and unless left in standby they will not update.
d) Computers again if wake up on lan or any other auto wake up is required no option but I do think these are the biggest waist of power many having no on/off switch.
e) Door bell can’t see how these will work without standby and this includes any SELV device where extra low voltage switching takes place.
f) Cordless phones these in my house use 4 times as much as TV but again no real option but to leave switched on.
g) Microwave real pain resetting clock when switched off and there are loads more including main cooker where we need power to maintain clock including my alarm clock.
h) Battery chargers I must have loads of these to charge mobile phones, camera, Walkman etc.
i) Battery driven items including the thermostat for my central heating.
Some could be turned off! I am forever telling people off for unplugging mobile phones and leaving charger plugged in and turned on. But others are really down to manufacture as to saving energy.

I was surprised at the Sky box. My Free to Air box on standby does not even register on the power monitor likely takes less power then the power monitor does but my Sky box takes well over the 1W limit at between 7W and 12W and was only fitted last month. DVD recorder is under the 1W limit so using both the Free to Air box and DVD recorder uses far less than the Sky box and can do the same thing for non encrypted programs.

What would help is to have a SELV supply, which could power all SELV equipment from one transformer. I do see some of this with mobile phones being charged from computer, or Audio amplifier through the USB outlets.

According to Sky putting their box into standby can save enough power to power Birmingham. So just think it would save enough power to power all of UK if it used the agreed 1W instead of 7W on standby. If you believe what they claim that is. And that’s the point. So much bull **** is published I just don’t believe anything I read. Every time one is able to put what is said to test it proves to be wrong. So I have become hardened to it all now and I don’t believe a word.

And I think many others are the same. So not surprised that people like IET do not want to be associated with silly claims. Most of the wind farms etc. are a complete waist of resources and money as the proper power stations still need to tick over to take up the demand when they fail. And the more wind farms built the less efficient other generating sources will be because they run far more efficient at near full load than ticking over on standby.

Hydro and Nuclear are only types of power station that will provide power without CO2 even tide power does not work as the power stations need to be so far apart to produce power 24/7 and unless it can provide power 24/7 on demand they are White Elephants.

 

[333rocky333]

I am forever telling people off for unplugging mobile phones and leaving charger plugged in and turned on.

Mine takes 0.02A with the phone connected, but as soon as the phone is disconnected it drops to 0.00A

 

[ericmark]

I am forever telling people off for unplugging mobile phones and leaving charger plugged in and turned on.

Mine takes 0.02A with the phone connected, but as soon as the phone is disconnected it drops to 0.00A

Never measured but they get warm so must use power.

 

[electronicsuk]

There is a lot of bull **** talked about on subject of standby.

Well done that man! Regardless of what you might read, we're not going to save all the polar bears by switching off at the socket. I think I'll stick to being able to turn my TV on at the remote, thankyou