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Energy Efficiency. Smoke and mirrors?

Merry Christmas

Chamuit

Grumpy Old Man
Location
Texas
Occupation
Electrician
Got a sales pitch on this product.


I can't figure out how this is supposed to save money in a residential home.

Meters only read kWh for homes. I get billed on kWh.

How can a device on the main panel make my motor (condenser, frig, disposal) more efficient?

Am I missing something?
 

Besoeker3

Senior Member
Location
UK
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
Got a sales pitch on this product.


I can't figure out how this is supposed to save money in a residential home.

Meters only read kWh for homes. I get billed on kWh.

How can a device on the main panel make my motor (condenser, frig, disposal) more efficient?

Am I missing something?
There are a few things we can improve on. We use an Insta pot for food. It is very much more efficient. For our washing machine we keep it low at 40C (100F). All our light bulbs are LEDs and they last very much longer. We recently bought a new fridge/freezer and that is more efficient.

That any help?
 

Chamuit

Grumpy Old Man
Location
Texas
Occupation
Electrician
Those all work. My wife loves her instapot and electric kettle.

I was looking more for how can this device make my machines more efficient and improve their power factor.
 

Besoeker3

Senior Member
Location
UK
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
Those all work. My wife loves her instapot and electric kettle.

I was looking more for how can this device make my machines more efficient and improve their power factor.
Do residential properties operate with different power factors?
 

jim dungar

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Wisconsin
Occupation
PE (Retired) - Power Systems
I was looking more for how can this device make my machines more efficient and improve their power factor.
You won't find it.

First this is a scam.
Second putting stuff at the service entrance cannot improve PF or efficiency of the loads themselves.
Third you are not the target customer.
Fourth this is a scam.
 

acrwc10

Master Code Professional
Location
CA
Occupation
Building inspector
You won't find it.

First this is a scam.
Second putting stuff at the service entrance cannot improve PF or efficiency of the loads themselves.
Third you are not the target customer.
Fourth this is a scam.
Love it!!! #3 is my favorite.
 

Jraef

Moderator, OTD
Staff member
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
Occupation
Electrical Engineer
can't figure out how this is supposed to save money in a residential home.
It doesn’t. It’s not just smoke and mirrors, it’s outright fraud. Many of those companies have been put out of business by the FTC over the years, but they crop up and disappear faster than the legal system can react. They also set up MLM schemes with poor unsuspecting people who think this is going to make them rich, forcing them to buy demo units and inventory. Then the main company gets shut down or voluntarily ceases marketing to avoid jail time, but they made their money on the poor suckers who bought into the MLM schemes.
 

Chamuit

Grumpy Old Man
Location
Texas
Occupation
Electrician
So, y'all have confirmed what I was thinking.

Utility power -> They "fix" it -> motor/appliance is still at the same pf as when it was born.
 

jim dungar

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Wisconsin
Occupation
PE (Retired) - Power Systems
So, y'all have confirmed what I was thinking.

Utility power -> They "fix" it -> motor/appliance is still at the same pf as when it was born.
No.
This device does nothing to improve a residential service. If it contains indicating lights, it actually increases your residential utility usage.
 

Rjryan

Member
Location
Trophy Club, Texas
Occupation
Master Electrician
Things you can do to save electricity and protect the electrical system:
1. LED lighting
2. Foam plates behind electrical switches and plugs ( reduces drafts ).
3. Timers on bathroom fans and outdoor lighting.
4. Install switches on what I call vampire appliances. Many appliances draw current even when they are turned off, things like televisions and other appliances. Your an electrician add a wall switch to turn these appliances off.
5. Homes are only 80% in phase generally because of inductive loads. Delta lighting arrestors makes a surge capacitor to protect from small surges, that are not covered by a surge protector that protects from large surges like the Delta Surge Protector LA 302. The capacitor not only protects sensitive things like computers, it helps with the power factor.
6. Install 18" of insulation in the attic.
7. Install radiant barrier in the attic. I live in Texas and this step cut my electric use by 30% in the summer time.
8. Install timers on charging circuits for phone and computers.
9. I increased the size of the wire feeding large appliances like AC units. I get blow back on this, but wire resistance is figured at 86 degrees, my attic is well over a hundred degrees in the summer time and heat is resistance.
10. Install an electric use monitoring system, I use the Emporia Energy Monitoring System with the program real time read out on my tablet.
It also tracks day, month and year usage among other things. This tells you where you are using your electricity. It is easy to spot things like leaving a ceil fan or light I am not using.
 

BarryO

Senior Member
Location
Bend, OR
Occupation
Electrical engineer (retired)
EMP Shielding - so I install this and I'm safe from nukes. Got it.

This is reminiscent of the craziness you see in high-end audiophile marketing.
 
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