Is the clock in a coffee pot 120 v.

[Buck Parrish]

Had a customer ask me today. If their was a transformer in the small appliances. Because she was told to un-plug them to save energy.

I said true, unplugging a transformer would save a small amount of energy. But I thought the coffee pot and microwave and small appliances did not use a transformer for the clocks.
What do they use for the clocks, some kind of transistor?

 

[electricalperson]

i dont think the clock in the coffee pot will draw a lot of power. it probably costs 2 cents a year to operate or something like that

 

[ceb58]

Is the clock in a coffee pot 120 v.

Nope, it runs on caffeine:grin::grin:

 

[raider1]

Nope, it runs on caffeine:grin::grin:

Kind of like me.

Chris

 

[charlie b]

I said . . . unplugging a transformer would save a small amount of energy. But I thought the coffee pot and microwave and small appliances did not use a transformer for the clocks.

It would not matter if the clock ran off 120 volts directly, or if there was a transformer that converted the 120 to something else. The clock draws energy. Unplugging it will save energy. But I agree with electricalperson, that the amount of savings is not worth taking any effort to unplug, replug, and reset the clock.

I think your body would expend more energy in the physical act of moving the plug into and out of the outlet, than you would save in electricity by preventing the clock from running. You would have to make that energy up by periodically taking another sip of milk or another bite of peas, and you would have to leave the dining room lights on for a few more moments during these extended meals. It is actually a waste of energy to try to save energy in this fashion.

 

[Buck Parrish]

.

I think your body would expend more energy in the physical act of moving the plug into and out of the outlet, than you would save in electricity by preventing the clock from running. You would have to make that energy up by periodically taking another sip of milk or another bite of peas, and you would have to leave the dining room lights on for a few more moments during these extended meals. It is actually a waste of energy to try to save energy in this fashion.

That's a good one, I'll use it next time they ask. I will no what to say.

 

[mdshunk]

I don't know about coffee pots, but the clock on the wall has been stuck at 3 for days and days.

 

[Billy_Bob]

The document below has the standby power use listed for many appliances (Pg. 8 and on), but I don't see coffee maker listed.

BTW - I like the idea of switched countertop outlets in a kitchen. That is one or more additional switches next to the light switch. When done in the kitchen, turn off the lights and all countertop appliances too (Or leave them on if you wish).


Leaking Electricity: Individual Field Measurement of Consumer Electronics...
http://enduse.lbl.gov/info/ACEEE-Leaking.pdf

 

[Buck Parrish]

The document below has the standby power use listed for many appliances (Pg. 8 and on), but I don't see coffee maker listed.

BTW - I like the idea of switched countertop outlets in a kitchen. That is one or more additional switches next to the light switch. When done in the kitchen, turn off the lights and all countertop appliances too (Or leave them on if you wish).


Leaking Electricity: Individual Field Measurement of Consumer Electronics...
http://enduse.lbl.gov/info/ACEEE-Leaking.pdf

Thanks Billy Bob,
Thats how I have my shop wired. I hit a two switches and it turns off all the counter outlets and what ever tool is pluged in, including the soldering iron.

 

[LarryFine]

I think your body would expend more energy in the physical act of moving the plug into and out of the outlet, than you would save in electricity by preventing the clock from running. You would have to make that energy up by periodically taking another sip of milk or another bite of peas, and you would have to leave the dining room lights on for a few more moments during these extended meals. It is actually a waste of energy to try to save energy in this fashion.

(At the risk of injecting bathroom humor):

Not to mention slightly greater bath light and fan use.


I don't know exactly how much 'idle current' my whole house draws; I'm too laz..., I mean, too scared to check it.

 

[TOOL_5150]

I don't know about coffee pots, but the clock on the wall has been stuck at 3 for days and days.

Even then Marc, It is still right twice a day! :grin:

~Matt

 

[smo]

I don't know about coffee pots, but the clock on the wall has been stuck at 3 for days and days.

Wow, that's gotta help pad your labor costs, right? Makes for a long day...

 

[tom baker]

The small wall warts can consume, over the period of a year, considerable power.
From How Stuff Works (amazing what you can find with Google):
"If you have ever felt one and it was warm, that is wasted energy turned to heat. The power consumption is not large -- on the order of 1 to 5 watts per transformer. But it does add up. Let's say that you have 10 of them, and they consume 5 watts each. That means that 50 watts are being wasted constantly. If a kilowatt-hour costs a dime in your area, that means you are spending a dime every 20 hours. That's about $44 every year down the drain. Or, think of it this way -- there are roughly 100 million households in the United States. If each household wastes 50 watts on these transformers, that's a total of 5 billion watts. As a nation, that's half a million dollars wasted every hour, or $4,380,000,000 wasted every year! Think of what you could do with 4 billion dollars? "
I have many of mine on plug strips, that I can turn off, except for the TV, otherwise it looses its memory and presets. My computer has a smart plug strip, when the computer is off via a sensing outlet, it turns off all the connected loads. This plug strip was about $30 and I am sure it has paid for itself by now.