TVSS saving on utility bill?

[eelssu2001]

We just had a presentation on the Power Gleaner Product. Their claim to fame is that by installing their product on electrical distribution system that you will see a reduction on your utility bill of at least 10%. Has any one out there seen/ used this product?

http://www.powergleaner.com/

Thanks
Mike

 

[Mr. Bill]

A TVSS does not save on your Utility bill. It might save 10% on a single power cycle when there is a spike in power that it has cleared. But this is only 1/60th of a second. Not enough to be registered on a Utility bill. It's like saying a bulletproof vest will reduce your weight.

A TVSS is not designed as an energy saver. It's purpose is protection of your system and the equipment plugged into that system.

 

[code_compliant]

Tvss

Tvss

Installed a bunch of these for a commercial customer once. They "guaranteed" it would reduce energy consumption. I offered to install metering equipment, they politely declined saying it would take three months for everything to "cool off" and begin the real savings. Besides, the light bill would do the real talking.

The owner claims it did help but he failed to provide any real evidence. Sensing this was a delicate subject I asked if he'd recommend them to other business owners. I never really got a straight answer and suspect some buyers remorse thus I don't push the subject.

 

[dereckbc]

Pure fantasy, a TVSS is a passive device, and anyone making such a claim should be eliminated from consideration.

 

[ptonsparky]

Installed a bunch of these for a commercial customer once. They "guaranteed" it would reduce energy consumption. I offered to install metering equipment, they politely declined saying it would take three months for everything to "cool off" and begin the real savings. Besides, the light bill would do the real talking. ...

Boy, that line sounds familiar, although I did not offer to install metering.
'Cept this guy says the conductors become saturated over time and it takes a few months of filtering to clean things up.

 

[tom baker]

From an April 21, 2003 Mike Holt Newsletter, I saved it just in case:

TVSS CLAIMS ENERGY SAVINGS * UPDATE

Question:
Do you know anything about the Redi*Volt II System IV product line? It
appears to be a top*of*the*line product with energy saving guarantees. How
do I verify and compare this to other TVSS products? www.redivoltmfg.com
Anonymous

Mike Holt?s Comment:
If anybody tells me that they can save energy with a Transient Voltage
Suppressor (TVSS), then I know what product I would not purchase. There is
no way to save energy with such a device. Let the Buyer Beware! P.S. If
you?re an engineer, can you give me some feedback so I can send out to those
that might get sucked into this game?


There were 20 replies.
Sounds like the gas saving carborator the car mfgs don't want to use.

 

[iaov]

I went to a "Home Show" this weekend and ran into a company selling a device for power factor correction. Claim it will save on the electric bill. I think it is a capacitor in a can that you put across the phases. Any one have any experience with power factor correction in residential installations?? They are pretty inexpensive and there could be some money to be made installing them.

 

[dereckbc]

I went to a "Home Show" this weekend and ran into a company selling a device for power factor correction. Claim it will save on the electric bill. I think it is a capacitor in a can that you put across the phases. Any one have any experience with power factor correction in residential installations?? They are pretty inexpensive and there could be some money to be made installing them.

That is the Con, the TVSS manufacutre has PF correction capacitors installed in the unit. It saves the utility money, and makes the manufacture money at your expense. IT DOES NOTHING, other than filter high frequency noise off the line and correct the PF

 

[charlie]

Claim it will save on the electric bill.

I don't know of any electric utilities that measure reactive power on residential customers. We do not even measure reactive power on small commercial customers. :roll:

 

[brian john]

A local community newspaper had an article regarding saving money and energy consumption. A local residential electrical contractor that claimed to be a ENERGY EXPERT, claimed the device he installs sends back unused electricity to the power company, average saving 10%-12%. Now I am sure the reporter got part of the story wrong, I tried to contact her for further information, I received no response and have not followed up.

IMO these contractors are no better then the often quoted SNAKE OIL salesman. I believe this is fraud on someones behalf, maybe the contractor is in the dark, but the manufacture sure knows better.

 

[mdshunk]

These "power save" gadgets are sweeping through the Plain communities in my area, and I feel sorry for these folks. They're incredibly expensive for all the more they are, and these socially isolated folks are buying them like wildfire. They're generally very trusting, and they believe every word of the pitch. I'm talking about Mennonites, River Brethren, German Baptists, and liberal Amish. They go to Amway-like sales pitches in hotel meeting rooms and buy them up at the end. Regrettably, some of these pitches are going on in church meeting rooms too, which adds even more artificial credibility. I've been contacted by a few of these Plain folk that have become "dealers" (whatever that means) regarding installing these. I wish I has as charismatic and fact-filled counter-pitch as the snake oil men do, and I could save a bunch of hard working people a lot of money.

 

[iaov]

I used to work in a paper mill and we had a large bank of capacitors for PF correction. We also had over seven hundred motors in the place. A huge inductive load. That capacitor bank cost a fortune and I'm sure the mill got thier money out of it. Several of the caps blew up once (cause unknown, I'm glad I was nowhere near when it happened) and it was a major priority to get that bank back on line because of increased energy costs. Makes sense in an enviroment like that. I just don't see much savings for you average HO in who has a couple of fractional HP motors running in his bathrooms and a few horses for refridge and heating/cooling.Marc is probably right that this is "electrical snake oil.":smile:

 

[robbietan]

I went to a "Home Show" this weekend and ran into a company selling a device for power factor correction. Claim it will save on the electric bill. I think it is a capacitor in a can that you put across the phases. Any one have any experience with power factor correction in residential installations?? They are pretty inexpensive and there could be some money to be made installing them.

a 'power saver' exposed !!!!

 

[robbietan]

These "power save" gadgets are sweeping through the Plain communities in my area, and I feel sorry for these folks. They're incredibly expensive for all the more they are, and these socially isolated folks are buying them like wildfire. They're generally very trusting, and they believe every word of the pitch. I'm talking about Mennonites, River Brethren, German Baptists, and liberal Amish. They go to Amway-like sales pitches in hotel meeting rooms and buy them up at the end. Regrettably, some of these pitches are going on in church meeting rooms too, which adds even more artificial credibility. I've been contacted by a few of these Plain folk that have become "dealers" (whatever that means) regarding installing these. I wish I has as charismatic and fact-filled counter-pitch as the snake oil men do, and I could save a bunch of hard working people a lot of money.

I have the training and the facts but I dont have the media access of these people. best I can do is to follow these guys around when making their 'sales pitch' in my neighborhood.

 

[TRAEDAWG]

There is only one Technology that will reduce energy by absorbing harmful transients and creating a more efficient sine wave resulting in improved efficiency.

Removed link, Bob