On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:44:09 -0600, Red Green
wrote:

Seerialmom wrote in
:

On Nov 19, 6:21Â*pm, "Bill" wrote:
Wired doorbells have a transformer which is always on and always
using electricity. This is yet one more thing in the house which does
this like TV, microwave, remote control things, things with clocks,
plug-in phones, etc.

These things add up...

I replaced/rewired my switch so the transformer is only on when the
doorb
ell
button is pressed! Thus the transformer is off most of the time now.

I installed a regular electrical box at my front door, ran 14 ga.
romex f
rom
this box to the doorbell transformer, then got a nice brass blank
wall plate, drilled a hole in this plate, then installed a 120V
momentary push switch in the plate. Then wired this to switch on the
transformer when th
e
button is pressed. Then connected the two wires which were going to
the o
ld
button so the doorbell would ring as soon as it receives power from
the transformer.

My first thought when reading this was "ok...so we'd save a few
pennies a month". But I investigated and found a rather interesting
read related to your theory where the author actually tested the
doorbell transformer using a Kill-A-Watt:

http://www.newenglandbreeze.com/nl/TEM20080901.html

Luckily my doorbell isn't lighted, so it's probably not worth my time
and effort to change.


Great... I'll eat the three bucks a year and take the beating for being
an environmental criminal.

The KillA Watt does not compensate for the terrible power factor of
an idle transformer - It will be indicating significantly higher than
the actual power disipation of the transformer.
The incandescent lamp in the lighted doorbel button is likely 80% of
the real draw.

Put a power factor correction capacitor across the transformer primary
and I'll bet the KillAWatt reads less than 1 watt.