On Jan 31, 10:39*pm, (Don Klipstein) wrote:
In article , Bill wrote:

A large number of ways to reduce electricity consumption, including but
not limited to disconnecting from power when-not-in-use the many things
that draw half a watt to a dozen watts when not doing anything,

including:

Switch for microwave. Off when not in use. (These use more electricity when
off than on. The clock is always on and this uses more electricity than you
use to periodically heat something up. It adds up to leave something on
24/7!)

* My microwave clock, including the power supply stuff for the microwave's
control electronics, draws 1 to 2 watts (reads 1 watt on my Kill-A-Watt
meter).

* If 2 watts is the case, then it draws 48 watt-hours in a day. *That is
20 cents a month or a bit more, almost $2.50 per year, with my electric
rate in suburban Philadelphia. *I would switch it off with a power
strip when not in use, except that I like to have that clock on.

* Although your other posted material makes sense and I agree with it
including disconnecting those low-power continuously-running loads, I take
issue with the microwave consuming more energy when not being used than it
does when it is being used.

* My microwave consumes maybe 48 watt-hours per day when it is not being
used. *It consumes a good 1300 watts when it is heating something up at
full power. *That amounts to 48 watt-hours in 2 minutes 13 seconds.

* On the other hand, if I did not powerstrip-switch my printer, it
probably would consume more energy when it is not being used than it does
when it is.

*- Don Klipstein )

"On the other hand, if I did not powerstrip-switch my printer, it
probably would consume more energy when it is not being used than it
does when it is."

I question this in 2 ways:

1 - From a power saving perspective, I wonder how much power the
printer uses when it runs through it's POST vs. it's total usage when
idle. When my printer powers on, it calibrates the printhead, using
it's blue-light sighting device and moving the printhead around within
the unit for a few seconds.It also runs through other tests which must
consume power - unless the LCD screen is lying to me. Granted, extra
long idle times might use more power than the POST, but the power used
during the POST has to factored into the equation. In additon, my
printer also goes into a PowerSave mode after an idle period. It does
not run through the full POST when woken up with a print job.

2 - From a strictly convenience perspective, this would be a pain in
my as...errr....house. We have a single All-In-One printer/scanner/
copier networked for the 3 computers in my house. To power it down
when not in use would mean a trip to the printer from the far end of
the house when any of the users wanted to print. First the error
message that the printer wasn't available, then a trip to the printer
to turn it on, back to the computer to click OK and back to the
printer to collect the printout and turn the printer off, assuming
it's not going to be used again soon. If there's any thought that it
might be used again, then it would be left on and the user would have
to remember to make another trip to the printer to turn it off
eventually.

Wait, maybe that's not a bad idea. The extra walking would be healthy
for us plus keep us warm so we could turn the heat down. ;-)