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Don Klipstein Don Klipstein is offline
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Default How much power does a 120v 15A lighted switch use anyway?

In , wrote:

On Tue, 18 May 2010 01:53:25 +0000 (UTC), Glenda Copeland
wrote:

Just bought a dozen Leviton decora single pole 15A 120VAC lighted rocker
switches (model 5611, aka model 105-05611-21S).

Nothing on the box says how much power each of the lighted bulb uses when
the switch is in the off position.

Do you know how much power a lighted switch uses?


A neon uses about 0.15KWH a year.


I had experience with a lighted switch at my day job. The neon lamp was
definitely a high intensity type, probably C2A (NE-2H) or A1C ("mini
NE-2H").

Figure about 1/4 watt for those, which means around 2.2 KWH per year
times 1/100 of the percentage of the time that the neon lamp is on.

That is, until the neon lamp starts flickering (uses less then) after
25,000-50,000 hours. High intensity neon lamps in 120 VAC use tend to
flicker and then gradually completely die as they age. Standard intensity
ones do less of that and more of simply fading from their bulbs being
discolored.

- Don Klipstein )