Sometime ago I walk passed a stall selling power saving unit, it clam
that you can save up to 30% of the electricity bill when you just plug
it into your
house power point. He than demo with a amp meter & a light box(I do
not know how many FL. light they had connected inside the light
box).The amp meter drop from 8A to 4A when they plug it into the power
point, I really don't belive it,but they can show proof infront of
you.Can any person help me to explain ?

There are all kinds of scams going on. I would have to personally test this
device in our company lab, and then do a follow-up with the power company
for verification. This type of proper testing can end up being expensive.

You should ask for the UL, or CSA, or EC registration numbers, and follow
this up, if you do not have an independent lab that can test this and follow
it up for you. Also, you can check for the ISO standard for this device. If
it is a viable product that connects to any type of AC mains it has to have
an electrical safety rating to be sold publicly.

There used to be something on the market called an "Energy Button". This was
a little disk shaped gadget that you would put inside a lamp socket, and
then screw the lamp in on top. This device was really a basic 1/2 wave
rectifier power diode. The lamp would work about 30% dimmer, and an amp
meter would read about 30% lower if put in series.

The problem with the Energy Button is that it was making the power 1/2 wave
rectified. This reduced the brightness of the lamp, and only an incandescent
lamp (lamp with a filament) can safely be used with this. One of the reasons
why this gadget was pulled from the market is that people were trying to
adapt it for other applications and were damaging their appliances, and etc.
A modern compact florescent would be damaged instantly with this gadget.
Some people tried to adapt this gadget to use on TV sets and radios. Many
were being instantly damaged!

If you want to save electricity, you can use lower wattage lamps where high
brightness is not required. Turn off appliances and lamps when they are not
required. Use compact florescent lamps where ever possible, or where they
can be tolerated. When you leave a room turn off the lights!

In air conditioning and heating systems, make sure that the filters are
always kept clean. The same is for the vacuum cleaner. When there is dirt in
a filter, the motor will work harder to move the required air.

In your home heating system, see if you can lower the hot water thermostat
by a number of degrees, and still have satisfactory hot water. The hotter
you keep it, the greater the cost. I tell people to set their hot water
thermostat to 130 F degrees instead of 140 F or 150 F degrees.

In the winter time when you are not home, lower the temperature by about 2
to 4 degrees. If you can tolerate an environment that is at 68 to 70 degrees
as the normal temperature instead of 72 to 74 degrees, this will also
decrease the heating cost.

Have your home checked for thermo leaks, and repair as necessary. Have the
efficiency of your home heating and air conditioning efficiency checked as
well.

There are many ways to save electric power. It has to do with your
lifestyle, and how you do things. Many people are waiting about 20% to 40%
of the power they use in their homes. Sometimes it may take an investment up
front to fix the problem, but over the long run, they will save.

--

Greetings,

Jerry G.
http://www.zoom-one.com/electron.htm
===========================


"mowhoong" wrote in message
om...
Sometime ago I walk passed a stall selling power saving unit, it clam
that you can save up to 30% of the electricity bill when you just plug
it into your
house power point. He than demo with a amp meter & a light box(I do
not know how many FL. light they had connected inside the light
box).The amp meter drop from 8A to 4A when they plug it into the power
point, I really don't belive it,but they can show proof infront of
you.Can any person help me to explain ?

"mowhoong" wrote in message
om...
Sometime ago I walk passed a stall selling power saving unit, it clam
that you can save up to 30% of the electricity bill when you just plug
it into your
house power point. He than demo with a amp meter & a light box(I do
not know how many FL. light they had connected inside the light
box).The amp meter drop from 8A to 4A when they plug it into the power
point, I really don't belive it,but they can show proof infront of
you.Can any person help me to explain ?

A basic fluorescent lamp is usually a highly inductive load. And would
have a lagging power factor and increased current. So, maybe the
box put a capacitor across the line to correct the power factor.

The amps dropped. So what? You aren't paying for amps, you're paying
for watt-hours or true power and that wouldn't be affected significantly.

Go back to that stall with a wattmeter and ask him to show that the
power usage was reduced!

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Home Page: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Site Info: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: The email address in this message header may no longer work. To
contact me, please use the feedback form on the S.E.R FAQ Web sites.

Thanks Sam for your inf.In our plastic moulding company,there is a power
saving unit,we did not use it due to breakdown on contactor inside the
unit,we found 6 nos of very big aluminium electrolytic capacitor,it seem
tobe what you have explain improve on the power factor,This unit was
connected to the 440volt 3 phase 300 amp,it was approve by the company
electrical consultant.although now we know the reason for power factor
improvement,but beside this,is there other reason like save on electricity
bill ?
Best Regards.


Sam Goldwasser wrote in message ...
"mowhoong" wrote in message
om...
Sometime ago I walk passed a stall selling power saving unit, it clam
that you can save up to 30% of the electricity bill when you just plug
it into your
house power point. He than demo with a amp meter & a light box(I do
not know how many FL. light they had connected inside the light
box).The amp meter drop from 8A to 4A when they plug it into the power
point, I really don't belive it,but they can show proof infront of
you.Can any person help me to explain ?

A basic fluorescent lamp is usually a highly inductive load. And would
have a lagging power factor and increased current. So, maybe the
box put a capacitor across the line to correct the power factor.

The amps dropped. So what? You aren't paying for amps, you're paying
for watt-hours or true power and that wouldn't be affected significantly.

Go back to that stall with a wattmeter and ask him to show that the
power usage was reduced!

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Home Page: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Site Info: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: The email address in this message header may no longer work. To
contact me, please use the feedback form on the S.E.R FAQ Web sites.

(mowhoong) writes:

Thanks Sam for your inf. In our plastic moulding company,there is a power
saving unit, we did not use it due to breakdown on contactor inside the
unit, we found 6 nos of very big aluminium electrolytic capacitor,it seem
to be what you have explain improve on the power factor,This unit was
connected to the 440volt 3 phase 300 amp,it was approve by the company
electrical consultant.although now we know the reason for power factor
improvement,but beside this,is there other reason like save on electricity
bill ?
Best Regards.

As an industrial customer, you pay for reactive power. This means that
improving the power factor saves money for you even if the real power
isn't reduced. Residential customers only pay for real power so unless
the power factor is very very poor and IR losses increase significantly,
reducing power factor doesn't do a lot for the electricity bill.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Home Page: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Site Info: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: The email address in this message header may no longer work. To
contact me, please use the feedback form on the S.E.R FAQ Web sites.




Sam Goldwasser wrote in message ...
"mowhoong" wrote in message
om...
Sometime ago I walk passed a stall selling power saving unit, it clam
that you can save up to 30% of the electricity bill when you just plug
it into your
house power point. He than demo with a amp meter & a light box(I do
not know how many FL. light they had connected inside the light
box).The amp meter drop from 8A to 4A when they plug it into the power
point, I really don't belive it,but they can show proof infront of
you.Can any person help me to explain ?

A basic fluorescent lamp is usually a highly inductive load. And would
have a lagging power factor and increased current. So, maybe the
box put a capacitor across the line to correct the power factor.

The amps dropped. So what? You aren't paying for amps, you're paying
for watt-hours or true power and that wouldn't be affected significantly.

Go back to that stall with a wattmeter and ask him to show that the
power usage was reduced!

"mowhoong" wrote in message
om...
Sometime ago I walk passed a stall selling power saving unit, it clam
that you can save up to 30% of the electricity bill when you just plug
it into your
house power point. He than demo with a amp meter & a light box(I do
not know how many FL. light they had connected inside the light
box).The amp meter drop from 8A to 4A when they plug it into the power
point,


If this device really does reduce the power, you have to consider whether it
is a good idea to do it through a box such as this.
Clearly, to do this, it will need to indiscriminatingly reduce the amount of
power to all devices connected through it.

Ask yourself, what about:
Cooker and oven:
Less power means less heat. Forget the settings
on the cooker, they no longer apply - how does the
idea of food poisoning grab you... still interested?
Microwave:
Once again, there is the chance of incorrectly
cooked food, if it cooks at all. Also, the method
used may damage the oven.
Light bulbs:
Less power means less light, you may as well just
get lower power bulbs.
TV:
The TV draws the current it needs, reducing the
power to it will either affect it's performance,
or kill it completely.
I think you can see where I am going... it is better to get lower power
equipment than to try stopping it from using what it really does need to
carry out it's task.

There are, of course, two other possibilities...
Fooling the meter:
I heard of such a device being made here in the
UK. In fact, I know a person who made them. As
such devices mean theft of electricity, anyone
using them can be busted, as can anyone selling
them. From what I hear, the shop got busted, but
the designer was never named, although the close
shave taught him a lesson.
Fooling the customer:
The device may be totally fake, with a rigged meter
being used to demonstrate some capability that does
not exist.
Such cons go on all the time, on market stalls and
street corners. Some such cons where products are
"faked" have now become famous as they have been
featured on TV.


I really don't belive it,but they can show proof infront
of you. Can any person help me to explain ?

Ever seen where someone appears to push their arm through a solid shop
window, then remove it with the window still in one piece?
What about David Blaine levitating in front of people in the street?
How about David Copperfield being sliced in half with a big rotating blade?

What you think you see is not always what is really happening.


LF.

Thanks to all who contribute and clarification on my topic.
"L. Fiar" wrote in message news:4099df76.0@entanet...
"mowhoong" wrote in message
om...

Sometime ago I walk passed a stall selling power saving unit, it clam
that you can save up to 30% of the electricity bill when you just plug
it into your
house power point. He than demo with a amp meter & a light box(I do
not know how many FL. light they had connected inside the light
box).The amp meter drop from 8A to 4A when they plug it into the power
point,


If this device really does reduce the power, you have to consider whether it
is a good idea to do it through a box such as this.
Clearly, to do this, it will need to indiscriminatingly reduce the amount of
power to all devices connected through it.

Ask yourself, what about:
Cooker and oven:
Less power means less heat. Forget the settings
on the cooker, they no longer apply - how does the
idea of food poisoning grab you... still interested?
Microwave:
Once again, there is the chance of incorrectly
cooked food, if it cooks at all. Also, the method
used may damage the oven.
Light bulbs:
Less power means less light, you may as well just
get lower power bulbs.
TV:
The TV draws the current it needs, reducing the
power to it will either affect it's performance,
or kill it completely.
I think you can see where I am going... it is better to get lower power
equipment than to try stopping it from using what it really does need to
carry out it's task.

There are, of course, two other possibilities...
Fooling the meter:
I heard of such a device being made here in the
UK. In fact, I know a person who made them. As
such devices mean theft of electricity, anyone
using them can be busted, as can anyone selling
them. From what I hear, the shop got busted, but
the designer was never named, although the close
shave taught him a lesson.
Fooling the customer:
The device may be totally fake, with a rigged meter
being used to demonstrate some capability that does
not exist.
Such cons go on all the time, on market stalls and
street corners. Some such cons where products are
"faked" have now become famous as they have been
featured on TV.


I really don't belive it,but they can show proof infront
of you. Can any person help me to explain ?

Ever seen where someone appears to push their arm through a solid shop
window, then remove it with the window still in one piece?
What about David Blaine levitating in front of people in the street?
How about David Copperfield being sliced in half with a big rotating blade?

What you think you see is not always what is really happening.


LF.

"L. Fiar" wrote in message news:4099df76.0@entanet...
"mowhoong" wrote in message
om...
Sometime ago I walk passed a stall selling power saving unit, it clam
that you can save up to 30% of the electricity bill when you just plug
it into your
house power point. He than demo with a amp meter & a light box(I do
not know how many FL. light they had connected inside the light
box).The amp meter drop from 8A to 4A when they plug it into the power
point,



Sounds like a capacitor to improve the power factor, it'll lower the reading
on an amp meter when running low power factor loads like cheap fluorescent
lights and motors, but it'll do nothing to reduce the reading of a watt-hour
meter which is what measures the power into your house.