GFCI outlets - how many test/reset cycles are too many?
Hi everyone,
Does anyone know how many test/reset cycles normal duty GFCI outlets are designed for? I have an outlet that is located on the kitchen isle and is convenient for charging cellphones. So, I have the chargers plugged in and when we leave the house I would like to simply push the "Test" button to kill the chargers. When we come back, I would press "Reset" and start charging again. I am trying to eliminate the phantom loads but if it will wear GFCI outlet out too soon it would make no sense, so I'm trying to find out if this would be a good idea. Thanks! \//. ------------------------------------- ##-----------------------------------------------## Delivered via http://www.thestuccocompany.com/ Building Construction and Maintenance Forum Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup - alt.home.repair - 271061 messages and counting! ##-----------------------------------------------## |
GFCI outlets - how many test/reset cycles are too many?
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GFCI outlets - how many test/reset cycles are too many?
Hi everyone,
Does anyone know how many test/reset cycles normal duty GFCI outlets are designed for? I have an outlet that is located on the kitchen isle and is convenient for charging cellphones. So, I have the chargers plugged in and when we leave the house I would like to simply push the "Test" button to kill the chargers. When we come back, I would press "Reset" and start charging again. I am trying to eliminate the phantom loads but if it will wear GFCI outlet out too soon it would make no sense, so I'm trying to find out if this would be a good idea. Thanks! \//. ------------------------------------- ##-----------------------------------------------## Delivered via http://www.thestuccocompany.com/ Building Construction and Maintenance Forum Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup - alt.home.repair - 271061 messages and counting! ##-----------------------------------------------## They all tell you on the boxes to NOT use them as a switch. Logically, it will weaken them and they'll trip more easily until finally they trip all the time for no reason. -- Regards, Twayne OO0 is a GREAT MS Office replacement www.openoffice.org Please respond to the newsgroup, not to my e-mail, so that all may benefit. I do not always respond to newsgroup e-mails. |
GFCI outlets - how many test/reset cycles are too many?
DA had written this in response to
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/main...ny-285633-.htm : wrote: I'd just plug it into the light socket in your bathroom using an adaptor. That way the longer you **** the longer you can use the cellphone. Just think how much sense this makes. None at all: I will still need some light. \//. ------------------------------------- ##-----------------------------------------------## Delivered via http://www.thestuccocompany.com/ Building Construction and Maintenance Forum Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup - alt.home.repair - 271105 messages and counting! ##-----------------------------------------------## |
GFCI outlets - how many test/reset cycles are too many?
DA had written this in response to
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/main...ny-285624-.htm : Twayne wrote: They all tell you on the boxes to NOT use them as a switch. Logically, it will weaken them and they'll trip more easily until finally they trip all the time for no reason. Tripping for no reason would be pretty bad. I have discarded the package long time ago (and I don't believe I read anything on it in the first place) so thank you for telling me, I guess I'll just scrap that idea. \//. ------------------------------------- ##-----------------------------------------------## Delivered via http://www.thestuccocompany.com/ Building Construction and Maintenance Forum Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup - alt.home.repair - 271105 messages and counting! ##-----------------------------------------------## |
GFCI outlets - how many test/reset cycles are too many?
On Feb 2, 2:09�pm, (DA) wrote:
Hi everyone, Does anyone know how many test/reset cycles normal duty GFCI outlets are designed for? I have an outlet that is located on the kitchen isle and is convenient for charging cellphones. So, I have the chargers plugged in and when we leave the house I would like to simply push the "Test" button to kill the chargers. When we come back, I would press "Reset" and start charging again. I am trying to eliminate the phantom loads but if it will wear GFCI outlet out too soon it would make no sense, so I'm trying to find out if this would be a good idea. Thanks! i got curious once and checked the amp draw of a couple cell phone chargers, with nothing charging... not plugged in to phone the load was in the low milli amp area, basically nothing now the cable box we had was 50 watts. your better off chasing loads that matter |
GFCI outlets - how many test/reset cycles are too many?
On Feb 3, 5:33Â*am, " wrote:
On Feb 2, 2:09�pm, (DA) wrote: Hi everyone, Does anyone know how many test/reset cycles normal duty GFCI outlets are designed for? I have an outlet that is located on the kitchen isle and is convenient for charging cellphones. So, I have the chargers plugged in and when we leave the house I would like to simply push the "Test" button to kill the chargers. When we come back, I would press "Reset" and start charging again. I am trying to eliminate the phantom loads but if it will wear GFCI outlet out too soon it would make no sense, so I'm trying to find out if this would be a good idea. Thanks! i got curious once and checked the amp draw of a couple cell phone chargers, with nothing charging... not plugged in to phone the load was in the low milli amp area, basically nothing now the cable box we had was 50 watts. your better off chasing loads that matter An instant on TV set may use more than a cell phone charger. Don't know your cost of electrcity but these small items even if they use 10 watts (most don't even come close) your cost per continuous 24 hour day is a couple of cents. Hardly worth switching off if wear and tear causes one to buy another $10 GFCI and then have to wire it in (ten minute job?) and donate the old GFCI to the landfill? BTW this bsiness of eliminating phantom loads maybe makes sense if you are in hot climate. This where Air Conditioning use more energy to to remove heat and pump it outside! But in our cool climate where electricity is used for home heating any 'wasted' heat from using old fashioned incandescent light bulbs etc. is merely offsets by less energy used by our electric heaters! And it is in the evening when lights are likely to be on that heating is required. Where 'good' lighting is essential, e.g. work shop; we use fluorescent tubes anyway. Even recycled tubes and fixtures last a long, long time. Also energy conservation makes sense for outside lighting where wasted energy dissipates into cold air; but we haven't yet found an economical CFL that works reliably, is robust and gives good light in minus 15 to 20 degrees Celsius (around zero Fahrenheit). Ideas welcomed. |
GFCI outlets - how many test/reset cycles are too many?
In article ,
"Mark" wrote: I'd read that cell phone chargers are generally not 'phantom load', that is they don't consume any power when the phone is not connected. Not sure if that is the case for all of them but one way to tell is if the transformer is warm to touch even when the phone is not connected. If you are really concerned there is a device you can buy known as the Kill-A-Watt. It will measure how much power any plug-in device is actually drawing, and also tell you the accumulated KWh over a period of time. -- Larry Weil Lake Wobegone, NH |
GFCI outlets - how many test/reset cycles are too many?
DA had written this in response to
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/main...ny-285785-.htm : wrote: Think POWER STRIP !!!! They're $5. They have a switch. Well, I know that! And yet the outlet is conveniently installed INSIDE the cabinetry whereas the strip is going to hang off it and create a mess - not what I would want there. Still, I decided against using the GFCI outlet as a switch. \//. ------------------------------------- ##-----------------------------------------------## Delivered via http://www.thestuccocompany.com/ Building Construction and Maintenance Forum Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup - alt.home.repair - 271286 messages and counting! ##-----------------------------------------------## |
GFCI outlets - how many test/reset cycles are too many?
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