Power To The People Part 4: Pulling The Plug With A Switch
Dads everwhere have been clamoring for this.
Many appliances and electronics draw power when they are off or in an idle state. This is to allow for immediate power-on by the User. Some try to make this needless consumption appear necessary by tacking on useless features - like the clock on your stove or microwave. For the most part, this energy drain is not at all necessary.
Especially when some appliances garner infrequent use over the course of a week - like the washer/dryer and dishwasher. These should be denied their power consumption for the 95% of the time they are off. And moving the appliances from the wall to get at the plug is not an option!
So why not enable households with this “Super Power Strip”, which can cut off power to outlets and appliances when not in use. Sort of like a local fuse box terminal. A flick of the switch cuts off power at the outlet.
And the best way to deliver that sort of a control would be similar to a light switch. It’s very functional and practical. It may need a protective cover like a thermostat or my PowerBar switch design to prevent unintended switching.
In combination with one of those power consumption monitors, this tandem would be an effective tool for saving energy around the house.
Posted on November 21, 2010, in Appliances, Architecture, Electronics, Environment, Gadgets and tagged Consumerism, Electronics, Energy, Environment, Money, Technology. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.
Why not use a switch directly on the wall for each socket? Or if the socket is difficult to get to behind bulky appliances, why not use a foot switch or a power board? We use both and it serves us fine.
That would be nice, though it’s a bit cost-prohibitive. You would need an additional wire going all the way back to the fuse box to turn off the power. Even then that is no guarantee, because that fuse has to be physically switched to cut all power to that outlet.
The buttons on outlets located in bathrooms just route the power to a nearby relay for safety.
It wasn’t that expensive for us.. we bought half a dozen foot pedals at a local hardware store for around $15 each. According to our watt meters, when they’re off there’s no electricity flowing. They plug in in series with whatever you’re running. Something like this: http://www.envioustechnology.com.au/products/product-detail.php?ID=533 . There’s no running any connection back to any central fuse box, no need to get an electrician, just something you can plug in yourself.
Outlets with switches on the wall are so common here I think it’s part of the electrical code - I can’t remember ever seeing an outlet without a switch within Australia, even in old buildings. The switches on outlets most definitely cut off the electricity supply to that outlet (and just that outlet) by disconnecting the active wire, but the ground wire stays connected for safety. It saves having to plug/unplug something all the time, you just flip the switch to turn it off.