Buy Belkin or APC surge arrestors. They come with warranties that will cover damages to equipment plugged in that are damaged during a power surge.
Mini Sun Power
- Thread starter armadillo
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Buy Belkin or APC surge arrestors. They come with warranties that will cover damages to equipment plugged in that are damaged during a power surge.
There's something known as power factor. Power factor is the ratio of real power consumed by a device to the power used in total.
ie. If your computer draws 160W of power and has a power factor of 0.8, PUB/ PowerGrid actually uses 200W (160W/0.8) to deliver that 160W of power.
That additional 40W is not recorded by your meter and it's the power used to deliver the 160W to your computer.
It's also known as imaginary power and you're not charged for this 40W of power if the billing address is a residential property.
A power factor correction (PFC) device basically helps to improve power factor (I shall not dwell on the technicalities). Passive PFC devices can raise it to 0.9++ easily and active PFC devices to 0.98+.
So an active PFC built into your computer power supply means that only 3W of power is used to deliver that same 160W.
The device named in the thread is more or less a PFC device with some noise filtering. The thing is that you'll see very minimal (if any) difference because you're not paying for power factor.
If you're using this in commercial properties like a shop space etc. Using PFC devices does make sense because you have to pay for power factor.
correct me if i got the wrong idea. so the adding of the capacitors sort of counter-reacts the inductance of the appliance due to an AC current, and when the vector addition of the reactance and capacitance(and of course resistance) decreases the effective impedence, the power taken in by the impedence reduces, saving money since the only useful energy is the power dissapated by the resistive part?
gee, i am confused already.
correct me if i got the wrong idea. so the adding of the capacitors sort of counter-reacts the inductance of the appliance due to an AC current, and when the vector addition of the reactance and capacitance(and of course resistance) decreases the effective impedence, the power taken in by the impedence reduces, saving money since the only useful energy is the power dissapated by the resistive part?
gee, i am confused already.
Power factor is caused by the phase difference between voltage and current supplied to a device.
The addition of capacitors and inductors in a PFC device just compensates for the phase difference depending on whether it's a phase lag or phase lead.
You can read up more on PFC on the net. Wiki is a good start.
Anyway, long story cut short, the device in question is not required for homes. Might be useful for shops, tuition centres, offices etc. Particularly if connected on the same line as devices like CRT TV's/ monitors, refrigerators, regular air-con compressors and motor driven devices.
my mum did a cost&benefit analysis on the product, and found out that the (savings - cost) amount is very very minimal
R
rahman888
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Quoted from The Straits Times
One trader has already been warned, but others still stand by their products
By Joann Tan and Crystal Chan
A CONTROVERSIAL energy-saving black box that got a trader into trouble with consumer watchdog Case has several twins in the market.
At least five other companies are also selling gadgets they claim can reduce a family's power bill substantially, with one saying savings can be as much as 40 per cent.
Advertisement
These devices, costing $120 to $160, were found on the websites of iPoint Communications, Seraphine Ventures, Nisus Innovative Enterprise, Concept Power and Projectaces Energy Works.
When contacted, three stood firm by their products, despite a Straits Times report yesterday that electrical goods wholesaler Trends Home Electrical had received a warning under the new Fair Trading Act to stop its false claims.
However, iPoint Communications, Nisus Innovative Enterprise and Seraphine Ventures were also quick to stress that the use of their products is governed by several conditions.
They range from the size of the home, the number of electrical appliances used and plugging it at what they refer to as 'the most efficient location', to using the device for heavy-duty appliances, such as air-conditioners and washing machines, for maximum benefit.
'And if a customer sees no difference in his power bill, he can return the product and we will give him a refund,' said an official of Seraphine.
It sells Max Power Saver, that is said to give energy savings of 10 to 30 per cent.
All three companies claim their devices had been tested by PSB Corporation.
The other two companies could not be reached for comment.
They are Concept Power, selling Energy Saver ES3213 - said to give energy savings of 5 to 40 per cent - and Projectaces Energy Works, whose Home Energy Saver claims to save up to 35 per cent.
When buying these products, a PSB spokesman told The Straits Times yesterday that potential customers should ask for the test report from the retailer.
'The report would show the difference in power before and after using the product,' she said.
'Then, it's up to consumers to decide if the product is worth buying.'
She added that even if the product is PSB-tested, it should be certified by PSB - because being tested could also mean that the product had failed the test.
Trends, in its brochures, had implied that its J & G Power device was endorsed by PSB, with a line reading: 'Ingeniously designed for easy use, J & G Power is tested by PSB Singapore.'
It claimed the gadget, when plugged into an electrical outlet, can bring energy savings of up to 30 per cent. However, PSB tests found the savings to be 7 per cent at most.
Following complaints, Case told Trends to stop misleading consumers with false claims. If it persists, Case can wield the Fair Trading Act to get a court order requiring Trends to comply.
Yesterday, Case received another four complaints about the product, said its executive director Seah Seng Choon.
'Most complain that it did not perform as claimed,' he said.
Also claiming to give savings of up to 30 per cent is the Mini Sun Power Saver, available at both iPoint and Nisus.
However, Mr Alfred Loo, an iPoint partner, cautioned that the device chosen must suit the home's energy consumption level.
To help buyers pick the appropriate model from the 'many models of Mini Sun Power Saver', he said his company will contact every customer who buys at its website to advise them.
The 30 per cent savings, he said, are based on the guidelines given by the Malaysian-based manufacturer, the test report of PSB Corporation and customers' feedback.
Experts interviewed are sceptical about such claims.
One of them is Professor Choi San Shing, head of the power engineering division at Nanyang Technological University.
'The products that I've examined work by reducing the voltage or power used by the electrical appliances,' he said.
When power is reduced, the compressors in air-conditioners may need to work harder.
The result can be unpleasant. 'Not only will this spoil the air-conditioner faster, it may even lead to a higher bill,' said Prof Choi.
Also see:
http://www.case.org.sg/downloads/C@S...ssue30.htm#VCA
http://www.case.org.sg/downloads/C@SEBites/issue40.html
One trader has already been warned, but others still stand by their products
By Joann Tan and Crystal Chan
A CONTROVERSIAL energy-saving black box that got a trader into trouble with consumer watchdog Case has several twins in the market.
At least five other companies are also selling gadgets they claim can reduce a family's power bill substantially, with one saying savings can be as much as 40 per cent.
Advertisement
These devices, costing $120 to $160, were found on the websites of iPoint Communications, Seraphine Ventures, Nisus Innovative Enterprise, Concept Power and Projectaces Energy Works.
When contacted, three stood firm by their products, despite a Straits Times report yesterday that electrical goods wholesaler Trends Home Electrical had received a warning under the new Fair Trading Act to stop its false claims.
However, iPoint Communications, Nisus Innovative Enterprise and Seraphine Ventures were also quick to stress that the use of their products is governed by several conditions.
They range from the size of the home, the number of electrical appliances used and plugging it at what they refer to as 'the most efficient location', to using the device for heavy-duty appliances, such as air-conditioners and washing machines, for maximum benefit.
'And if a customer sees no difference in his power bill, he can return the product and we will give him a refund,' said an official of Seraphine.
It sells Max Power Saver, that is said to give energy savings of 10 to 30 per cent.
All three companies claim their devices had been tested by PSB Corporation.
The other two companies could not be reached for comment.
They are Concept Power, selling Energy Saver ES3213 - said to give energy savings of 5 to 40 per cent - and Projectaces Energy Works, whose Home Energy Saver claims to save up to 35 per cent.
When buying these products, a PSB spokesman told The Straits Times yesterday that potential customers should ask for the test report from the retailer.
'The report would show the difference in power before and after using the product,' she said.
'Then, it's up to consumers to decide if the product is worth buying.'
She added that even if the product is PSB-tested, it should be certified by PSB - because being tested could also mean that the product had failed the test.
Trends, in its brochures, had implied that its J & G Power device was endorsed by PSB, with a line reading: 'Ingeniously designed for easy use, J & G Power is tested by PSB Singapore.'
It claimed the gadget, when plugged into an electrical outlet, can bring energy savings of up to 30 per cent. However, PSB tests found the savings to be 7 per cent at most.
Following complaints, Case told Trends to stop misleading consumers with false claims. If it persists, Case can wield the Fair Trading Act to get a court order requiring Trends to comply.
Yesterday, Case received another four complaints about the product, said its executive director Seah Seng Choon.
'Most complain that it did not perform as claimed,' he said.
Also claiming to give savings of up to 30 per cent is the Mini Sun Power Saver, available at both iPoint and Nisus.
However, Mr Alfred Loo, an iPoint partner, cautioned that the device chosen must suit the home's energy consumption level.
To help buyers pick the appropriate model from the 'many models of Mini Sun Power Saver', he said his company will contact every customer who buys at its website to advise them.
The 30 per cent savings, he said, are based on the guidelines given by the Malaysian-based manufacturer, the test report of PSB Corporation and customers' feedback.
Experts interviewed are sceptical about such claims.
One of them is Professor Choi San Shing, head of the power engineering division at Nanyang Technological University.
'The products that I've examined work by reducing the voltage or power used by the electrical appliances,' he said.
When power is reduced, the compressors in air-conditioners may need to work harder.
The result can be unpleasant. 'Not only will this spoil the air-conditioner faster, it may even lead to a higher bill,' said Prof Choi.
Also see:
http://www.case.org.sg/downloads/C@S...ssue30.htm#VCA
http://www.case.org.sg/downloads/C@SEBites/issue40.html
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