My power usage

[wpowokal]

Last time I visited my favorite electrical wholesaler I picked up a KwH metre, and for the last two months have been measuring my usage.

I only measured the major items, lighting is not easy to measure without breaking into wiring so was not, also only domestic usage was measured.

On average I use 3.5Kw/day for domestic purposes, not surprisingly the fridge was the biggest user at 50%. I space heat with wood, cook with LPG and heat water with LPG.

TV 0.26%

Fridge 50% (measured in Spring)

Washing Machine (F&P) 3.7%

Microwave 0.4%

Printer/fax so little it did not register

Computer 6%

Deep fryer, cloths dryer are used infrequently.

Other loads are lights, radio, cordless phones, TV aerial P/S, weather station P/S and a power supply for digital metering.

So no real surprises but it's still nice to know where it's going, if I needed to conserve I would do away with the plug pack power supplies, but for now they stay.

Regards

Allan down under

[jimjjnn]

Put the "Plug packs " on switched plug strips. That way they can be shut down .

[Shadow]

WE plan on getting a new energy efficient fridge,so to compare I put the watt meter on our old one, when running it uses 300 watts, over a 25 hour period it used 5.45 kw! Thats over 5000 watts a day! The new one were looking at is around 1000 watts a day.Old one is a side by side from the eightys.

[wpowokal]

Yea old fridges are very inefficent, mine is rated at 160W, freezer on top the best we could buy at the time knowing we were going off grid.

Here in OZ many use old fridges as beer fridges, with little regard to their power consumption, hey it'e cheep anyway, isen't it.

And anyway is the beer cold, well whats your problem.

I decided to remain with standard mains appliances, I know I could buy a gas fridge or better but everything is a comprimise. I prefer to conserve my usage of standard appliances.

allan down under

[nothing to lose]

"Deep fryer, cloths dryer are used infrequently."

Yep some of the heaviest loads are the most seldom used.

I see no reason not to have bread machine, toaster, coffe maker, deep fryer, etc... even if offgrid. Though some items you may want to use more durring dumpload times than other times.

Now that Clothes dryer I would wonder about that. Used infrequently yes, but how big a load is washer dryer when in use, may be a large part of weekly load even though not a daily load perhaps. But as long as you have plenty of clothes to go an extra day or two even those can be used durring the best times like while dumping excess power.

[nothing to lose]

 If your near by I'll be glad to haul off that old one for you

Have you done anything to better insulate it? Sides, top, doors? Are the door gaskets sealing tight? How often is it held open on the freezer or fridge side (user error) etc.. Is it near the stove? 5000watts seems high to me if all is well, but then I never had one of those. Been wanting one though so interested if that's a normal power usage or a problem somewhere like a bad gasket not sealing tight!

Something that seems to always be done is put the fridge right next to the stove! Only place in my trailer house to fit one, right next to the stove! Moms big house, giant kitchen, right next to the stove!

So we have a heater warming an ice chest. WOW, that is SMART

Anyway just wondering how it would do if insulated better.

Remember a manufacutor always uses fictious testing data. Like the cars that get 45MPG on the sticker (highway MPG running downhill at 45mph with a tail wind) but only 40MPG real life average after you buy it, no matter how you drive it. Real life you don't drive highway running downhill at 45mph with a tail wind very often!!!

Or a hot water tank sticker $15 per month average costs, tested with one tank of water, never any cold fresh water added like in normal use (they don't say that though). Sure any water tank uses less power to just keep the same 30 gallons hot for 30 days! Not real life useage though.

I would like to know how the 1000watt fridge does after you get it, using it same as this one you have now. What is the usable size difference?? Does it store as much food in freezer or fridge? 3/4 as much? 1/2 as much?

A smaller car should use less gas most often (buick Lasabre 6cyl auto got 33mpg, turbo daytona 4cyl 5spd 30mpg, so not always the small car wins) and a smaller fridge SHOULD use less power.

 They probably came by that power usage running it in a 60F room for a few days, never opening it, never putting in any warm food after dinner, never making ICE in the freezer using warm water, no kids grabbing sodas 5 times a day etc...

 I am sure it will do better than the side by side, but I would like to know how far off the 1000watt rating is in real daily usage.

[nothing to lose]

"I decided to remain with standard mains appliances,"

Me too, at least for now.

If propane/LP gas goes sky high it would cost more to run a LP fridge then. Heck toss up an extra wind genny and forget it with standard mains stuff. If the cost was not so much more I would like a DC fridge and for get the inverter part, but the extra cost for the DC fridge pays for an inverter!!