electricity compressor, is there auch a device?

Question

i once had a chat with my dad about an electronic device that allowed you to run things plugged in at full power yet would use less wattage from the mains, therfore decreasing the electricity consumption. is there such a thing? i cant ask my dad cos he's dead now so has anyone else heard of this or knows what he could have meant.

Answer 1

There was a device on the market about 7-8 years ago that claimed to save energy, I think it was aimed at fridges and freezers, it was supposed to let the compressor start at full voltage and current and then reduce the power available to enable the motor to keep running, but at reduced cost. It never caught on and I think there were a lot of burnt out compressor motors!!

Since then freezers etc. are more efficient anyway, I would think that if it was a good idea that the manufacturers would build it in.


ADDED>>> This may or may not be the same device?? It looks similar! (Fourth down the list)

http://www.doctorenergy.co.uk/acatalog/POWER_CONDITIONING.html

Answer 2

Yes, but it only really applies to electric motors.

Electric motors are purely inductive, and change something called the "power factor" (PF). Ideally the PF should be 1.0, but inductive devices lower the PF to less than 1.0. You can add capacitance to the circuit of the inductive load to return the PF back to 1.0.

The electric company charges you more as the PF moves away from 1.0, either higher or lower.

There are devices around that claim to save you money on your refrigerator or freezer, because this is what they are doing.

Another aspect he may have been thinking of is balancing loads. Most people have 220V single phase coming into their house. That is 3 wires( Hot - Neutral - Hot), with 220V from the 2 outside wires, and 110V from the center to each outside wire.

If you have 2 - 1100 Watt, 110V devices, and hook both of them up to the same side of the 220 circuit (Hot - Neutral), you will be drawing 20A on one leg, 0A on the other and 20A on the center (Neutral). If you balance the loads, by moving the devices so that you have only one attached to each side, you will be drawing 10A on one leg, 10A on the other and 0 amps on the neutral.

The electric company will charge you less money in the second balanced example, even though you are using exactly the same amount of electricity.

Answer 3

power can neither be created or destroyed (outdoors of fission and fusion) it really is basically switched over from one variety to a special in many circumstances all power finally ends up as warmth (once you concentrate on machines that vent fluids, the following the equipment must be defined to guage the different room.) A television set will warmth up a room,as will a operating laptop or computer as will the radiant or fan heater. The heater is in simple terms extra appropriate at doing it. heaters are extra powerful and faster. For the fan heater a small quantity of electric powered power is used to delivery the nice and cozy air immediately onto the guy arising a thermal gradient and heating the guy up faster, for the fan electric powered power is became into kinetic power, which in time period is switched over into warmth. at the same time as in a television the electric powered power will specially be switched over to warmth, some will be switched over to ordinary, at the same time as the ordinary hits a wall and is absorbed it will be switched over to warmth, some will be switched over to sound and then to warmth. the television will vent the nice and cozy temperature out of the decrease back protecting the workings yet no longer heating any human beings effectively. because the heating isn't directed a lot extra power is lost to the ambience so the perceived heating result's a lot less. So 2 television gadgets will warmth up a room yet your idea will be that the heater would do it a lot faster, and as a lot less warmth will be lost so larger temperature will be reached.

Answer 4

Sorry about your dad. Yes, you can run the same voltage at less current, therefore using less wattage. If you know where to apply it, it's called a transformer. Make sure the device you are trying to limit power to can afford to be deprived that power.

Answer 5

converting 110v to 220v does the same thing.
Rewire the motor and change the breaker.