Poll: How many kWh per day does your home use when you are away traveling?

[jlsoaz]

I'm wondering what results others are seeing as to their home's energy use when it is largely not in use other than awaiting the return of denizens.  Just to be clear: solar harvesting doesn't count here.  This is just about your home's energy use, not its net energy harvesting minus use equation.

[Support 4]

What is really a pain is seeing how my energy usage increases when we turn on the Air Conditioning.

[tlveik]

I was out a few days in January.  I'm right on the 4kWh line.  Or maybe slightly below, so I voted 3-4.

[jlsoaz]

I was out a few days in January.  I'm right on the 4kWh line.  Or maybe slightly below, so I voted 3-4.

cool chart.  I couldn't understand it at first since the y axis is not readily apparent as to quantity, but then I got it.

I also was out recently and ended up experimenting a bit.  The first time, I ended up where I knew I'd be roughly at the 3.6 kWh level.  The next time I unplugged a few small things that I've been thinking would help.  It got me down to about 2.5.  This table shows it (ignoring the couple of days of slightly higher usage when I was there for part of the day).



I think it would be down around 2.2 or so if I were not leaving a light on for security.  

Things that made a difference included:

- turning off circuits at the breaker panel: garage, HVAC, dishwasher
- unplugging 5 cordless phones
- turning off shower hot water recirculator (generally off anyway, but sometimes I forget).
- unplugging a couple of alarm clocks.
- turning off surge protector on one or two other things.
- unplugging one or two smaller UPS.
- turned off all internet related.  I guess I'd leave it on if I could figure out how to access ted5000 remotely, but I find it too difficult and so have not tried recently.

I should have but didn't unplug the TED5000 display.  This would have saved a slight amount each day.

A negative is that I need to turn on the vacation function on the solar hot water heater which I think then uses more electricity over time by recirculating the liquid to the roof at night so it will cool off and not build up too much heat or pressure.

There are other negatives to this strategy in terms of inconvenience or other.  I turned back on the HVAC circuit but did not wait 24 hours, instead I waited only about 9, so I hope that I didn't damage it.  

In theory the overall use can go as low as maybe 55 Watts (although unfortunately I don't remember the number with certainty) but it seems to have been averaging more around 100 Watts.  I'm not sure about explaining all of the difference, though I guess it is largely or entirely things that cycle (eg: the refrigerator, the solar hot water heater motor on vacation mode).

I don't think I can change my vote on my poll, but I guess eventually I should change it to 2-3.

[tlveik]

cool chart.  I couldn't understand it at first since the y axis is not readily apparent as to quantity, but then I got it.

Yea I should have said that the Y axis was 0-20 kwh.  It's easy for me to know what it means since I wrote the program.   

The only big consumers I would have had left were the refrigerator, cable box, and the furnace blower.  Dropping the cable box would have dropped 0.65 kwh.  Everything else would be pretty small.

[jlsoaz]

cool chart.  I couldn't understand it at first since the y axis is not readily apparent as to quantity, but then I got it.

Yea I should have said that the Y axis was 0-20 kwh.  It's easy for me to know what it means since I wrote the program.   

The only big consumers I would have had left were the refrigerator, cable box, and the furnace blower.  Dropping the cable box would have dropped 0.65 kwh.  Everything else would be pretty small.

Just wondering, why leave the cable box on?

[tlveik]

Just wondering, why leave the cable box on?

The cable box is also a DVR, I had some TV shows that I wanted to record while I was out.  I think there is an awful lot of power wasted in cable boxes all across the nation.  The power in mine doesn't drop at all when it's turned "off".

Also had to leave the furnace on low too to keep the pipes from freezing.

[jlsoaz]

Just wondering, why leave the cable box on?

The cable box is also a DVR, I had some TV shows that I wanted to record while I was out.  I think there is an awful lot of power wasted in cable boxes all across the nation.  The power in mine doesn't drop at all when it's turned "off".

Also had to leave the furnace on low too to keep the pipes from freezing.

I think it might be useful to create a list of devices that seem to stand out as being particularly clear candidates for needing improved efficiency:

initial nominations:

- some cable boxes
- always-on crankcase heater approach to HVAC systems
- cordless phones
- [edit to add] garage door motors and related, standing waiting to receive a signal.  Not sure how much this uses.

[tlveik]

I think it might be useful to create a list of devices that seem to stand out as being particularly clear candidates for needing improved efficiency:

initial nominations:

- some cable boxes
- always-on crankcase heater approach to HVAC systems
- cordless phones
- [edit to add] garage door motors and related, standing waiting to receive a signal.  Not sure how much this uses.

I think my refrigerator defrosts itself more often than it needs to and there is no way to control that.

[jlsoaz]

Interesting about the fridge, I started a separate thread for nominations and put your name on the two you had mentioned, but I'll take your name off if that's not to your liking.

My fridge I think I'm supposed to manually clean out of frost (it is a Sunfrost brand, very efficient) but I seldom do it.

I think it might be useful to create a list of devices that seem to stand out as being particularly clear candidates for needing improved efficiency:

initial nominations:

- some cable boxes
- always-on crankcase heater approach to HVAC systems
- cordless phones
- [edit to add] garage door motors and related, standing waiting to receive a signal.  Not sure how much this uses.

I think my refrigerator defrosts itself more often than it needs to and there is no way to control that.

[tlveik]

Interesting about the fridge, I started a separate thread for nominations and put your name on the two you had mentioned, but I'll take your name off if that's not to your liking.

Okay by me.

[jlsoaz]

Looks like we've got another vote or two in the over 6 kWh category.  I'm a little surprised, this would seem to figure to about 250+ Watts average.  I wonder what the main electric power-usage items are while people are away from home?

[TheBackRoads]

Better question, what DO you do to get under 6KW/day while gone?  Do you guys turn off breakers?  My stuff is off when I'm away, but lots of phantom loads ~250W.

[jfpetesn]

Freezer, 3 Refrigerators, Home Server, Pool are my big ones.

[RussellH]

Freezer, 3 Refrigerators, Home Server, Pool are my big ones.

DVR can be another.  Even when it appears to be off, it may actually be on waiting to record.

Another is a tank water heater.  (I have a 30 gallon one.)  While away on a two week vacation, I calculated that the average power draw was about 7W.  Guess how much power a timer uses?  If you said 7W, you'd be correct.