Timers are expensive!
- Thread starter joephys
- Start date
This should put an end to any debate.
Here's the label on an Intermatic 24 Hr. Heavy-Duty Timer that I got at Home Depot.-
Here it is plugged into my Kill-A-Watt meter.
The Results - 0.0 watts, 0.00 Amps, and 0.00 kwh
I'll keep it plugged in for a week and see if there is any measurable energy consumption.
Here's the label on an Intermatic 24 Hr. Heavy-Duty Timer that I got at Home Depot.-
Here it is plugged into my Kill-A-Watt meter.
The Results - 0.0 watts, 0.00 Amps, and 0.00 kwh
I'll keep it plugged in for a week and see if there is any measurable energy consumption.
As I posted early in this thread, folks are failing to distinguish between the carrying capacity of the units and the unit's own energy comsumption. The units themselves use less power than night lights. None is so blind as he who will not see. When you buy a heavy duty extension cord, do you really think that plugging that cord in will use all the power for which it is rated? Or that it just means that you can use that cord to carry that power to equipment you plug into it? Light switches, power cords, circuit breakers, timing devices, etc. are all rated for what they can carry and feed, not for what they themselves use when not even in use. I cannot believe this thread has made it to two dozen posts and we still have no common and accepted understanding of the basis for the discussion.
OK,...
Yes people are failing to distinguish that. Recently people have posted what they have have seen as energy consumption with nothing plugged into the timer, just the timer plugged into the wall. That is what I was looking for.
The timers are rated for (as seen two posts above in the picture) 125V at 15 amps, that is 1875 watts.
This means that you can have a that much plugged into the unit. For those of you that have said that the timer means you can plug in a 1/3 hp motor, that is just plane wrong, 1875 watts= 2.5 hp.
The 1/3 hp rating is the rating of the motor inside the timer (INSIDE THE TIMER!!!). That is what this was about. People have shown that it infact doesn't use 1/3 hp using those kill-a-watt things. I thank them for that, but now I wonder why that is the rating, but it doesn't acutally use it.
Yes people are failing to distinguish that. Recently people have posted what they have have seen as energy consumption with nothing plugged into the timer, just the timer plugged into the wall. That is what I was looking for.
The timers are rated for (as seen two posts above in the picture) 125V at 15 amps, that is 1875 watts.
This means that you can have a that much plugged into the unit. For those of you that have said that the timer means you can plug in a 1/3 hp motor, that is just plane wrong, 1875 watts= 2.5 hp.
The 1/3 hp rating is the rating of the motor inside the timer (INSIDE THE TIMER!!!). That is what this was about. People have shown that it infact doesn't use 1/3 hp using those kill-a-watt things. I thank them for that, but now I wonder why that is the rating, but it doesn't acutally use it.
There are two reasons.
1. It may be a typo that the company has missed (very common)
2. It is the tested rating of the motor at maximum capacity. (not commonly put on consumer packaging)
I would call the company and ask. Most likely you missed something.
1. It may be a typo that the company has missed (very common)
2. It is the tested rating of the motor at maximum capacity. (not commonly put on consumer packaging)
I would call the company and ask. Most likely you missed something.
"The timers are rated for (as seen two posts above in the picture) 125V at 15 amps, that is 1875 watts.
This means that you can have a that much plugged into the unit. For those of you that have said that the timer means you can plug in a 1/3 hp motor, that is just plane wrong, 1875 watts= 2.5 hp."
OK, electric swithes (relays, triacs, so on...) have dual ratings for what type of load they can handle. Ratings for resistive loads like incandescent lights and heaters are higher than inductive loads like electric motors and transformers. The reason for this is due to the fact that inductive loads have "apparent" power VS. "true" power. An inductive load has properties where the voltage and current are out of phase (180 degrees if I remember my math). This means that during certain parts of the AC cycle there is more 'instantaneous current'. This is why you have dual ratings and why lights are rated in watts and motors are rated in horsepower.
This means that you can have a that much plugged into the unit. For those of you that have said that the timer means you can plug in a 1/3 hp motor, that is just plane wrong, 1875 watts= 2.5 hp."
OK, electric swithes (relays, triacs, so on...) have dual ratings for what type of load they can handle. Ratings for resistive loads like incandescent lights and heaters are higher than inductive loads like electric motors and transformers. The reason for this is due to the fact that inductive loads have "apparent" power VS. "true" power. An inductive load has properties where the voltage and current are out of phase (180 degrees if I remember my math). This means that during certain parts of the AC cycle there is more 'instantaneous current'. This is why you have dual ratings and why lights are rated in watts and motors are rated in horsepower.
OK, did some more research (its 90 degrees out of phase not 180. voltage leads current). The main factor for different ratings is this:
"Devices such as motors, solenoids or coils can produce capacitive or inductive electrical loads. When power is applied or removed from these devices, it can produce a current spike from 4 to 10 times the switch's steady-state current. This spike in the current can arc across the contacts of the switch, causing the contacts to fuse together or stick."
This is why switches are rated lower for inductive loads like motors than resistive loads like heaters.
"Devices such as motors, solenoids or coils can produce capacitive or inductive electrical loads. When power is applied or removed from these devices, it can produce a current spike from 4 to 10 times the switch's steady-state current. This spike in the current can arc across the contacts of the switch, causing the contacts to fuse together or stick."
This is why switches are rated lower for inductive loads like motors than resistive loads like heaters.
