Which one saves energy? Running 1.5 HP Aircon but doesnt trip, or 2.5 HP Aircon?
494708
You have a 1.5 HP AC that is always running and a 2.5 HP AC that trips every 5 min. All things being equal which AC will consume the least power. \n\nAC’s have the compressor and a fan. The compressor consumes most of the power when it is on. I would guess that the difference in power consumption between the two AC fans is fairly close (a fraction of a HP each), which effectively factors the fans out. That leaves the compressors. A 2.5 HP AC will consume 1.7 times more power than the 1.5 HP AC. Therefore, if the 2.5 runs 5 min before trip than the 1.5 should go 8 or 9 min before tripping. If the 1.5 stays on all day then the 2.5 is more economical by far. \n\nPerhaps there is a malfunction either AC.
745468
Easy!\nIf the input is the same(1.1kW) it depends on their performance.
297080
Not sure I understand your question, but I think you could just parrelel it with your existing fan, instead of taking it off of the circuit board.  That is what I did when I added a duct booster fan to a long heat run in my house.  Those just have a fractional horsepower induction motor on them, so they dont take much electricity.
908625
Does your meter have an RMS stamp? Cheaper meters will work fine with filtered city power and constant DC but will not play nice with an RV generator output. Smaller generators put out "messy" power that work fine with most appliances anyway (except clocks and computers). \n\nIf your amperage spikes that high, you will blow fuses and you won't need a meter for that. If your fuses aren't blown, then they simply haven't seen their rated amperage. \n\nThe AC is the biggest load in an RV, (unless you've done something crazy with your home entertainment system). You can't buy a fold-down camper unit with anything smaller than a 30 amp "shore power" cord. The AC is just too big of a load. All RV's with 2 AC units have a 50 amp cord. \n\nI don't know if you have a generator or an AC problem at all. But you can't run an RV AC unit on a 15 amp cord. If it's the installed wiring and generator youre running on, you should be okay. If you've rigged a generator up and you're using 15 amp cord, it's just too small to supply the AC.\n\nIf the concern arose when the lights dim when the AC turns on, keep in mind that your little Onan is going to struggle with starting an AC unit more than the National Grid will when you plug into shore. Voltage will dip, and Current will spike on startup, that's just how those things are built.\n\nI hope somewhere in there you found something useful. I don't work on RV's anymore and it's hard to know what's going on if I'm not seeing it. But most electrical problems can be solved without a meter. (My test light was handy while my meter collected dust. I really only even used the voltage settings for the suspect batteries. And no, I couldn't afford an RMS one myself!)
283388
Standby lets you save energy by turning off the monitor & harddrive.\n\nHibernate saves more energy by essentially turning it off but remembers all your desktop activities (ie. nothing will be removed).  The computer also boots up faster from Hibernate than from a totally off state (persnal observation).\n\nTurn Off:  totally turns your computer off, but it is more time consuming to turn it on.\n\nLog Off: if you have diff users on your computer each having his own password and user name, then log off simply remove the current user (you) and allow the next user to "log on" and use his own settings.
74815
no that is why our electricity is ran house to house in ac.  it is safer to operate ac and also more energy efficient.
1026240
less than 0.3  for power sations\n0.5ohm for substation\n1 to 2 for homes
125096
No, generally speaking larger laptops use more power, usually because they are more powerful and have larger displays (which takes more electricity).  Smaller laptops tend to be less powerful, less features, and smaller screens, so therefore use less power.\nThis explanation does not apply to battery life as well though, if you are interested in this.  But since you mentioned Energy Star, I'm assuming you are most interested in Energy Conservation, not battery life.  For this, you will be best off with the smallest profile of laptop, the subcompact laptop, if it suites your needs.
22663
Either above ground or below you have loss dependent on the length of travel.  It is more efficient to run at higher voltages, that is why there are step up transformers at the beginning of long runs and step down transformers from the main lines to the house lines.\n\nSome loss occurs as a result of heat energy
661810
Short answer: no.\nLonger, more complete answer: it depends.\n\nWhile on, the UPS uses a small amount of electricity (which costs a small amount of money), produces a small amount of heat (which makes air-conditioning run a tiny bit more, which costs money), and provides a small charge to the battery in the UPS which keeps it in tip-top condition (maximum battery life).\n\nWhile off, the UPS uses no power and produces no heat, but the internal battery "self-discharges" at a slow rate.  This means that you won't have 100% capacity when you turn it (and the computer) on, and the repeated small self-discharge & re-charge cycles will slightly shorten the life of the internal battery. If there are long periods when the computer (& UPS) would be off (like weeks), then this self-discharge could be significant.\n\nSo, if electricity is hideously expensive, or air-conditioning is costly or unavailable, then turning off the UPS might make sense.\n\nIf you've got no money to replace the UPS and the battery has to last as long as possible, leaving the UPS on makes sense.
319509
Its impossible to tell how many watts the computer is consuming by a program, but there are ones out there that can tell you the voltage.  this is what you need to know.  as far as if you power supply is powerful enough, anything of 450 should be more than enough unless you have some kind of huge amazing rig setup.  Mine is 500 and Im powering 3 hard drives with it.
174897
1.\nPower down all nonessential functions. Switch it off if you're not using it. Many business travelers already know that you don't want to take the DVD player for a spin on the plane, and that every time you hit "save" it can set the hard-drive whirring, which devours even more power. "But users often also forget to turn off their wireless card when they are no longer using it but are still using their computer," notes Mike Fuller, executive vice president of PC Laptops, a Sandy, Utah, laptop manufacturer. "When the wireless card is on, it still continually searches for networks." In Windows XP, click on "Power Options" in your control panel. It allows you to reduce the power consumption of any number of your computer devices or of your entire system.\n \n2.\nStay out of extreme temperatures. The technology that powers you battery isn't terribly complicated. But it's important to understand a little bit about the chemistry behind batteries, and how that can affect your work. Specifically, temperatures can affect the performance of your battery. It's best to use (and especially charge) your batteries at room temperatures. Extreme conditions can drain your battery quickly. Also, avoid partial charges and use the battery until it is dead. Battery experts liken partial charges — and discharges — to eating a cup of lard every day. It significantly shortens your battery's life. Considering that a lithium-ion battery can explode if it's improperly used, it could also shorten your life.\n \n3.\nLet your laptop do the saving. Not every computing device handles a power source in the same way. Some of the more sophisticated laptops, which are designed with business travelers in mind, are misers when it comes to using power. And that's a good thing — if you can remember to take advantage of it. "Most users make the mistake of simply not choosing to use a product's built-in ability to conserve battery life," says Dan Coffman, a senior product manager for PC manufacturer ViewSonic. How do you harness your PC's built-in ability to save? Consult your user manual. Often, calibrating your laptop is as easy as double-clicking on the battery icon in the toolbar.\n \n4.\nAlways, always carry a spare device that uses batteries. How obvious is that? Well, if you're trying to keep under the onerous new airline weight-limits, it isn't. But as Rick Thompson, director of engineering at Valence Technology in Austin, Texas, observes, "the availability of 'free' power outside of your hotel room is not predictable." That's a nice way of saying it. In fact, I sometimes think airport terminals, car-rental facilities and hotels try to hide the power outlets from us to keep us from accessing their free power. Thompson recommends a system that can simultaneously charge a second portable device such as a cell phone or PDA, allowing you to multitask your battery operations.
223993
Strcitly speaking, in a load that is 100% resistive, they are the same.  However, it is rare (especially in power grids) to have 100% resistive load -- the circuit is generally inductive and inductors and capacitors not only pull power, but can return power to the system. \n\nSo, a power supply that says 1500 V-A or 950 Watts is counting on your system having some inductance, and being able to pull 1500 V-A for some short period of time but on average dropping down to a lighter overall load. \n\nIt might help to consider the "other" definition of power, too.  Remember Watts is also "joules/second" -- energy per unit time.  Instantaneously,  a 1500 V-A circuit might draw the total power, but it is assumed (for the most part) that (for example) once the motors are spinning, the load drops.
532973
No. In both, you have a blower, much of the power (volts x amps x power factor) for that is pushing air around, some of that power is lost in heat.\n\nIn a heater (furnace) most of the power goes to heating elements. The remainder goes to the blower motor.\n\nIn an air conditioner, you have the same blower that you have in the heater, you also have the compressor (using power). Like the blower, much of the compressor power is doing work (squashing a gas back to a fluid [once it move through the condenser]). The remainder is lost in heat. The condenser unit (outside of your house) has boat loads of heat radiating from it. This is partially the heat being removed from your house (the main function of the air conditioner).
257792
When it says that it's 120VAC, it means that it's designed to run on power from the wall.  It's not designed for a low voltage (12V) situation.  The amperage measures at what current it might start malfunctioning.  Since a relay is a sort of switch, it's not a question of that much power being dissipated in the device.  (If it was generating 1200 W, it would be as hot as a toaster).
580159
The AC Switch Block allows a conventional 5V signal to control a much larger AC line. The switch can handle up to 16 Amps of current provided it is kept cool enough. At 110V, this is more than 1500W. We suggest that this limit be approached very carefully and recommend staying far beneath this.\n\nOnce an AC line is connected to the AC terminals, several places on the board will become live. This makes it absolutely essential that the board be mounted in a way that will prevent short circuits and accidental human contact. This is true even for rough prototypes or trial hook ups. Treat AC line voltages with much respect.\n\nHow Do I Use This?\nWith your AC device unplugged, first determine which cable from your AC device's power cord should be switched. It's best to switch the "live" or "hot" wire. On any AC outlet, there are usually 3 slots (sometimes 2). The right slot, which is slightly smaller than the left slot, is the "live" slot - check which prong plugs into this slot when you plug the AC device in to confirm which wire is live.\n\nOnce you've determined which wire is live, snip it in two somewhere along its length, strip about 1/8" insulation away from both the open ends, and tin the exposed wires. Make sure to leave enough slack on the cord for the two tinned ends to be inserted to the two AC connectors on the AC Switch Block.\n\nA small 5V signal applied to the D0 input will control the switch that turns the AC device on and off. Run a wire from the 0V connector on the AC Switch to the ground of the device providing the 5V signal. Double check that all your connections are correct, and plug in the AC device to the wall - now, a 5V signal on the D0 input turns the device on and a 0V signal turns it off.\n\nApplications\n-Automate Your Household. Many household appliances such as lights, fans, blenders, drills, vacuums, etc. run on AC power. Now you can use the behavior from a Poly Block an Intro Module, or any other device that put out 5V, to control these kinds of devices.
146836
Absolutely, but you will want to find a linux that has built in power saving settings.  Windows has features that will detect if the computer it is on is running on battery or on direct power.  When on battery, certain things are done to save energy: CPU is run at slower speed, consuming less power and running cooler.  The CPU fan is run less often.  The screen is run at a lower light level.  And the drives are parked and slept when not in use.  All these extend the life of the battery greatly.  You will want to find a version of linux that can perform these functions or the battery life on the notebooks will be very short.  Even more so since the batteries are very old by now.  If you plan on running the laptops on power all the time, then it will come down to your preference as to what version of Linux you should use.