[FoolYap]

I'm trying to reduce our home power consumption. I already have CFs everywhere in the house where it makes sense. (I.e., not in a few places where the lights go on & off quickly.) We turn lights off when not in use. We have efficient appliances. Etc. I know of things we can do to further reduce power, like hanging clothes out to dry, but I'm in the middle of tearing up the backyard so don't want to do that until that is done. (We do hang blankets & rugs up to dry indoors.)

This is a specific question about reducing "parasitic" electrical losses from stuff that's plugged in and sucking power even when "off".

Stupid me, we built a new house in 2003 and I didn't think to have switched outlets in every room! As a result, we have some parasitic devices (TV, computer wireless router, etc) into outlets that are in inconvenient places to reach. We already unplug the <i>convenient</i> seldom-used boxes when they're not used. But if it involves getting down on hands & knees and crawling under the side-board the TV is on to unplug & replug it, I know we won't do it.

Are there such things as power strips that have a remote control?? I Googled, and came up with many Internet-enabled devices for remote computing centers, but didn't see anything with a simple IR remote.

Is anyone out here aware of such a thing? Are X10-based devices something that would do this? I see X10 outlets, where the top half of the outlet is X10-controllable. How much power does an X10 receiver draw? Presumably less than the power-strip-full of "parasites" that's plugged into it?

Thanks, --Steve

[strider3700]

I've never seen a remote controlled powerstrip but it may exist. I just use a regular power strip and it's end it easy to get at. To turn off the tv/vcr/dvd/ps2/rf modulator I just step on one button and it's off. Turning it back on is a little more involved, I have to step on it and then press the power buttons on the tv and whatever. Even the girlfriend picked up the concept pretty quickly and has never shown any real issue with it.

[ChumpusRex]

You can get 'auto-switching' power strips.

They contain an electronic circuit that measures the power consumption of a 'master' device.

If the master is taking little or no power (e.g. a PC in standby mode), then it switches off the other outlets on the strip.

When the master takes more power, all the rest of the outlets are automatically switched on. So, in a PC setup, router, speakers, monitor, etc. could all go on the automatic outlets, and would switch on automatically when the PC switched on.

The strip itself probably takes a little 'parasitic' power, but if you've got a lot of other devices it's probably a lot less.

More info here

[SolarDave]

I use the X10 Outlets and have the Webserver control them. It's on all the time (the house is more than 100% powered by the solar array on the roof, so it's OK, don't panic). "I" turn the microwave, dishwasher, porch lights, irrigation controller, doorbell transformer, trickle charger for the electric car, Christmas lights etc. all on an off using those outlets. Well, the porch lights use dimmers, but everything else uses the outlets. So far so good, no burnouts, no problems.

I have a "watts up?" device that measuers power use, even LOW power use. The X10 outlets use less than a tenth of a watt. The little wireless receiver I have seems to use less than one hundredth of a watt. The microwave uses 5 watts when it's "off" and the dishwasher (fancy digital model) uses about the same, so it's a win. All the other devices use something too - and it does add up.

[FoolYap]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SolarDave', 'I') use the X10 Outlets and have the Webserver control them. It's on all the time (the house is more than 100% powered by the solar array on the roof, so it's OK, don't panic). "I" turn the microwave, dishwasher, porch lights, irrigation controller, doorbell transformer, trickle charger for the electric car, Christmas lights etc. all on an off using those outlets. Well, the porch lights use dimmers, but everything else uses the outlets. So far so good, no burnouts, no problems.

I have a "watts up?" device that measuers power use, even LOW power use. The X10 outlets use less than a tenth of a watt. The little wireless receiver I have seems to use less than one hundredth of a watt. The microwave uses 5 watts when it's "off" and the dishwasher (fancy digital model) uses about the same, so it's a win. All the other devices use something too - and it does add up.

[SolarDave]

I am using the X10 SR227 outlets. They have one switched outlet, and one that is always on, and they are able to handle a full 15 amps. I also have power strips plugged into some of them so multiple things can be switched on and off together.

[SolarDave]

And yes, I needed the signal bridge (but I built my own). I also had to experiment with house codes to get away from what I think was a neighbor. Don't use A, everyone tries it first. Just pick a random one, but make a note of which ones you have tried.

David

[Googolplex]

Theres a big problem here that you missed:

If its remote control, then it must have standby curcuits that are waiting for your signal yes? Now the power strip itself is the parasite!

This is the primary source of those phantom loads after all: remote activation. If you want to illiminate them, you'll have to get your ass up and flip a switch. Sorry.