Experience or comments on "GreenPlug"?
Harold Hallikainen
Boulder Colorado. I'm a bit skeptical, but thought I'd request comments. I'd
appreciate replies via email, since I don't get to this group very often.
As an explanation of "how it works", the little brochure says, " Most
appliances are manufactured to operate efficiently using less electricity than is
supplied at the outlet. Their motors don't need all that power all the time, and
the excess is wasted. but you still pay for it. GreenPlug's patented Ideal Voltage
Controller monitors energy needs, and regulates incoming voltage so that appliance
motors receive only the electricity required. No more. No less. No waste." The
brochure goes on to state, "Tests show that appliances used less electricity and
motors operated at a cooler temperature. The cooler the motor, the longer the motor
life. And the less electricity you use, the less you pay."
The "how it works" doen't really explain it very well to me. Anyone have a
better explanation? Does it work? Again, I'm skeptical, but willing to listen.
Thanks!
Harold
Thomas Demos
hhal...@slonet.org
>better explanation? Does it work? Again, I'm skeptical, but willing to listen.
I bought a Green Plug about a year ago for a Sears Kenmore Refrigerator
that was built in 1990. I live in an apartment where my electrical
consumption averages 400 kwH/month and does not change dramatically from
year to year. Naturally, I wondered if it was going to work and I am
please to report that there was a measurable drop in the KwH consumption
during the non-summer months averaging 3 to 5%. (This summer was very
hot and I used a lot of air conditioning so a comparison would not be
valid during this period.) I am convinced enough that it works to leave
it connected. The store where I bought the Green Plug from had a display
in which the Green Plug was rigged to an electric meter and a small
electric motor. If you pushed the button with the green plug, the
electric meter would spin slightly slower than if the button without the
Green Plug were pushed. I'm not sure if this was a valid test but it
looked pretty convincing.
Now for the effect upon the performance on the refrigerator: Overall I
have been pleased but it did take a couple of weeks for me to rebalance
the cold air diverter in the freezer to make the freezer and refrigerator
sections work properly again. As I remember my formerly soft ice-cream
became rock solid for a while. What exactly was happening? I'm not
sure. The most noticeable effect was on my automatic ice-maker. Prior
to the Green Plug installation, it functioned perfectly. Now it works
OK, but on a long term basis after several defrost cycles, the ice cubes
on the bottom of the tray will melt into a giant glob of ice. Why does
this happen? Again, I'm not sure, but I can live with this minor
inconvenience if I am truly saving money, I guess.
One more test. Being an electrical engineer, I wanted to measure the AC
line input voltage to the refrigerator the Green Plug under actual load
conditions. For this test I removed the lightbulb from my refrigerator
and replaced it with a flat blade outlet and an extension cord. The
other end was connected to my voltmeter.
The results:
(compressor running in both cases)
Without the Green Plug: 125 Volts
With the Green Plug: 106 Volts
****
Anyone else out there with similar experiences?
Harold Hallikainen
>
>Oh, it is deja vu all over again. After the Renewals we're now
>back to the GreenPlug.
>
>Conclusion of the newsgroup (about a year ago) was that the green
>plug will save you power if and only if you have a very old
>power-hungry fridge, and not if you have a modern one.
>You're better of replacing your refrigerator if you have such an
>old one, and if you haven't there isn't much point in buying the
>greenplug.
Sorry I missed the previous discussion! How is this thing
SUPPOSED to work? And what has changed in refrigerator motors, or is it
just that they are now better insulated so they need less energy and the
savings (if any) are smaller? I find their description of how it works
very vague, typical of consumer oriented ad copy.
Thanks!
Harold
--
Harold Hallikainen email hhal...@slonet.org
Hallikainen & Friends www http://slonet.org/~hhallika/
141 Suburban Road, Building E4 phone +1 805 541 0200
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-7590 fax +1 805 541 0201
Falstaff
> A friend asked me about the "GreenPlug" made by Green Technologies, Inc. of
>Boulder Colorado. I'm a bit skeptical, but thought I'd request comments. I'd
>appreciate replies via email, since I don't get to this group very often.
> As an explanation of "how it works", the little brochure says, " Most
>appliances are manufactured to operate efficiently using less electricity than is
>supplied at the outlet. Their motors don't need all that power all the time, and
>the excess is wasted. but you still pay for it. GreenPlug's patented Ideal Voltage
>Controller monitors energy needs, and regulates incoming voltage so that appliance
>motors receive only the electricity required. No more. No less. No waste." The
>brochure goes on to state, "Tests show that appliances used less electricity and
>motors operated at a cooler temperature. The cooler the motor, the longer the motor
>life. And the less electricity you use, the less you pay."
> The "how it works" doen't really explain it very well to me. Anyone have a
>better explanation? Does it work? Again, I'm skeptical, but willing to listen.
Oh, it is deja vu all over again. After the Renewals we're now
back to the GreenPlug.
Conclusion of the newsgroup (about a year ago) was that the green
plug will save you power if and only if you have a very old
power-hungry fridge, and not if you have a modern one.
You're better of replacing your refrigerator if you have such an
old one, and if you haven't there isn't much point in buying the
greenplug.
Frank
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frank A. Vorstenbosch +31-(70)-355 5241 fals...@xs4all.nl
Sam Goldwasser
<snip - positive comments in general>
> One more test. Being an electrical engineer, I wanted to measure the AC
> line input voltage to the refrigerator the Green Plug under actual load
> conditions. For this test I removed the lightbulb from my refrigerator
> and replaced it with a flat blade outlet and an extension cord. The
> other end was connected to my voltmeter.
> The results:
> (compressor running in both cases)
> Without the Green Plug: 125 Volts
> With the Green Plug: 106 Volts
If this is a true measure of the RMS voltage (which it may not be),
then your compressor is running hotter and the long term life
expectency may be reduced. Induction motors are nearly constant speed
at a given mechanical load. At lower voltage, they will draw more
current to compensate and run less efficiently.
Life expectency aside, the key test would be of watt-hours used by
the fridge all other factors being equal.
--- sam