Energy conservation is becoming an increasingly pressing issue. First of all, the need to solve it is evidenced by utility bills, which are growing every year. Payment for electricity is gradually becoming not the smallest item in the family budget. Turning off the boiler, sitting without light in the dark and reducing the heat of the furnace spiral are half measures that will not bring the expected effect. The blessings of civilization must be used, but it must be done correctly. It is necessary to solve the problem of saving electricity in an apartment and a house globally and comprehensively. The initial investment will pay off over time, which will bring tangible financial relief.
Reasons to save energy
Saving electricity reduces the risk of accidents at substations
The decision to save electricity by any means will help not only reduce the financial burden for paying monthly bills. It should be remembered: the more power consumers absorb, the greater the burden falls on the city and the country as a whole.
Competent and legal energy savings in the apartment gives the following effects:
- Reducing the level of toxic emissions into the atmosphere. Improvement of ecology, purity of air, soil and water bodies.
- Reducing the risk of accidents at power plants associated with working at the limit of capacity.
- Saving natural resources, which are spent in large quantities on thermal power plants that provide energy to settlements.
- Creating a comfortable environment in the premises. This refers to the illumination and the absence of a harmful electromagnetic field, which is created by some low-quality household appliances.
- The development of new technologies, reducing the energy intensity of production, and consequently - the price of products, their competitiveness in the world market. All this leads to an increase in the well-being of the population.
- Extending the service life of transformer substations, power lines and internal communications. Increased load leads to accelerated wear of the equipment.
Saving electricity eliminates the possibility of being left without electricity due to a line breakdown on the scale of an apartment, house and settlement.
Proper use of electrical appliances
Often housing is crowded with a huge number of energy consumers. You can save on electricity not only by reducing the intensity of their operation, but also by a competent choice of operating modes.
- Washing machine. For washing bed linen and lightly soiled clothes, 20-30 minutes are enough. The use of modes for 1-3 hours is accompanied by unreasonable overspending.
- Heating. To normally heat the room in the cold season, heaters with a power of 1-2 kW are used. During the day, consumption will be up to 48 kW. It is enough to dress warmer and reduce the power by half.
- Plate. If there is poor contact between the inverter and the cookware, the cooking time will be much longer, resulting in increased energy consumption.
- Dishwasher. You should set the economy mode, in which only 1 kW is consumed per cycle.
- Teapot. It makes no sense to heat 2 liters if the water cools down by the next tea party. You need to pour to a minimum.
We should not forget about small consumers: chargers and electronic devices operating in standby mode. For a day, they can wind up to 2 kW on the meter.
Advantages of energy-saving household appliances
The real way to save energy is to use economy-class household appliances. The initial investment over time will give a long-term positive effect.
Examples of such equipment:
- A computer. Power supplies together with video cards and a monitor can absorb up to 1 kW / h. You should either turn off some features or purchase products with a savings mode. Modern laptops are the best choice. With great opportunities, they consume no more than 100 W / h.
- TVs with satellite boxes. Enabling the economy mode allows you to reduce current consumption by 3 times.
- Printing devices. They are used periodically, but are not removed from the network. If you buy a device with an energy saving function, the effect will be up to 500 kW per year.
- Washing machine. The main consumer is the heating element. Products with an ultrasonic bath consume 80% less current.
- Vacuum cleaner. Modern devices are equipped with a pollution sensor, due to which the efficiency of work decreases and its duration increases.
- Air conditioning. Energy savings are achieved by installing advanced compressors in modern models that reduce consumption by 40-50%.
It is worth paying attention to the kitchen equipment. On sale you can find efficient stoves, hoods and water heaters.
Equipping electrical appliances without auto-off function with external time relays
Time relay saves energy
Even if the devices have such a function, it is activated very rarely. If the devices cannot switch off automatically, they can be equipped with external time relays. This modification should be subjected to air conditioning, room heater, heated towel rail, stove and outdoor fireplace. If necessary, the timer is placed on the computer system unit.
Such devices provide the following benefits:
- turning on and off exactly in the set time corridor;
- operation of devices only when required;
- preventing burnout of devices due to overheating;
- creation of comfortable psychological conditions, since a person does not need to worry about his household appliances;
- significant reduction in electric current consumption.
One such machine will be of great help in the fight to lower utility bills.
Advantages of a two-tariff meter
An individual single-phase two-tariff meter takes into account current consumption at different prices depending on the time of day. In the period 23.00-07.00 the cost of services is reduced by 50%. At this time, powerful consumers are launched: water heaters, ovens, dishwashers and washing machines. Some people who can tolerate nighttime wakefulness work on the computer and clean the apartment with a vacuum cleaner.
The advantages of using such a device are obvious:
- reducing the financial burden on payments;
- reducing the load on house and city communications;
- energy intake at a time when power plants are in dire need of its return.
The cost of a two-tariff meter and its installation is quite noticeable. But taking into account the current tariffs, it pays off within a year, then brings a significant profit.
Saving energy on heat saving
This direction is relevant for objects with central and autonomous heating, since the power of heating devices directly depends on the quality of insulation of real estate objects. The lower the heat loss, the lower the intensity of the heaters.
You can insulate the room in the following ways:
- sealing cracks in walls, windows and doors;
- installation of modern doors with foam or basalt filling;
- installation of double-glazed windows with energy-saving glasses;
- facade decoration with foam plastic, mineral wool or polyurethane foam;
- gluing a reflective screen behind the radiators.
If the issue of combating heat loss is approached comprehensively, current consumption for heating housing can be reduced by 30-50%.
Saving energy on lighting
The easiest way to save energy is to install LED lamps. These products are characterized by low power at high brightness, soft glow and long service life. The mass production of such lamps led to a significant reduction in retail prices, which made them available for purchase in large quantities.
The next savings measure is to turn off the lights when they are no longer needed. Even one lamp left on in the bathroom will consume 100 watts or more per night. You should make it a habit to check the light before going to bed and leaving the room.
Another condition that affects the quality and duration of lighting is the cleanliness of lamps and shades. Vapors and dust that have settled on them reduce the efficiency of devices by 20-25%. Pollution must be removed in a timely manner, it will not take much time and effort.
Sockets, extension cords with a block of sockets and surge protectors with switches
Old wiring, switches and sockets cause increased current consumption and are a fire hazard. Due to poor contacts and insufficient cross-section of the cable cores, the network overheats, the current parameters are violated, which leads to incorrect operation of the devices and devices connected to it. This causes increased energy consumption and is one of the causes of costly equipment failure.
To protect yourself from such troubles, you should do the following:
- change wiring;
- install new sockets with built-in stabilizers and relays;
- purchase network filters with switches.
The use of extension cords with multiple sockets allows you to reduce the number of cables in the room. The presence of a switch makes it possible to de-energize with one movement, and then activate several devices operating in standby mode at once. This is one of the conditions for saving energy in an apartment.
The presence of impulse and linear fuses prevents the burnout of household appliances during power surges in the network. Built-in stabilizers convert the current within the specified parameters, which ensures stable operation of the devices in normal mode. This also helps to reduce energy consumption.
Energy Saving Devices
A legal energy saving device is a portable device that plugs into any empty outlet. Models of well-known manufacturers help save up to 50% of electricity consumed. At the same time, the efficiency of the device increases as the load increases. The task of the device is to compensate for reactive energy, which overloads the line and creates an electromagnetic field harmful to human health.
Product Features:
- line interference filtering;
- phase alignment;
- lightning protection;
- stabilization of current parameters;
- extending the life of household appliances;
- saving electricity.
The device is designed for a total power of consumers up to 20 kW, so it can be installed in a private house and a multi-room apartment with a large number of electrical appliances. Payback occurs after 3-4 months of operation. Smartbox, Pover Saver, Energy Saver, Powersave, Berbox and Saving-box products have proven themselves best.
A self-made device for saving is not considered illegal, since the line is not laid around the meter, and the meter is not affected in any way. Any connections to the outlet are the legal right of the property owner.
The product diagram consists of the following details:
- Housing made of plastic.
- Standard plug.
- A board that houses a diode bridge and a smoothing capacitor with a power of 5.2 microfarads.
- LED indicating the device is working.
When plugged into a socket, the device reduces the amplitude of the current and the magnitude of the pulses in the network.
When there is a demand for a product, there is a supply. The ever-increasing prices for electricity have given rise to a large number of "miracle devices" (for example, the Electricity saving box), promising to reduce energy consumption by almost half. Their action is based on the conversion into active reactive energy. However, the scheme of such devices is so simple that almost any person who is not alien to technology is able to make an energy saver with his own hands.
Homemade device for saving electricity, the principle of operation
The fundamental principle is that any electrical power consists of reactive and active energy. Active is useful in everyday life, it activates all the mechanisms. Reactive, on the contrary, is useless and even reduces the efficiency of the power system. Metering devices (mechanical and electrical meters) determine only the amount of active energy used, for which household consumers pay.
Industrial enterprises also pay for reactive energy, which is measured by special meters. It is created by mechanisms with a high inductive component (for example, electric motors), and in plants and factories its amount is reduced with the help of special capacitor units.
Considering the above, ideas on how to make a fixture for yourself were in the air. In everyday life, reactive energy sources are ordinary mechanisms with electric motors (food processor, hair dryer, vacuum cleaner, refrigerator, drill). On the other hand, there are devices that need direct current (TVs and computer monitors). Therefore, they began to develop a device for, the circuit of which would reduce the consumption of electricity by converting it into active reactive energy.
Theoretical justification and schematic diagram of a homemade saver
The essence of the economy is that the load is not powered by an alternating current network, but by a connected capacitor, the charge of which is produced by high-frequency pulses, while corresponding to the sinusoid of the voltage in the network. The electric meters are equipped with an input inductive transducer with low sensitivity to high-frequency currents. For this reason, the pulsed energy consumption of the meter is taken into account with a significant negative error.
To create a device, you need the following details:
- microchip (K155 LAZ),
- zener diode (D2 -KS156A),
- diodes (D1 - D226B; Br2 - D242B; Br1 - D232A),
- transistors (TK - KT315, T2 - KT815V, T1 - KT848A),
- high-frequency capacitors (C2, SZ - 0.1 uF, C1- 1 uF x 400V),
- electrolytic capacitors (C5 - 1000 uF x 16V, C4 - 1000 uF x 50B),
- low-power transformer 220/36 V,
- resistors (RЗ - 56 Ohm; R1, R2 - 27 kOhm; R5 -22 kOhm; R4 - 3 kOhm; R6 - 10 Ohm; R7, R9 - 560 Ohm; R8 - 1.5 kOhm).
Assembly is carried out according to scheme 1. Transistors are installed using insulating gaskets on a 150 sq.cm radiator. Be sure to use fuses. The assembled low-voltage power supply should provide a 36 V current of 2 A and 5 V to power the generator, which generates pulses with an approximate frequency of 2 kHz and an amplitude of 5 V. When assembling the circuit, you need to check the operating mode using an oscilloscope. After that, the capacitor is connected.
The assembled device was calculated for a load of 1 kW. It is recommended to load the device at its nominal value or turn it off when the load is removed, since an unloaded device consumes significant power, which is taken into account by the meter.
The device is designed for domestic AC power supply. Power - 1 kW / h, voltage - 220 V. The assembled device is connected to a power outlet and powers the load, while grounding is not required. According to calculations, when connecting such a home-made saver, the meter takes into account only 25% of the electricity consumed.
Scheme 2 has also been developed, which makes it possible to supply consumers operating both on direct and alternating current (fireplaces, electric stoves, lighting, water heaters). The main warning is the absence in such devices of elements that are designed for alternating current (transformers, electric motors).
Do-it-yourself devices for saving electricity, expert reviews
Specialists draw attention to the fact that an attempt to apply at home the principle of operation of industrial capacitor units that accumulate reactive energy is doomed to failure. Industrial reactive power compensators are rather bulky devices, designed initially for a certain load and taking into account a number of additional parameters. In addition, in most powerful home devices, reactive energy traps-capacitors of sufficient power are already structurally incorporated.
A large number of commentators and experts point out that such devices, even assembled with the consciousness of the case and with high quality, are capable of deceiving only counters of the old induction type. Electronic energy metering devices are rather capricious devices and often do not withstand such treatment with themselves, microcircuits burn out in them. This leads to the need to replace the device and an unpleasant conversation with energy sales specialists, which is fraught with a fine with many zeros.
People who are passionate about experiments with electricity create various devices, there are hundreds of them on the Internet. However, this does not mean at all that all their inventions need to be tested in your home, risking your own property and life.However, replacing a meter is not the worst thing that can happen if an amateur takes on such a delicate matter as electricity. Considering the often not the best condition of electrical wiring in Russian houses and apartments, such amateur performance can result in a short circuit and a fire.
Efficient energy saver
(really working, complete instructions, unique material!)
Instructions for assembling and setting up the device
for unmetered electricity consumption
1. Background. Version Summary
2. Detailed description of the scheme and principle of operation
3. Details and design
4. Instructions for assembly and adjustment
Background. Brief overview of versions.
The idea of creating such a device arose back in 1998, after the famous "Default", when it became a luxury for an ordinary man in the street to warm himself in the cold season. That is, the heating networks worked, but there was little sense from them, and the price of electricity was growing rapidly, outpacing the salary. That's when the demand for all sorts of "rewinds" appeared. Then the most popular was the transformer way to rewind the meter, but it required intervention in the metering circuit (it was necessary to change the phase and zero at the meter input or take the phase wire before metering). It used to be easier - stupidly opened it, changed the ends, and wind yourself back. An inspector will come - his face is like a brick: like, not me, I don’t know, etc. And not every inspector climbed there. Times have changed, energy supervision has become more picky, now there is a fine for a broken seal. And if he finds an unmetered outlet in the house, since a lot of devices have been invented to search for those, it won’t seem enough.
In the early 2000s, the first circuit for electronic counter winding appeared on the Internet. At that time, they asked for the scheme from 50 to 150 US dollars. They thought with the whole laboratory, chipped in and reveled. I even opened an account on WebMoney. There were already three schemes in the kit - one for rewinding, two - the “heating” method. We studied the schemes for a long time, expressed our thoughts, and ...
The principle of operation was based on the fact that in the first and fourth quarters of the mains voltage period, the storage capacitor was charged with a high-frequency current, and in the second and fourth, it was stupidly discharged back into the network. The author argued that the high-frequency load, they say, is not noticeable to the counter. A polar electrolytic capacitor was used as a storage capacitor. In general, when you first turned on this same capacitor, it swelled up, if not for the reaction of one person, someone could be left without a gypsum. Again chipped in, bought a battery of non-polar. Turned on. Earned. That is, not really. The oscillograms coincided with the original ones, although it consumed current, and not small, with a total capacity of 200 microfarads, the ammeter showed almost 10 amperes. Transistors (KT848A) boiled. OK. The first one who took the device for home testing was our manager. department. The next day, he solemnly announced - NO FUCK it does not rewind! True, the meter does not particularly load, but the wires heat up. After each of us dragged this miracle with a lady, we chipped in again and bought a counter. Tried other circuits - same result. We played with frequency, duty cycle, charge-discharge phase, in short, with all the parameters that can be adjusted. There was no result, or rather it was - the mountains of burned radioelements were replenished. The case was dropped.
We remembered with the advent of other schemes on the Internet and the appearance of new young fighters in our team. They downloaded everything in a row, but in the archives it was either the same, or “improved, improved”, but the principle remained the same - the mountains, though already more modern elements, grew.
There were even paid archives and volunteers who sent CMC, and then bit their elbows.
Now closer to the point. In circuits with a storage capacitor, the som capacitor is a load, because it is charged at an increasing quarter of the period, in order to turn the counter disk back, it must be charged at least to a voltage above the mains. And if you use chokes for the same purpose? The idea is interesting, and arose from one of our new electric fakers. True, technically it turned out to be more difficult to implement the discharge of an inductor into a meter than a capacitor. Inductance after the current stops, under certain conditions, can give off even more energy than the accumulated one, but in reverse polarity.
The first workable circuit was born in November 2009. In the circuit, the inductor operated at a frequency of 100 Hz. That is, as in the capacitor version, the first quarter of the period is the accumulation of energy, then the second quarter is discharged into the network through the keys. True, it saved 70-75 percent of the load power. The third and fourth - by analogy, only on a different half-wave. Everything would be fine, but the dimensions of the device for a kilowatt load were very bulky. The choke was wound on iron from a kilowatt transformer from a welding machine. The design was not in demand among the people, so the development was carried out in the direction of reducing the size and cost.
The second stage was the movement of the operating frequency towards units of kilohertz, with modulation by the doubled mains frequency. By the way, the oscillograms on the site correspond to this particular scheme. The choke was already wound on permalloy cores. The principle remained the same, except that the energy was transferred to the choke-back several hundred times per period. The scheme has gained popularity among manufacturers. But permalloy is a rather exclusive rare material, and its reserves in our bowels turned out to be too fossil. Yes, and increased sensitivity to the power-inductance ratio of the inductor deyula its narrowly focused. Although .... Its people built it into electric boilers, electric stoves .... This is March 2010.
Then the question became: either to reduce the dimensions, or to reduce the cost of production. In September 2010 another idea was born. Why synchronize it all with the network at all? Development went in two directions: increasing the frequency or using available materials. The circuits of both devices are the same, the differences are only in the operating frequency, winding data and the denominations of some elements. It is these two options that formed the basis of this document. And in November 2010, one of our customers also offered overcurrent and overvoltage protection.
List of archive files:
ec2.pdf - the circuit itself;
readme.pdf - description and everything about assembly and configuration;
calc103 - a program for calculating the inductor on a ferrite;
parametry diodov i transistorov.zip - here you can choose transistors and diodes;
RadioAmCalc 1.17.zip - a program for calculating the throttle on iron;
read_me.txt - this file.
Economic shocks force each of us to think about cutting costs. And last but not least, I want to deny myself the usual pleasures: food, and going to the movies. So what would be such a minor sacrifice to a tightening belt until it turns into a noose? While you are contemplating difficult choices, it seems that the way out will find you. A kind-hearted neighbor, a helpful colleague or a beloved social network offers to purchase a small box that can reduce electricity costs. I plugged the device into the outlet, and the savings begin to please with an increase of tens of percent! The evidence base for the effectiveness of cutting-edge technology is backed by positive testimonials from happy customers and undeniable YouTube videos. But is everything as good as it is presented to us by advertising?
Next, Lifehacker brings you an entertaining article from a trepanation team consisting of a surgeon LoneWolf and his assistant operby, placed in the original on the pages of the online publication "".
We disassemble the device to save electricity
Do you want to become a real fairy tale hero? Not some overseas Superman or Spiderman, but the real Pinocchio!
And for this you do not need to go to the Field of Miracles and bury 5 gold coins in the ground under the cover of night ... You just need to purchase such a device called the Electricity Saving Box or the Electricity Saving Box.
Then insert it into the outlet (I do not categorically recommend sprinkling salt and watering it with water), say: “Kreks! Pax! Fax! - and that's it! You are Pinocchio!
Meanwhile, our esteemed Distributors, who are actively promoting boxes with LEDs that are plugged into a socket and promise “unrealistic energy savings” and “slowing down the rotation of the meter”, play well on the feeling of “eternal craving for freebies” of our citizens and rub their hands. And, of course, it is Distributibusilios who receive an unrealistic profit by purchasing these boxes for $4 in China and selling them to gullible citizens of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus for $40.
So what's inside this device? I propose to make a fascinating journey through its insides in order to assess the prospects of these investments! So, the scalpel - in the hands, the patient - on the table!
The most expensive thing in this device is probably the case. It is made soundly: silver color, with black inserts and a mega-blinky logo. However, its two halves are fastened with just one screw, which we unscrewed without difficulty.
Inside the "power saver" miracle device is an electronic board with a minimal set of components and a relatively large "black box", which we suspect is a secret superweapon (Wunderwaffe) in the fight against kilowatt-hour consumption! And we also suspect that this is an ordinary film capacitor.
On the reverse side, the printed circuit board, which is fastened with two screws, looks like this:
The whole circuit, created on a printed circuit board, is designed to create one great miracle - to create the necessary conditions for ... the burning of two LEDs. And to bring more clarity, here is a schematic diagram of this device compiled by the surgical team:
Yes, if it is very generalized, then a small garland of two LEDs and a large film capacitor are hidden inside. And how big it is, we also became interested, and we measured it with quite a good device:
Measurements have shown that this black secret capacitor has a capacitance of as much as 5.18 microfarads.
After the preparation, we put all the insides back in and sewed up the patient. It was decided to test it in practice. Without this, our experiment-analysis would be incomplete. We inserted the mega-economy into a well-loaded outlet.
And ... About a miracle! The LEDs really lit up, as did our hopes.
But the meter impudently and confidently “twisted” the same kilowatt-hours as without the connected miracle device ...
And yet, at least some effect should have been obtained from the inclusion of a film capacitor with a capacity of 5 microfarads in parallel with the home electrical network. In other words, after all, what brilliant idea is laid by the Distributibusilios in order to somehow justify their deception of the gullible Pinocchio? Let's answer directly, the capacitance of this capacitor is so insignificant that it is only enough to compensate for the reactive power of a 40 W fluorescent lamp.
Yes, you heard right, in addition to active power (P, W, watt), which turns into useful work (movement, rotation, heating), some devices, such as motors, also consume reactive power (Q, var, volt-ampere reactive ). It is needed to create an electromagnetic field. So, our washing machine and our refrigerator consume this power from the network and load it unproductively. And if you plug a capacitor (of the required capacity and rated for the required voltage) next to the washing machine or refrigerator, then our esteemed refrigerator and washing machine motors will consume reactive power from the capacitor and will not “load the power grid”.
And now the MEGA CONCLUSION: the ACTIVE energy meter installed in your apartment is absolutely indifferent to how much reactive energy passes through it. HE DOESN'T COUNT IT.
Again, a properly designed active energy meter ONLY takes into account the ACTIVE energy that passes through it. So, by installing all sorts of "magic-energy-saving-boxes", you can very slightly unload a small section of your electrical wiring from a small fraction of reactive power. But your efforts will not be appreciated by your counter.
Therefore, do not be fooled by the tales of Distributibusilio, do not buy a film capacitor with LED indication for $ 40, unless, of course, you want to feel ... Pinocchio.)))
Take care of yourself and your money!
Instead of a conclusion
We turned to one of the authors of the article with a blitz survey. Is it worth it to try to “bend over” the state in response to the exorbitant increase in tariffs and the devaluation of the ruble, deceiving electricity meters? Is there a real benefit to energy efficient home appliances?
Of course not. The power system is constantly improving methods for finding "thieves". In addition, a fine of ten times the amount of "stolen" will cool any ardor. And most importantly, there are frequent cases of the death of the Kulibins, who tried to connect past the metering devices. Therefore, the game is not worth the candle.
I myself buy only electrical appliances with a high class (closer to "A"). Electricity will not become cheaper. Therefore, it is a profitable investment.
Alexander Malkov
Do you have any questions? Ask them in the comments.
How does the energy saving device work?
Several types of energy saving devices have appeared on the market - these are Smart Boy, Energy Savek and others. Manufacturers claim that such devices can save up to 50% of electricity.
Illiterate description of the device to save electricity
These devices are approximately the same in their scheme, so the arguments below will apply to all such savers. What advertising advantages do these devices have;
— compensation of the reactive component of the network;
- protection against interference in the electrical network.
These devices are used to save energy at loads from 5 kW to 50 kW. In different versions, the cost of these devices varies from $20 to $80, depending on the load power. Now let's open one of these devices and see it from the inside.
Scheme of the device for saving electricity
Having opened the electricity saving device, we see a small board with wires going to two LEDs and a film capacitor. On the board there is a small circuit for powering two LEDs from the mains, that is, the glow of the LEDs indicates the presence of mains voltage in the outlet.
All the insides of the device to save electricity
A film capacitor 6 uF x 300 V is connected to the network through a fuse, that is, there is nothing in the circuit except for the capacitor (we do not consider the indication of 220 V in the socket as LEDs).
The whole scheme of the device for saving electricity
Why is a capacitor needed and how can it save electricity? Yes, indeed, the capacitor helps to compensate for the reactive power of the network. To understand what the reactive component of the network is, let's dive into the theory a bit.
Principle of reactive power compensation
The total power of electricity can be considered as the sum of the active component, which is consumed by the active load (incandescent lamps, heating elements) and the reactive component. In turn, the reactive component has an inductive and capacitive part.
The inductive part of electricity includes loads such as electric motors, transformers, chokes, and the capacitive component includes loads with a capacitive character - these are large groups of capacities (powerful power supplies).
The active power of electricity is converted into mechanical or thermal energy, that is, it creates useful work, and the reactive component does not create useful work, but, flowing through the wires, additionally heats them and causes loss of the active part of the power. To compensate for the reactive component, if it is inductive, capacitors are used, and for the capacitive component, inductances are used.
In industrial enterprises where electric motors are used in large numbers and high power, capacitive compensatory installations are used. Such an installation calculates the value of the inductive component at a given time and connects the required number of capacitors in parallel with the load to maximize the compensation of the inductive component of electricity.
Reactive power compensators
During operation, the compensator changes the number of connected capacitors depending on the number of operating motors. Thus, the company achieves high energy savings. And now let's see what kind of reactive load we have in our apartment, and what is its value. Electric motors are present in refrigerators, washing machines, fans.
To compensate for this reactive part of the electricity, you need to connect capacitors much larger than 6 microfarads at the moment when the washing machine or refrigerator is running. If the capacitor is constantly on, then it, while charging, takes electricity and spends it on heat generation. Thus, it does not save electricity, but spends it.
As a filter, this capacitor is also not suitable, since, for example, for switching power supplies, the filter has a completely different capacitance value. It turns out that the device for saving electricity is completely useless. You are just throwing money away. Manufacturers of these devices may also install a random number generator to falsely display percentage savings.
In addition to such devices, there are other home-made schemes for energy-saving devices. In such circuits, high-frequency generators are placed in series with the load, which output high-frequency pulses to the network. Allegedly, the counters do not see the high-frequency load.
The meter does not care about the type of load, it still counts the regularly consumed electricity. No need to look for all sorts of tricks for free electricity. Meter designers also do not stand still and are well aware of all the options for stealing electricity.
If you want to achieve good savings, install a two-tariff meter. And program all powerful electrical appliances to turn on in the evening, during cheap electricity. Turn off your lights when you leave the room. Install everywhere (it is not so expensive) LED lamps. So you will have tangible energy savings and you do not need to pay scammers for useless economy devices.
