Being particularly tight about electricity use!

purplestar133

Hi all, I have a few questions about how much electricity I'm using when I'm doing certain things...

Does it take more electricity to power an audio device when it is at a higher volume than when the volume's lower?

If I charge something, such as an ipod, via the USB port on my laptop, does it use extra electricity than when not charging anything, or does it make use of stored energy (?) of some kind in the laptop?

Also, how energy efficient are flourescent lights? Do they use more electricity than energy saving lightbulbs?

Thanks for any answers!

calebdylan

no not really it wont take much power ......... audio devices can handle only lower voltages no need to worry of course when you raise volume the consumption will raise but its a negligible amount cool

albyota

[QUOTE Hi all, I have a few questions about how much electricity I'm using when I'm doing certain things...

Does it take more electricity to power an audio device when it is at a higher volume than when the volume's lower?

Yes Fractionally

If I charge something, such as an ipod, via the USB port on my laptop, does it use extra electricity than when not charging anything, or does it make use of stored energy (?) of some kind in the laptop?

it wil use exactly the same energy to charge whether in a laptop or by mains

Also, how energy efficient are flourescent lights? Do they use more electricity than energy saving lightbulbs?

If the fluorescent lamp is rated at 40 watts / 70 watts....thats what it will use..... the same goes for an energy saving lamp at 11 watts / 20 watts.....thats what it will use.

Thanks for any answers![/QUOTE]

chris1973

If the fluorescent lamp is rated at 40 watts / 70 watts....thats what it will use

Wrong.

The LAMP may be rated at 40 / 70 watts, but what about the other components within the fitting?. A Fluorescent lamp contains wound components called Chokes or Ballasts, which are components which create heat - which is basically lost energy from within the windings. Very few, if any sources of light are 100% efficient in converting every watt of mains electricity into actual light.

Once these losses are accounted for in, a 70 watt tube the actual electricity consumption is more likely to be closer to 85 watts.

CFL lights work in a slightly different way and use small solid state electrical components rather than a large, heavy wound choke. This makes them a little bit more efficient, although still not the 100% that people assume.

Nothing to do with the O.P, but I wonder how many people are posting about quibbling over running a 40w lamp and what they can switch off to save pennies, yet their kids have been sat in front of the X-Box and Plasma TV all day burning off £££'s.....

albyota

chris1973, whilst I agree with the slight nitpicking of the losses of ballast chokes in older fittings, it is quite possible the fluorescent has an electronic choke, therefore I would not be wrong.
I suggest you put a clampmeter on a CFL light and take a reading.

gollum007

albyota wrote: »

If I charge something, such as an ipod, via the USB port on my laptop, does it use extra electricity than when not charging anything, or does it make use of stored energy (?) of some kind in the laptop?

it wil use exactly the same energy to charge whether in a laptop or by mains

Very much depends. It'll almost certainly use about 5 amps or there abouts more than when not charging anything.
It also depends on what you're doing with the laptop- The more you're doing with it, the less efficient it will be in terms of power usage. Don't forget that the laptop will use power by simply being on, far more than charging the ipod alone would take.
Charging via the wall will also be faster, as the wall adaptor can provide more power (amps) than the laptop port.

-Gollum

albyota

therefore if charging the ipod uses 2 pence worth of electric to fully charge it in the mains faster, then, if you are using your laptop and charging the ipod....then you will use whatever the laptop needs.... PLUS the 2 pence worth of electric to FULLY charge the ipod but it will take longer! you cannot get something for nothing.

espresso

gollum007 wrote: »

Very much depends. It'll almost certainly use about 5 amps or there abouts more than when not charging anything.
It also depends on what you're doing with the laptop- The more you're doing with it, the less efficient it will be in terms of power usage. Don't forget that the laptop will use power by simply being on, far more than charging the ipod alone would take.
Charging via the wall will also be faster, as the wall adaptor can provide more power (amps) than the laptop port.

-Gollum

Absolute rubbish!

You really should refrain from posting on topics that you clearly know nothing about.

:mad:

purplestar133

My ipod can only be charged via a USB port so no choice on that! Talking of Xboxes, do they use a lot of electricity? If I was to say, watch a DVD on an Xbox, would it use more elec than watching it on a DVD player?

NeverInDebt

Yes a Xbox will I suspect

You can get a main adaptor for ipods and they not expensive

purplestar133 wrote: »

My ipod can only be charged via a USB port so no choice on that! Talking of Xboxes, do they use a lot of electricity? If I was to say, watch a DVD on an Xbox, would it use more elec than watching it on a DVD player?

JennyR68

purplestar133 wrote: »

My ipod can only be charged via a USB port so no choice on that! Talking of Xboxes, do they use a lot of electricity? If I was to say, watch a DVD on an Xbox, would it use more elec than watching it on a DVD player?

http://www.hardcoreware.net/reviews/review-356-2.htm