I want to save power

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › I want to save power

cldlr76

289 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 6

#83333 14-May-2011 07:32

Hi,

We got our power bill the other day and the damn thing gets more and more expensive every month.

I was thinking of installing a timer on the plug that my switch and router are plugged into so it turns of while we are at work and maybe nights too.

My question is, will the constant turning on and off of the router and switch damage them or shorten their lives?

Cheers

Byrned

455 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 27

#468984 14-May-2011 08:01

I would imagine that the small amount of power that would be saved by doing this, would be more than the cost of the timer.

You can get a much bigger saving by switching off appliances at the wall when not it use i.e. microwave, TV.

An even bigger saving can be had by switching your lights to CFL. Has an upfront cost but you can expect to get that back within a year.

hellonearthisman

1819 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 52

Trusted

#468986 14-May-2011 08:22

I would join powershop.co.nz as there system means you don't get bill shock and you don't have to pay a line maintenance.

Checking your hotwater cylinder is working properly (overflows not poor hotwater onto the roof) and turning it's temperature down a few degrees could save some money.

Some good CF bulbs can help in getting down the power costs.

Dumping CTR monitors and getting LCD ones would save a few more cents,
when I upgraded my 19" CRT the power savings paid for the monitor is only 3 years.

As to your question, if you have a surge protector on the like after the timer would help keep the hardware safe but I don't see any problem with that idea.

Oh and Heat pumps are awesome.

cldlr76

289 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 6

#468995 14-May-2011 09:20

I've already got CFL lights throughout the house, and our hot water is on gas so powershop isn't an option.

I've got a timer lying around not being used so there is no outlay on that front so thought it would be worth a try.

stuzzo

534 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 5

#468998 14-May-2011 09:37

A rough rule of thumb with standby (24/7) devices is to take the wattage and double it to get the dollars so a router, which uses about 10 watts will cost you about $20 a year in power so it is unlikely to be a big factor in your bill.

The key thing with power savings is analysis. It is one aspect of life, unlike rates etc, where you have a lot of control over the cost. Often cheap solutions such as insulating your hot water cylinder, checking it's temperature as mentioned and replacing the lighting bulbs used most can save a lot of money.

Another cheap fix is to check your TV settings. Often showroom settings have LCD backlights wound right up. I changed one of mine from 150 watts to 80 watts just by changing it to cinema mode(lower backlighting).

A watt meter at about $30 is a great investment. Once you start measuring stuff you won't look back! My power bill 5 or 6 years ago was about $120 a month average and now it is about $40 without any loss of amenity at all.

webwat

2036 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 145

Trusted

#469188 15-May-2011 01:24

Yeah the router doesn't use enough power to bother turning it off and on all the time, but I would make sure its on a surge protector all the same. Hot water, cooking, heating would be the main things to watch for and I guess you have looked at those.

Keep in mind that hot water generally makes up 40% of your power bill, and you cant turn down the temp too much without creating risk of breeding bacteria (I think 60° is the recommended temp) and just using more hot water anyway. I guess most people have extra cylinder insulation these days, but I reckon worthwhile along with solar heating and pink batts everywhere.

Time to find a new industry!