Anyone tried a switchable, "conserve" power strip with on/off remote?

[Doc_Stew]

Hey power experts-

I've recently discovered my HT equipment (especially my Panny plasma) are major power hogs. I'm trying to save some money on my monthly power bills, and have found some of these remote power strips that you can actually turn off when not in use.

The ones I've seen (made by Belkin) have 6-8 outlets that are switchable, and 2 that are always on. Here a link to one of them.

Does anyone have any experience with these? Right now I use a <gasp> Monster HT Power Center that has voltage regulation. I'd hate to give up the voltage regulation to save some money, but then wondered if I could actually plug my power center IN to one of the switchable outlets on the Belkin? Anyone know?

[liquidice]

you'd want to be careful about killing power completely to your components. If you've ever noticed when you turn your plasma off, the fans keep going for awhile to still cool it off, and that's important. The amount of energy draw to a unit in standby is extremely minimal. A unit stays in standby mode so that when you hit the power on your remote, the unit powers up, that's basically the only reason for standby. If you were to disregard anything I just said, make sure you at least give your tv enough time to cool after shutting it off before killing the power completely. You could plug into the Belkin, but that is usually not advised. That's all I know, I don't know specifics of "why", someone else would have to step in and explain that.

[Doc_Stew]

I didn't think about the fans - good point.

There's no doubt, though, that my plasma is an energy hog. But I don't want to sit there waiting for it to cool down. Hmmm...

[liquidice]

most of our equipment are energy hogs, but like I said, the standby power is next to nothing. I bet you could do a search of standby power for your stuff and see that it isn't that much. Best way to cut down on power is to not watch your tv or movies that much....and there is NO way I'm going to suggest that!!!

[Clark Kent]

Get a Kill-a-watt meter and measure the biggest electricity users in your household. Refrigerators are almost always number one. Plasmas do use a lot of juice. To save on energy costs I watch standard definition material on an older television that does not use as much energy.

[SlmShdy1]

Panasonics are well known for being one of the few plasmas that are Energy Star compliant, so I doubt that the TV is your culprit. The newer models actually use less energy than most LCD's (depending on what's being shown).

Standby mode is your friend. Completely shutting off your equipment and turning it back on can cause damage over time. If you've ever had a light bulb go out, you'd notice that it burns out when you turn it on, not while you have it turned on. The same goes for electronics.

[liquidice]

great example of the light bulb SlmShd1...I'll have to use that with my daughter who likes to reach for the power button whenever she feels like it!!!

[Doc_Stew]

Interesting thought. I guess I've been convinced not to spend the money on it - thanks!

[Tempest]

This is what I use

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002GL50Q

American DJ 8 channel AC power strip with 15 amp breaker and 8 on/off toggle switches.

[Branden]

almost all electronic products sold in the last 10 years use <2W in standby mode. your entire home theatre probably pulls less than 10W overnight, that's less than an energy efficicient CFL. there are plenty of areas in your home where you could save a lot more electricity, the 0.7W your plasma pulls in standby is negligible.

[Captainhawk1]

Originally Posted by liquidice

you'd want to be careful about killing power completely to your components. If you've ever noticed when you turn your plasma off, the fans keep going for awhile to still cool it off, and that's important.

Why?

If the unit is off and disconnected from power it has ceased to produce any more heat, correct?

Why does it need further cooling down if nature is just going to cool it down anyway?


Not getting this.

Please explain.

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by Captainhawk1

Why?

If the unit is off and disconnected from power it has ceased to produce any more heat, correct?

Why does it need further cooling down if nature is just going to cool it down anyway?


Not getting this.

Please explain.

Due to the plasma technology, the plasma cells need to be cooled down much quicker than what ambient room temperature can perform. That is why most plasmas have internal fans, much like a computer. It can shorten the lifespan of your display or damage it if all power was just shut off. I always worry when I am watching my plasma and the power goes out suddenly.

[SlmShdy1]

Same goes for any projector that uses a lamp.

[Branden]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

I always worry when I am watching my plasma and the power goes out suddenly.

every component in my entertainment centre is plugged into one of these, at a typical 200-400W draw it can keep everything powered for 10 minutes or so, more than enough time to properly and safely shut everything down if a blackout happens to last more than 5 minutes. not to mention how convenient it is for those 1 second brownouts.