Device to Slow Electric Meter

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cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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There has been a local buzz in this area about some guys who attach a gizmo to the power cable coming in to your breaker box that supposedly reduced the power consumption as measured on the meter-what your bill will be-by 10-30% without affecting any appliances or other electrical items. This supposedly is more effective for inductive items (pumps, a/c, fridge, cf bulbs, etc.)

Cost installed is roughly RD$3000 MOL.

I'm no electrical genius, but understand the basic principles. As explained to me, it has to do with spikes, dirty current and capacitance/resistance...or something. Ever try to discuss technical subjects with a "regular" Dominican...not an engineer?

Anyone else hear of such things? I'm not interested, being basically a skeptic of things that set off my BS & Scam meters...just curious.
 

the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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There has been a local buzz in this area about some guys who attach a gizmo to the power cable coming in to your breaker box that supposedly reduced the power consumption as measured on the meter-what your bill will be-by 10-30% without affecting any appliances or other electrical items. This supposedly is more effective for inductive items (pumps, a/c, fridge, cf bulbs, etc.)

Cost installed is roughly RD$3000 MOL.

I'm no electrical genius, but understand the basic principles. As explained to me, it has to do with spikes, dirty current and capacitance/resistance...or something. Ever try to discuss technical subjects with a "regular" Dominican...not an engineer?

Anyone else hear of such things? I'm not interested, being basically a skeptic of things that set off my BS & Scam meters...just curious.

what do you mean by 'not an engineer"? i thought every Dominican within arms length of an adjustable wrench was an engineer.

cobra, these devices have been around since Satan was wearing diapers. i just would never get one, because the guy who installs it will probably be the one to rat you out to Edenorte.
 

cobraboy

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what do you mean by 'not an engineer"? i thought every Dominican within arms length of an adjustable wrench was an engineer.

cobra, these devices have been around since Satan was wearing diapers. i just would never get one, because the guy who installs it will probably be the one to rat you out to Edenorte.
It's done at the panel, not the meter, so I don't know how one would be busted, and for what. I assume one can do what they wish with the power after the meter since you're paying for it.

I'm not interested, just curious about if/how they work.
 

beeza

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Nov 2, 2006
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Is it a great big capacitor? If that's the case, then the theory suggests it will work as your meter doesn't just measure the current you consume, it measures the inductive reactive loads you consume. Generators work harder powering inductive loads, and most household loads are inductive (eg motors, heaters, lights etc). Not many loads are capacitive (e.g. fluorescent tubes)

Now going back to my apprentice days you can use the acronym CIVIL to remind you that Capacitive loads lead Current, whilst Inductive loads lag current and the subsequent vector is called a Power Factor. If you can correct a power factor to as close as 1 by adjusting Capacitive and Inductive loads, you have a more efficient generation system. Although most of this power factor correction is done at the power station.

Now if you are running loads like air con, water pump, pool pump, electric water heaters, you would need to use a huge bank of capacitors. Probably would be the size of a small car! Is this gadget as big as that?

I doubt it. And I doubt that it will work!
 

the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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Is it a great big capacitor? If that's the case, then the theory suggests it will work as your meter doesn't just measure the current you consume, it measures the inductive reactive loads you consume. Generators work harder powering inductive loads, and most household loads are inductive (eg motors, heaters, lights etc). Not many loads are capacitive (e.g. fluorescent tubes)

Now going back to my apprentice days you can use the acronym CIVIL to remind you that Capacitive loads lead Current, whilst Inductive loads lag current and the subsequent vector is called a Power Factor. If you can correct a power factor to as close as 1 by adjusting Capacitive and Inductive loads, you have a more efficient generation system. Although most of this power factor correction is done at the power station.

Now if you are running loads like air con, water pump, pool pump, electric water heaters, you would need to use a huge bank of capacitors. Probably would be the size of a small car! Is this gadget as big as that?

I doubt it. And I doubt that it will work!

so, beeza, would that be something like a power amplifier, whose power supply would need to swing a higher current when driving a capacitive load, like a speaker with very low impedance, like 2 ohms, for instance?
 

beeza

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so, beeza, would that be something like a power amplifier, whose power supply would need to swing a higher current when driving a capacitive load, like a speaker with very low impedance, like 2 ohms, for instance?

Hi Gorgon,

That would be impedance matching which is a slightly different theory. But the principles remain that everything done with electrics is to increase efficiency and reduce loss, which in most cases is heat.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
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Is it a great big capacitor? If that's the case, then the theory suggests it will work as your meter doesn't just measure the current you consume, it measures the inductive reactive loads you consume. Generators work harder powering inductive loads, and most household loads are inductive (eg motors, heaters, lights etc). Not many loads are capacitive (e.g. fluorescent tubes)

Now going back to my apprentice days you can use the acronym CIVIL to remind you that Capacitive loads lead Current, whilst Inductive loads lag current and the subsequent vector is called a Power Factor. If you can correct a power factor to as close as 1 by adjusting Capacitive and Inductive loads, you have a more efficient generation system. Although most of this power factor correction is done at the power station.

Now if you are running loads like air con, water pump, pool pump, electric water heaters, you would need to use a huge bank of capacitors. Probably would be the size of a small car! Is this gadget as big as that?

I doubt it. And I doubt that it will work!
As best as I can understand it, the "system" is capacitors of something like 50u that are supposed to smooth out the voltage spikes, the upper spikes being power you pay for but not use.

I do know that the power in the DR is extremely inconsistent constantly spiking. The "quailty" of power here is very poor compared to the states.
 

Eddy

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Jan 1, 2002
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There has been a local buzz in this area about some guys who attach a gizmo to the power cable coming in to your breaker box that supposedly reduced the power consumption as measured on the meter-what your bill will be-by 10-30% without affecting any appliances or other electrical items. This supposedly is more effective for inductive items (pumps, a/c, fridge, cf bulbs, etc.)

Cost installed is roughly RD$3000 MOL.

I'm no electrical genius, but understand the basic principles. As explained to me, it has to do with spikes, dirty current and capacitance/resistance...or something. Ever try to discuss technical subjects with a "regular" Dominican...not an engineer?

Anyone else hear of such things? I'm not interested, being basically a skeptic of things that set off my BS & Scam meters...just curious.
We are actively looking for something . Someone is supposed to stop by the store. Totally legal. Very popular in in some South American countries. If it works or not, I will post.
 

the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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Hi Gorgon,

That would be impedance matching which is a slightly different theory. But the principles remain that everything done with electrics is to increase efficiency and reduce loss, which in most cases is heat.

so please help me here, beeza. a capacitive speaker, such as a ribbon, or electrostatic, has a varying impedance, depending on the frequency it is reproducing. the nominal impedance , say 4 ohms, is usually measured at a specific frequency, but rises or falls when that frequency changes. a purely resistive dynamic speaker remains at the nominal impedance, give or take small variations, through the frequency spectrum. so, are you saying that the reason why an amplifier will overheat and shut down when it is driving a miserable 1 ohm load is because of impedance matching? educate me, please.
 

cjp2010

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Mar 25, 2013
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All I know about it is a relative of mine had one installed by a friend and it had no noticeable difference. Bear in mind that this person had no pool, A/C, hot water, water pump, etc. So no high power items. But their bill was always around $1,300 pesos per month (which they thought was high but I don't) and after installing the device their bill was still around $1,300 pesos per month.
 

beeza

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Nov 2, 2006
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so please help me here, beeza. a capacitive speaker, such as a ribbon, or electrostatic, has a varying impedance, depending on the frequency it is reproducing. the nominal impedance , say 4 ohms, is usually measured at a specific frequency, but rises or falls when that frequency changes. a purely resistive dynamic speaker remains at the nominal impedance, give or take small variations, through the frequency spectrum. so, are you saying that the reason why an amplifier will overheat and shut down when it is driving a miserable 1 ohm load is because of impedance matching? educate me, please.

Wow, now you're really testing me! I remember the formula "one over two pi root L C" is the formula for resonant frequency! But I have to admit, I'm not an expert on audio electronics and I'm sure there are some on this forum who are!

I'm an aircraft engineer. And the power generations systems on aircraft are fascinating. For instance, a modern airliner generator produces some 90kV of power. That's enough to power a small barrio or a large hotel. The size of the genny is about that of a football!
 

the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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As best as I can understand it, the "system" is capacitors of something like 50u that are supposed to smooth out the voltage spikes, the upper spikes being power you pay for but not use.

I do know that the power in the DR is extremely inconsistent constantly spiking. The "quailty" of power here is very poor compared to the states.

i fail to see how a capacitor will smooth out the spikes unless the frequency of the spike can be ascertained beforehand, since the frequency filtered depends upon the microfarad of the cap.
 

the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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Wow, now you're really testing me! I remember the formula "one over two pi root L C" is the formula for resonant frequency! But I have to admit, I'm not an expert on audio electronics and I'm sure there are some on this forum who are!

I'm an aircraft engineer. And the power generations systems on aircraft are fascinating. For instance, a modern airliner generator produces some 90kV of power. That's enough to power a small barrio or a large hotel. The size of the genny is about that of a football!


you are being tested? what about me? i know less than nothing about this. all my speaker crossover designs are done with a computer program called Winisd. if i had to find the square root of pi over the free air resonance of the driver, we would be here until eternity.
 

donluis99

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Jul 12, 2004
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Better yet, I have a perpetual motion generator to sell if your interested, free electric forever, perpetually........only $999.99

g'luck
 
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cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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i fail to see how a capacitor will smooth out the spikes unless the frequency of the spike can be ascertained beforehand, since the frequency filtered depends upon the microfarad of the cap.
Beats me. I have no idea, not my area of solid knowledge.

I just know there is a buzz about it around here.
 

the gorgon

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Beats me. I have no idea, not my area of solid knowledge.

I just know there is a buzz about it around here.

it is not mine, either. i just happen to know from designing speakers that capacitors block low frequencies, and inductors block high frequencies, and you use different values to block different frequencies.

therefore, depending upon the frequency of the spike, a capacitor might not be the answer.
 

cobraboy

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it is not mine, either. i just happen to know from designing speakers that capacitors block low frequencies, and inductors block high frequencies, and you use different values to block different frequencies.

therefore, depending upon the frequency of the spike, a capacitor might not be the answer.
Isn't the ac frequency here 60hz?
 

the gorgon

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Isn't the ac frequency here 60hz?

it is either 50 or 60 hz. so, i would presume that they would want to filter out any spikes that are above, or below, that frequency, which would be unsuitable for the devices that use electricity. the problem is that calculating the value of the blocking cap entails calculating the impedance of the load, and i would like them to tell me how they can do that, since it will vary depending upon the devices in use at a given time.
 
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