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Leave your machine on to save electricity

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  • Lyrebird
    commented on 's reply
    An air conditioner is a heat pump, so it is possible to set up conditions so that you bank coolth when the "lift" is low and thus reduce overall energy consumption.

    I do this when it's going to be very hot in the afternoon, but I have several things going for me: I designed my house to be far more thermally efficient than average (just under 9 stars by measurement); this included installing an energy recovery ventilation system and two of the most energy efficient air conditioners available (Daikin US7 in 2.5 kW, since small AC units are more efficient than large ones*).

    We normally run just one unit even when when it is 40 degrees plus. We can heat and cool the house for about a dollar a day and this is in a climate with fairly extreme swings (below zero in winter, well over 40 in summer).

    A coffee machine is not a heat pump. The claim in the OP is bunk.





    * This is because the size of the heat exchangers for the larger units is not scaled with the compressor capacity so they lose efficiency.

  • 20in40out
    replied
    I've heard the same thing said about modern Air Conditioners
    Depending on your settings and the ambient temperature outside, its not true either

    Leave a comment:


  • Noelpolar
    commented on 's reply
    Best not to overthink it...........

  • t0fu
    replied
    Is this some kind of magic thermos coffee machine? I dont understand how running a machine continuously for 4 hours to make 2 coffees uses less electricity than a cold start 30 min routine x2.

    Leave a comment:


  • Dimal
    replied
    Yep, it will but that is not the question the OP asked...
    Most of us probably already own similar devices but few of us have access to a multitude of machines with which to run real world experiments that can be backed up with facts...

    Mal.

    Leave a comment:


  • Superman
    replied
    Wow, you guys are way over thinking it. A simple energy meter from Bunnings will give you the answer.

    Attached Files

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  • Dimal
    replied
    The real question I would ask is it better to leave the machine on because the steady temperature would perhaps be kinder on the machine - eg less thermal stress than if it was turned of and on more frequently.​
    Unfortunately, the answer to this is also - Maybe...
    So long as the temperature increase gradient is relatively slow, any stresses involved are easily managed by good machine design and component selection. I've been turning my various machines On and Off throughout the day for many years and have never experienced failure caused by this activity. The better prosumer machines are designed to handle this kind of cyclic operation but in the case of larger Lever machines that use large boilers and commercial group assemblies, it might well be better off to leave them on until your coffee making for the day is finished.

    Mal.

    Leave a comment:


  • Ted2013
    replied
    Does not make sense

    If you leave your machine on for an extended time it will be at a higher temperature than its surroundings than if it was turned off so its average heat loss per unit of time which is related to the temperature gradient will be higher than if it was turned off. A well insulated boiler will slow this down but the same principle will still apply.

    On the other hand the instantaneous power consumption as evidenced by the current draw will be higher when the machine is restarted.

    The real question I would ask is it better to leave the machine on because the steady temperature would perhaps be kinder on the machine - eg less thermal stress than if it was turned of and on more frequently.

    Leave a comment:


  • FNQ
    replied
    On another Forum( HB) this has been discussed here and importantly some other searches around Kill-a-watt and 24/7 the threads(mentioned on page one of first link) suggest that the answer can be True and False depending on variables such as insulation / heat loss etc as already mentioned above.
    Another thread in this forum in Decent Espresso thread- has actual calculation over 2 years of use of an energy efficient machine.

    Worthwhile exercise though to consider everyone's scenarios-- thanks for posting

    Leave a comment:


  • Dimal
    commented on 's reply
    Yep, far too many variables need to be considered to make any kind of generalisation about outcomes...

  • Andrew11
    replied
    I previously had a Wega Mini Nova which would chew through power leaving it on all day. You could hear it constantly turning the boilers on

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  • LeroyC
    replied
    Originally posted by Berigora View Post
    Interesting short on youtube posted by 'Home Cafe by Charlie' that it takes less energy to keep your espresso machine turned on, than it takes to turn it off and have it warm up for the second brew of the day; if that second brew is within four hours. Food for thought.
    Wow that's a real gross generalisation. I would say that if the machine has a large group head with a lot of thermal mass like an E61 or similar then this is quite possibly true. If it's a modern machine like a DE1, BDB, or something with cartridge heaters or some other form of directly heated group then the difference would be minimal. And if it's the sort of machine that cycles the boiler on and off at intervals then I'd be favouring turning it off. Then there's other variables such as your power supply and ambient temperature. It's definitely food for thought, but a 20 second video that lacks any real context is far from authorative.

    Leave a comment:


  • Berigora
    started a topic Leave your machine on to save electricity

    Leave your machine on to save electricity

    Interesting short on youtube posted by 'Home Cafe by Charlie' that it takes less energy to keep your espresso machine turned on, than it takes to turn it off and have it warm up for the second brew of the day; if that second brew is within four hours. Food for thought.
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