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[ramdough]

I am trying to figure out how much power the wall switch units use when off and when on.  I understand that the load will use its own power, but how many parasitic watts will the wall switches use by itself? 

I would like numbers on all of the wall switch models if possible. 


Thank you very much. 

[dave w]

Do a search for "power consumption" and "standby power". There is quite a bit of information on the forum. In general, the average is 2-4W.

[Brian H]

Technically. The two wire wall switches that steal power through the load [bulb]. Have a small current flow through the bulb all the time.

[HA Dave]

There is quite a bit of information on the forum.

dave w is correct there has been considerable amounts of discussions on how much power is consumed using home automation (X10). All to often we forget how much energy is saved when properly using HA.

I have several motion sensor floodlights around my home, they provide excellent security by providing light when needed and even trigger inside devices too. I honestly don't know how many watts (or fractions of watts) the sensors consume. However I know I save considerably over the neighbor who runs one 150 watt light, dusk till dawn.

An ALL OFF command (macro) setup in AHP, to turn off forgotten lights after the family leaves for work and school, could save more electric in one day, than the system would consume in a year.

[Boiler]

dave w is correct there has been considerable amounts of discussions on how much power is consumed using home automation (X10). All to often we forget how much energy is saved when properly using HA.

Exactly correct Dave_x10_L.

We're critiquing a device for it's off power consumption while not recognizing the savings it can provide.  I'm using preset dimmers on motion sensors in most of the halls and stairs in my house.  The closets have 2-way X10 that I turn off through AHP after a preset time.  Outside lights are dimmable lamps that brighten on motion and then dim after a preset time.  Security lamps are Pr511's triggered on motion.

Have I recovered my investment - probably not.  I'm a hobbyist (I still consider this to be fun) but I do expect to realize a payback in the future (I haven't noticed electric prices going down).

On the flip side, we have a ton of electronic devices in our homes that are consuming  power in standby mode.  Since the incorporation of the microprocessor in mainstream electronics, most devices enter a low power mode when in the off conditions (yes even your programmable coffee maker).  These devices consume less power than older models, we just have a lot more of them. 

I have six computers in the house (did I mention I'm a hobbyist) - in the standby (off) condition these consume around 500 watts of power.  At night I turn 5 of these off (hard off - ac power removed).  This does not include the computer monitor, printer, modems, routers - the list goes on. 

The following is a partial list of devices that are constantly consuming power Electric Leaks

The following attachment is the recommended design criteria for a standard ATX power supply (current computer configuration).  Computers are nice, but they are huge offenders.