power Quizz What is my Power bug bear

[NavyDiver]

Some items we have at home or work when they turn on go to work quickly and crank up the watts on the power circuits. I have had a few years of wondering exactly what was a huge power hog at work. Power off then on and the spike was often 10,000w plus. Just occasionally that bit me.

The suspects:

Hot water system
Fridges- 4 of them. Two big vaccine fridges and two smaller bar fridges
Elevator
Computers 9 of them
printers 7
Lights- almost all LED
2 5000 w Victron inverter chargers
Two 10kwh Redflow batteries
A phone charge or similar - 6 or so
Solar PV input upto 5.2kw
Kettle, Microwave, toasted sandwich maker
Air conditioning Splits systems. Multiple Mulitiheads and five single units up to 3.5kw heating/cooling ( Thanks Ian) Hint- they got turned off first and are not the answer



Hint -My two batteries and two 5Kwh Victron multi plus can cover peak loads above 10,000 watts for a short time when every thing is smiling. They batteries can suck in 5000 watts when charging. Power spike only occurs for several seconds when item or circuit is first turned on.


A 4 hours item by item testing last night finally solved it for me. Sparky and I both lost .



[B]Rulz pick ONE Number 1 to 11 or type one answer for my power spike hog. First Correct post wins! Multiple guesses disqualified No questions sorry unless no correct answers in a week from now[biggrin]

[Vern]

Why are your batteries charging from the grid, or do they charge to a particular soc then pv tops them up?
How are you monitoring all loads?

[350RRC]

The kettle

[V8Ian]

3

Don't you have air con?

[DieselLSE]

1.

[NavyDiver]

3

Don't you have air con?
Editing Thanks[thumbsupbig]

[NavyDiver]

3

Don't you have air con?
Edit- Lift spikes to < 2000 w only[biggrin]

[NavyDiver]

1.
They can spike to sub 4000w if we turn them on and being used- Sub 3000 w if all active. Almost no spike if power just turned on to the circuit. [thumbsupbig]

[Homestar]

7 - Only based on peaks I used to see when working in Exchanges testing gensets. When first powered on the rectifiers would suck huge loads just for a short time after powering up. Complete guess though.

[NavyDiver]

7 - Only based on peaks I used to see when working in Exchanges testing gensets. When first powered on the rectifiers would suck huge loads just for a short time after powering up. Complete guess though.


Victrons pull or push whats is drawn tiny efficiency loss from AC/DC - DC/AC. they can take peak surges over 14,000 w for a short time but are not my problem in this instance or questions.

Victron units perform ‘loss of mains’ (“LOM”) detection and can in some instance blow back apparently (https://www.victronenergy.com/live/ve.bus:grid-codes-and-loss-of-mains-detection)

Not the issue for the quizz but very interesting in LOM as a possible other danger to my UPS set up.

[Tote]

I'd go with the inverters - 7 also. Big inrush currents on switchmode supplies until they stabilise.

Regards,
Tote

[FisherX]

Ummm, I'm thinking the elevator. What kind of system is it? Elector hydraulic? 3 phase? Star delta configuration? or just delta? Or single phase? electric motors can pull a lot of power at start up.

[Vern]

6

[NavyDiver]

Ummm, I'm thinking the elevator. What kind of system is it? Elector hydraulic? 3 phase? Star delta configuration? or just delta? Or single phase? electric motors can pull a lot of power at start up.

Hydraulic. Sub 200 w turning on. Not much over 800 if going up. Not the culprit

[NavyDiver]

6
Leds cut my power bill by >30% when all on sub 600w and not hit to start up - not this one [biggrin]

[DieselLSE]

I know what it is. You put too many deer carcasses in your computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner. Possibly put yourself in there as well!

[Vern]

Leds cut my power bill by >30% when all on sub 600w and not hit to start up - not this one [biggrin]You may have 800 of them for all we know, helps to know your loads.

[NavyDiver]

You may have 800 of them for all we know, helps to know your loads.

Fair point Vern

4 led tubes in most rooms About 60 of them and 64 led down lights . The answer and how we found it tomorrow. Leave it for a while in case some one nails it before then [thumbsupbig] The power savings and significantly reduced replacment cost from the LEDs has been very welcome. Hardly on top of a ladder any more at all. [bigsmile]

[NavyDiver]

I know what it is. You put too many deer carcasses in your computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner. Possibly put yourself in there as well![biggrin][biggrin][biggrin] The University Of Melbourne Vet school is my favorite crazy place to CT scan deer[thumbsupbig] Thinking of putting some smaller ones in that if this Covid thing goes away. Hog, Reds, Fellow and Rusa to go with my completed Samba Slice [thumbsupbig]

Royal Melbourne Hospital and MIA radiology have honestly zapped me with xrays , MRIs and CT scans far more than decent. No radiology at my place at all except for looking at the results and cool images [bigrolf]

[NavyDiver]

Lazer Printers are very quick and cheap to run. Tonner and drums are not cheap to buy yet last me a long time. On friday we had eliminated every other item and done that several times to ensure consistency.

The sparky and myself had seen with all computers and Printers being only item on almost no grid impacts and had mistakenly left them of the list of likely suspects until the very end.'

We stripped to the wires a power lead and had a nifty device showing the exact current flowing to the devices as we turned them on.

Each of the printers was very consistant. several seconds after power on they went in to a start up process which on just one case was almost as much a a kettle/Microwave/ Hot water/ Lift.... Times by 8 printers the results was far more than decent for the circuit breaker or Victron Inverters or the power supply from my two batteries for just the briefest of time
Printing is a requirement that is reducing fast with E Scripts and E Referrals. A small UPS to each of them is the interim solution. Holding them on for a few seconds means no shock loading of my whole building.

Surprised myself and not shocked no one guessed noting Vern did mention the devil is in the detail with how many things not jsut what they are. Well done Vern. Nailed the missing very important bit Sir.

[jonesfam]

I don't know if it still holds true,
I was always told not to plug printers into a UPS as the power draw was to much for the UPS.
I would guess UPS Tec has improved over the years.
As for your quiz I knew it would be "One of the Above".
Jonesfam

[NavyDiver]

My four types of larger Brother lazer printers plus pathology ring in MFC. My one large and one medium sized MFCs, one colour printer and four brother HL-5450dn. Each draw little when on or printing, scanning or anything. It is just when first turning on

We found a lot more at Peak at 15 seconds after power is restored than the 1200w for the 5450dn. Tested a 8840 and another one which was a slightly different model This is the details for a 5450Dn.



Peak
Approx. 1200 W


Printing
Approx. 665 W at 25 ° C


Printing
(Quiet Mode)
Approx. 332 W at 25 ° C


Ready
Approx. 4.7 W at 25 ° C


Deep Sleep
Approx. 0.7 W
Approx. 0.6 W




Power Down
Approx. 0.40 W
Approx. 0.41 W



Putting 5 CYBERPOWER VALUE PRO 1600VA/960WATT UPS on and push to turn on /timers to turn off others so they cannot bite me. I would be grumpy If I wasted the kids vaccines. Covid ones are not gold yet useless if not handled exactly as needed. I do not need the UPS to turn them on if they are not turned off :)

Quiz was a bit cruel as vern pointed out. Devil is always in the detail.

Travel ones have long expired and are in the bin.