Herbert Graf wrote:
>
> > > the actually power meter that the electrical company reads slow down? I
> > > doubt it since I believe all meters ignore the effects of this sort of
> > > thing. I don't believe it would damage anything, but I don't
> > think it would
> > > reduce the amount of power the power company charges you for
> > using, I might
> > > be wrong though. TTYL
> >
> > My understanding's that the power company doesn't charge you for
> > REACTIVE loading, just real power you use, for regular consumers.
> > (Industrial users can get a discount for presenting a less inductive
> > load, but that's an entirely different bushel of worms!)  I haven't
> > heard a whole lot of power experts comment positively on those.
>
>         That's what I believe as well, can anybody confirm, I'd be interested
in
> knowing if these are just the same devices I heard of before or if they are
> something new. TTYL

The way I see it is that with a inductive or capacitive load the current
peak is not
at the voltage peak

So as the consumer meter only measures current, you are getting less
power for your
money
ie: with a resistive load  10Amps x 120Volts = 1.2KW
    with a reactive  load  10Amps x 100Volts = 1KW

I don't think it takes much to shift the peak current from 120V to 100V
in an industrial
enviroment but for a home the savings could be small

I would say that savings could me made by putting a cap across the
fridge motor though. !
IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING
--
Peter Cousens
email: p.cousens@cwcom.net  or  p.cousens@virgin.net
smail: 48, Yarmouth Cresent, London, N179PQ, England.