X-power Energy Saver

[Mark Monson]

I have just had an email from an irritated seller of the X-Power Energy Saver after I tried to post a comment on his video on youtube.

 

I Quote : "Hi,

I am not sure you understand how you determine kWh.

Here is the Formula: KWH = Amps X volts / 1,000 X estimated hours.

 

Amps is a definite part of the kWh equation.

 

Do your reseach please before making such claims in apublic forum. And please look at the electric bills at http://www.xpowertechnology.com/testimonies.html

 

Notice that the kWh is reduced on the bills.

 

Sincerely

Bill Wynne

646-290-9339".

 

I have responded with a correction to his formula.

 

I urge other forum members, particularly US-based members, to get onto youtube and comment in these videos :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX84iJ-xAgE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv7hayXSKRc

 

With any sort of effort, these scam artists will shut up shop and stop preying on the ignorance of innocent people.

 

[marke]

Hello Mark

 

Well spotted.

I have posted a comment to one only. For some reason I can not post more comments. Perhaps there is a limit in youtube??

 

This sort of stuff just keeps on popping up!!

 

Have a good day,

[jraef]

Speaking of X Power, here is an interesting little treatise...

 

http://kutv.com/letbillbuyit/local_story_038185542.html

 

He said "maybe $.05 per month..." but if you look at X-power's own website for thie manual, it tells you that the damed thing CONSUMES 0.45A at 120V, so that's 54W of energy right there, 24/7/365 means 473kWH per year! So here in California at .15/kWH, that's almost $6 month!

 

LOL, what a joke...

[marke]

Here is a published test report which shows that there is no saving, even though they claim that there is a saving. http://arise.myfti.biz/images/professional...%20Test%201.pdf

Have a look at the figures for the "real power" this is what drives the KWHr meter.

 

The "apparent power" is what you would pay for if you were paying for KVA maximum demand. - This requires an additional special meter which is not used in domestic and small industrial installations.

 

The summary claims that the test results show a saving, but that is a saving in KVA, not KW.

 

Best regards,

[pagesincolor]

Here is a published test report which shows that there is no saving, even though they claim that there is a saving. http://arise.myfti.biz/images/professional...%20Test%201.pdf

Have a look at the figures for the "real power" this is what drives the KWHr meter.

 

The "apparent power" is what you would pay for if you were paying for KVA maximum demand. - This requires an additional special meter which is not used in domestic and small industrial installations.

 

The summary claims that the test results show a saving, but that is a saving in KVA, not KW.

 

Best regards,

 

********************************************************************

I would like someone who has an X-power to do a simple test before I order one.

 

1) Be sure you have a mechanical utility watt-hour meter that causes you to be billed for true kwhrs used, not KVA.

 

2) Plug in your X-power. Keep any motors that are running still going, but allow the motors to cool off a bit and things to stabilize.

 

3) With as many steady inductive and non-linear loads running and as few incandescent loads running as practical, go outside and look at the aluminum wheel that is spinning inside your utility watt-hour meter. Note how many revolutions it completes in a minute or more. Time it for at least 10 revolutions. Non-linear loads include such items as compact fluorescent lights, microwaves, and pre 2007 computers. If running a microwave, be sure to put a bowl of cold water in it at the beginning of any tests. Never run a microwave with nothing in it.

 

4) Go back inside and unplug the X-power.

 

5) After waiting for any motors that are running to heat up a bit, go back outside and look at the spin rate of the aluminum wheel in the watt-hour meter. If the X-power works as advertised, the aluminum wheel should complete 25% more revolutions in the same amount of time as in the measurement conducted when the X-power was plugged in.

 

I have e-mailed one X-power rep repeatedly to please perform this test, but have not heard back that the test has been completed.

 

There are lots of products on the market that claim energy savings or fuel savings, but are totally dependent on testimonials from customers who experienced savings to claim the high numbers they are claiming. Individual customers' experiences are highly variable seasonally, month to month and year to year. For instance in a baseline test for a fuel saver chip I found that driving over a mountain range without the fuel saver chip uses less gas than driving on flat ground. Of course the customer who was used to driving on flat ground would claim the fuel saver chip was responsible for fuel savings when he installed it and then drove over the mountain. However, this fuel savings occurs naturally and has to do with increased efficiency of the engine under higher load, followed by no load while coasting back down the other side of the mountain.

 

I suspect that this proposed X-power test may show something even though a high quality true power meter used in a testing lab may not show anything. I have found a reference that describes how the typical mechanical watt-hour meter works. Apparently it is innaccurrate when measuring currents in excess of 600% of capacity. Another source suggests that these same meters may not measure non-linear loads accurrately. The X-power may correct the power factor for non-linear loads and allow the watt-hour meter to read more accurrately. You probably don't save as much energy compared to the money you save if this idea is correct. Please e-mail me at pagesincolor@riseup.net with any results. Thanks.

[pagesincolor]

I finally did order one of these X-power devices to test it. I tried both a circuit that had all compact fluorescent lights on it and a circuit that had a small refridgerator on it. There was no power savings indicated by watching the watt-hour meter spin with the X-power plugged in or unplugged. No other devices were running in the building at the time I did these tests. I also tried a circuit that had just a washing machine running. I did find a small power savings when the washing machine motor had warmed up, but switching the order in which the X-power was plugged in for a repeat of the test demonstrated that the savings was not due to the X-power, just due to the warmed up motor. A big drawback to the X-power is that you don't get all of your money back when you return the X-power. You only get 75% of your money back. At $300 or so per unit I don't doubt that the company is making money regardless of weather or not most people return the device for a "refund".

 

 

********************************************************************

I would like someone who has an X-power to do a simple test before I order one.

 

1) Be sure you have a mechanical utility watt-hour meter that causes you to be billed for true kwhrs used, not KVA.

 

2) Plug in your X-power. Keep any motors that are running still going, but allow the motors to cool off a bit and things to stabilize.

 

3) With as many steady inductive and non-linear loads running and as few incandescent loads running as practical, go outside and look at the aluminum wheel that is spinning inside your utility watt-hour meter. Note how many revolutions it completes in a minute or more. Time it for at least 10 revolutions. Non-linear loads include such items as compact fluorescent lights, microwaves, and pre 2007 computers. If running a microwave, be sure to put a bowl of cold water in it at the beginning of any tests. Never run a microwave with nothing in it.

 

4) Go back inside and unplug the X-power.

 

5) After waiting for any motors that are running to heat up a bit, go back outside and look at the spin rate of the aluminum wheel in the watt-hour meter. If the X-power works as advertised, the aluminum wheel should complete 25% more revolutions in the same amount of time as in the measurement conducted when the X-power was plugged in.

 

I have e-mailed one X-power rep repeatedly to please perform this test, but have not heard back that the test has been completed.

 

There are lots of products on the market that claim energy savings or fuel savings, but are totally dependent on testimonials from customers who experienced savings to claim the high numbers they are claiming. Individual customers' experiences are highly variable seasonally, month to month and year to year. For instance in a baseline test for a fuel saver chip I found that driving over a mountain range without the fuel saver chip uses less gas than driving on flat ground. Of course the customer who was used to driving on flat ground would claim the fuel saver chip was responsible for fuel savings when he installed it and then drove over the mountain. However, this fuel savings occurs naturally and has to do with increased efficiency of the engine under higher load, followed by no load while coasting back down the other side of the mountain.

 

I suspect that this proposed X-power test may show something even though a high quality true power meter used in a testing lab may not show anything. I have found a reference that describes how the typical mechanical watt-hour meter works. Apparently it is innaccurrate when measuring currents in excess of 600% of capacity. Another source suggests that these same meters may not measure non-linear loads accurrately. The X-power may correct the power factor for non-linear loads and allow the watt-hour meter to read more accurrately. You probably don't save as much energy compared to the money you save if this idea is correct. Please e-mail me at pagesincolor@riseup.net with any results. Thanks.

 

[marke]

Hello pagesincolor

 

Thank you for the feedback on your test results.

These are as expected, but it is good to have the actual test results, not just predicted results.

 

I recently added a page to my web site about these claims, you can find it at http://www.lmphotonics.com/power-factor/domestic-pf.php

 

Have a good day,

Best regards,

Mark.