Electricity usage in a week

[kampinguru]

I have been keeping track of my electricity usage this year and I want to pose a question. I read my meter on Sunday before I leave the site and again on the following Friday when I arrive. I have noticed that I am using about 10KWH in that amount of time. Now the only things I can think of that might be drawing electricity is the TV and Satellite receiver, the Propane detector and the converter/Charger. I am running my fridge on propane so none there. Is this a reasonable amount of electricity to use in 5 days? Thanks

[kampinguru]

Thank you for all the responses so far. I am running the water heater on Propane and the electric switch remains off at all times. The water heater propane is turned off when I leave on Sunday and turned back on on Friday. The fridge is running on propane only and the TV (23inch Samsung flat panel) and Sat receiver (Bell Expressvu 6130) and the propane detector and Stereo are the only things I can think of that would be drawing minimal power. The microwave is unplugged and we don't use it. The wall clock is battery operated on a AA battery. The only other thing would be the battery charger in the converter. I bought a new marine battery last year to run the trailer. If the trailer is plugged in to shore power, can I turn off the battery disconnect switch and still have the fridge light? It is not the money that is the issue here. I just think that the consumption is rather high and I want to know if it is or not.

[brulaz]

Almot wrote:

brulaz wrote:

The Rogue MPPT controller puts out a median daily 10Ah to maintain the batts with all that stuff on. That may include what the Rogue uses too.

When not generating energy, Rogue itself uses very little, 0.26 AH in 24 hours.

Battery self-discharge is also a contributing factor. Battery in a good shape can draw anywhere from 0.2 AH to a few AH a day, depending on battery type, size and condition, and on ambient temperature (faster self-discharge when hotter).

Hmmm, out of curiosity, I'll isolate the batteries for a few days and see what the Rogue puts out just to maintain them alone.

As for what the Rogue uses, I'm just not sure whether that's included in what it displays as Ah to the batteries. It might rather be the difference between the solar Wh input versus Ah output.

[Almot]

brulaz wrote:

The Rogue MPPT controller puts out a median daily 10Ah to maintain the batts with all that stuff on. That may include what the Rogue uses too.

When not generating energy, Rogue itself uses very little, 0.26 AH in 24 hours.

Battery self-discharge is also a contributing factor. Battery in a good shape can draw anywhere from 0.2 AH to a few AH a day, depending on battery type, size and condition, and on ambient temperature (faster self-discharge when hotter).

[brulaz]

When not using our trailer, I turn off the frig, hot water tank and water pump. I do not disconnect the batteries.

That leaves the CO and propane monitors, the radio (off but clock is displayed), the 12V TV (off but LED is on), a LED on the auxiliary 12V sockets, and the converter/chargers (LEDs, but not plugged in to 110V).

The Rogue MPPT controller puts out a median daily 10Ah to maintain the batts with all that stuff on. That may include what the Rogue uses too.

[Almot]

JRS & B wrote:
Googled electricity consumption by appliances while in the standby mode. I figured the ones operating at 110 volts would dwarf the stuff operating at 12 volts. ...

I'm still guessing the extra 8 kWh comes from keeping water hot or maintaining a dying battery on life support.

Yes. There can be standby currents on many items. MW has a bright LED clock running all the time, radio/CD and sat TV are all drawing something while in standby. Sat receiver alone can draw 50 or 70W, and a not-too-efficient TV would draw another 70W while running, plus something on standby.

The OP needs to get his own watt-meter. Or - shut some devices off, for a day or two, and see what happens. Not just "turn off" - unplug it or pull the fuse. Make sure the water heater runs on LP, to eliminate one suspect. Could be a bad battery too, drawing too much current from converter.

[Mandalay_Parr]

kellertx5er wrote:

Mandalay Parr wrote:
Sounds about right to me.
That's about $15.

Unless power in Phoenix is $1.50/kWh, I think you missed a
decimal place. At $0.15/kWH, it would be $1.50 per week.

You are right. I did miss the decimal point. Guess I'm getting too old.
At $1.50 per week, that is real cheap.

My elec usually runs about $90 per month.

Jerry.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

A milliamp here and a milliamp there

Pretty soon we are talking about some real current.

Dang! The joke failed!

[AllegroD]

JRS & B wrote:
MEXICOWANDERER - Our Direct TV HD DVR's go into a sleep mode if not used for 4 hours. So the newer receivers are more frugal.

Receiver might but does the antenna. My Roadtrip Mission is constantly seaking. Also, sleep still draws a bit of power.

You might consider some of these

to kill non essentials quickly.

[kellertx5er]

Mandalay Parr wrote:
Sounds about right to me.
That's about $15.

Unless power in Phoenix is $1.50/kWh, I think you missed a
decimal place. At $0.15/kWH, it would be $1.50 per week.

[JRS___B]

Googled electricity consumption by appliances while in the standby mode. I figured the ones operating at 110 volts would dwarf the stuff operating at 12 volts. It seems like the biggest ones are rear projection televisions and then microwave ovens. But, on average, those two combined only draw about 10 watts. So the two big guys use around 1.2 kWh in 5 days (10 x 24 x 5).

I'm still guessing the extra 8 kWh comes from keeping water hot or maintaining a dying battery on life support.

[JRS___B]

MEXICOWANDERER - Our Direct TV HD DVR's go into a sleep mode if not used for 4 hours. So the newer receivers are more frugal.

[time2roll]

Converter can sit there drawing one amp afaik.
1 x 120 x 24 x 5 = 2.88 kWh right there. Maybe it draws 2 or 3 amps while in use.
Clamp-on ammeter would tell the story.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I had a home Dish Netwreck receiver that consumed 50 watts while picking its nose.

Are RV receivers more energy frugal?

Hello KILL-O-WATT and a half hour's worth of looking...

[Almot]

kampinguru wrote:
I have noticed that I am using about 10KWH in that amount of time. Now the only things I can think of that might be drawing electricity is the TV and Satellite receiver, the Propane detector and the converter/Charger. I am running my fridge on propane so none there. Is this a reasonable amount of electricity to use in 5 days? Thanks

10,000/5/13=153 AH. A little high, considering fridge in LP mode. LP fridge still draws current, about 10-13 AH/day, 0.7-1.0 KWH in 5 days. With the loads that you mentioned, it should be around 5 KWH or 7 KWH in 5 days. Unless you've missed some things out, like ceiling fans many hours a day, MW, laptop etc. With all those extras it can easily be 10 KWH. Or - if you're watching sat TV more than 8 hours a day.