Beware, when you click on the link, Ed Begley Jr. will begin talking immediately.
Unfortunately, I was a bit misled by Ed on the cost of the GreenSwitch. The basic kit is $1125, which comes with the master switch, a thermostat, 4 wall switches, and 4 outlets. Additional outlets and switches are $88.75 each.
It's pretty easy to install, though, if you can do very basic electric work (and even I can do very basic electric work). You swap out the outlets wherever you want appliances or electrical stuff to shut off when you leave. You swap out switches wherever you want lights to shut off when you leave. The master switch gets swapped out for the switch by your point of exit/entry - it has a switch with a slider button next to it, so you keep the functionality of the switch and use the slider to shut off the power. You can also get a remote for exiting from other areas of the house.
When you leave the house, you turn off the main switch. A signal is sent to all of the switches and outlets that shuts them off, stopping all electrical "seepage". Many people don't know that most items still draw power while plugged in, even if they are turned off. Televisions, computers, and entertainment equipment are big offenders. GreenSwitch also has outlets that are half-enabled, so you can leave your Tivo powered up, but your TV, DVD, and cable box shut off completely. You can set up switches in your kitchen so the stove and microwave shut off, but the fridge continues to run.
They (the website selling the product) say the cost will be recouped in 1-2 years, but that you should expect 2. They also say that shutting down the power completely will extend the life of your appliances, electronics, and heating and air, but I imagine that's difficult to quantify.
Although the product is 3 times more expensive than I was led to believe on the show, I am still considering it. It does require some planning to stay within the 4 switches/4 outlets thing, and I might require one of those half switches for my Tivo, due to outlet restrictions. I also have to do some research on what I can have off and what I can't - can a gas range be off? Can my wireless internet, if it's running the Tivo? And which 4 light switches get turned off? The bathrooms, kitchen, and livingroom? The bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen?
And then there's that issue of $1200 just lying around...
6 comments:
I confess, I don't get the switches part. I get the outlets, but why would you need to control four switches worth of lights? That just seems like it would encourage you to leave/turn on lights in rooms you aren't using just because they're hooked to the master switch. Unless they aren't overhead light switches and you have your switches wired to your outlet, so turning off the switch kills the power to the outlet.... Am I not seeing this right?
Make sure you're not the kind of people who will be driven crazy by the perpetually blinking 12:00 on your DVD player, microwave, etc. :-)
Otherwise it does sound rather fabulous. I've just finally got 'round to the point where I mostly remember to unplug the toaster when I'm done with it....
Old toaster, doesn't keep drawing power.
I don't get the switches either, but then again, I have a small house. I turn on one light and it lights up half the place.
I just wish that ajd would go for something like this, but he likes his clocks set and all of his electronics powered.
Yeah, I would rather replace out some of the switches for outlets. One of my switches runs the outlet and all three livingroom lamps go to it, so that one we could do. Whatever.
I guess the switches are somewhat weird. Does a larger light fixture or ceiling fan make a bigger power draw? Most of my overheads have the spiral compact florescents in them anyway, but maybe that onlt makes them use less power when I'm using them or something. I must admit I'm not an electrical expert though.
I'd imagine that bed side clock radios don't have too much of a power draw any way. I'd go fo the computer, tvs, stereo, and video games. I didn't think a gas range used any power, they're popular here in the northwoods because of frequent power outages. Does it have electrical ignightor?
It has an ignitor. Plus, mine has a clock.
OMG, my spelling is awful! Sorry. Guess I was in a hurry to get to bowling or something.
That makes sense though. I guess I wasn't aware that gas ranges had clocks. How behind the times am I?
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