Vampire load surprise - garage door openers

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Permalink Reply by peter chang on November 6, 2012 at 5:48pm

Ok, I don't have time to read this whole thread, but let me just ask, do you really need 3 garage door openers? Is your garage heated and what do you think the energy loss is through those doors? How bis is your house and how many people live in it full time? I have a client who is very nice and well meaning and wealthy. She doesn't work, doesn't have to. She has a stunning home of probably 4000ish square feet in which she lives alone. I do not know if she has any other homes. She started bugging me on the phone about phantom loads from her $10000 entertainment center. Then she was bugging me because she was worried her 30 or so recessed lighting cans might be leaky. Then she paid some guy to do one of those air leak tests on her house. and had a whole host of other questions. Sometimes I see her driving around town in her $80k SUV and I can't help but wonder, who is she trying to kid, me or herself. We are rampant consumers in this country and we all seem to think we "deserve" our lifestyles because we work so "hard".
Unplug two of the openers and use only one. The other two will be fine spares when the active one wears out.

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Permalink Reply by Curt Kinder on November 6, 2012 at 7:01pm

Coincidentally, your recommendation is how we are now operating - 1 bay is unplugged, 1 bay is left plugged in (wife and kids) and 1 bay is rigged with an extension cord for intermittent use (my occasional use car)

House is 3400 SF, 5 residents, future aging family apartment included.

We don't "need" 3 garage door openers, and this thread wandered off into a multi-page debate about lifestyles, but my original complaint / inquiry was about excessive standby loads by the garage door openers and how I might mitigate them.

As to your client, start assisting her, but be sure to invoice for advice given and value received

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Permalink Reply by peter chang on November 7, 2012 at 7:42am

I must admit, that client really means well. She is very nice and trying to educate herself about waste and consumption. I believe she bought this house before she had ever spent much time considering these issues. She had some electrical use issues and I recommend she look at her water use and well system. It turned out she had some buried leaks in the supply for her drip irrigation.
I came to the realization a long time ago that the quickest way to reduce my "everything" footprint would be to simplify where practical, and add only after serious consideration. Now if only I could explain that to my wife!

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Permalink Reply by Curt Kinder on November 7, 2012 at 2:43pm

I appreciate everyone's feedback regarding the specifics of my garage door opener standby power.

As to the much wider philosophic differences, I'm "through with engines"

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Permalink Reply by Joe Wateski on November 9, 2012 at 8:54am

Seems to me the quick easy would be to install a simple switch to shut off power once all the vehicles are in the garage for the night.  Most garages have all of their garage door switches centrally located near the entry door to the home.  bundle up the positive leads to a switch and let the owner turn it off once the garage is full and on again the following morning.

Unless they are night owls, they should be able to cut their yearly phantom load by 1/3.  Cost = $5 plus install time.

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Permalink Reply by Curt Kinder on November 9, 2012 at 9:06am

Thanks, but alas not so easy - door opener receptacles in ceiling hardwired back to elec panel dedicated breaker. No handy wall switch...

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Permalink Reply by Joe Wateski on November 9, 2012 at 9:23am

I haven't tried it myself, as we don't pay that much attention to phantom loads in my shop, we're more about the bigger stuff.  Still, I would think there would be a way that if you kill the on/off switches, which send a singal to the motor unit, there would be a way to shut that off by the same means.  Might have to add ind. relays at the main units as well.  Just a thought - trying to brainstorm here is all...

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Permalink Reply by Curt Kinder on November 9, 2012 at 9:31am

I appreciate the extra set of eyes on this one - I just don't want to incorporate extra complications into operating the doors as such would eat into the convenience of having them in the first place.

The first time I or my wife rolls up and the door won't open, necessitating a walk up around in down and back will be cause for complaint...same when kids are all loaded up and have to get back out and turn power on - we often run late anyway.

I will solve this in a manner transparent to users.

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