Always On = Vampire Draw?

[MikeekiM]

I have seen references here, and in other documentation that your “Always On” represents your “Vampire Draw”…

I am not sure I agree with that… I guess it depends on how you define/interpret the meaning of Vampire Draw…

For me, Vampire Draw is the unintended energy use by things like wall wart power adapters and AV receivers that are plugged in and quietly and unintentionally burning electricity…

I have some things that are in my “Always On” stats that represent things that I leave on 24x7 intentionally and purposefully that draws electricity, but that I do not consider a “Vampire Draw”… One example is the three air purifiers that I run 24x7 to alleviate allergies and reduce household contaminants… Should this be considered a “Vampire Draw”? I am purposely turning these devices on for the benefit delivered by the device…

And because I never turn them off…they are likely identified in my “Always On” measurement.

Love to hear some other perspectives here… Do you consider your “Always On” burn to be your “Vampire Draw”?

[kevin1]

I guess it is also a bit of semantics. I’m guessing you are drawing the line between the power being used for active “work” vs. just being drained for standby ? But it’s a little hard to make that distinction because much of the standby usage is used to do real work - listening for the next thing to do.

“Vampire Draw” as you defined it is one component of Always On. There is the more intentional draw component of all the embedded electronics in appliances and HVAC - really active usage, powering controllers, thermostats, and radio receivers (i.e. garage door openers). And finally there is the Always On active usage you voluntarily choose to put into service as you suggest.

[MikeekiM]

Yes, I think it is all semantics…

My definition of a vampire draw (and granted, it might only be my definition) is stuff that you think is not drawing power…but is…

I would include in this category, anything with an “OFF” button that is still drawing power when the device is turned “OFF”. I would also include things like wall wart power adapters that are attached to things that are “OFF”. Arguably, I would also include anything that is put in “Standby” with the perception of it being “OFF”… But that one is a bit of a grey area, because the label is clearly setting the expectation that it is in “Standby” mode, which you should expect it to draw some power. I would probably also include chargers (wireless or wired) that are not actively charging…

To me, a refrigerator that is plugged in, and not turned off, but runs 24x7 with a varying level of demand throughout the day, is not a vampire draw… You’ve plugged it in to keep your food cold…and it needs to operate at different levels of electric draw throughout the day to perform its intended function…

But as you say… It’s all in definitions and semantics…

I just don’t believe that anyone who has heard the word Vampire Draw (sometimes referred to as “Phantom Draw”) expects that to include stuff that you purposely leave on all the time…

[drjb]

My always on hovers around 500W. I thought it was excessive at first, but then I tallied-up all the ‘always-on’ devices and came close to that number. One thing I overlooked was the Radon Pump (draws about 70W). Do I consider this ‘vampire-load’? not quite. There are other things that are drawing power constantly at night but not much can be done about those… be it the modem/router, the various security cameras, the smart switches, the lighted/night plugs, or even the digital clocks of the oven/microwave. One thing I’ve learned though since installing my Sense is, in the past, I’d leave my work computer on and never shut it off, even overnight or over the weekend. Now I’ve learned to save all files in the evening, close everything, and restart fresh in the morning.

I recall reading a while back that it was not a good idea to shut electronics off/on often as that creates thermal stresses that could ultimately damage the electronics. Well, not sure if that has ever been quantified, but in the end, it’s a complex undertaking into multi-objective optimization (Kinda like the traveling salesman). What is exactly the goal … minimizing power consumption, maximizing the life of electronics, my own comfort (i.e., taking the lazy approach and not turning devices on/off regularly)? Difficult to balance all of these in real life… That said, I’ll keep looking for ways to reduce my always on (vampire) watts … and I’m envious of people who got theirs in the double digit … for that requires a discipline/dedication I do not have.