Power consumption of emergency lights

[littlespark]

This question comes about through a query from my mother.
Her church has been closed, rightly so, for the past 6 weeks. She pops in for cleaning etc. She has noticed that the electric meter has gone up roughly 12 units each week.
Without taking a special trip over, I’ve tried asking her what might still be plugged in... they have a projector, laptop etc...
Finally discovered 2 emergency lights above the doors.
So 12 units, 12 kWh... 12,000/168 hours gives 71W so approx. 35W per fitting?
Sounds about right?

 

[pc1966]

No, I would expect more like 3.5W on standby/battery charge!

If they have broadband with the router, switch, etc, still on it could be accounting for several tens of watts going astray. Also some stuff on "standby" has stupidly large amounts of wasted power, in the 5-10W region in some cases.

 

[Andy78]

Generally 8W tubes I thought. Are they maintained/always on ?

Any electricity use when your mother goes in to clean such as using other lighting and vacuum cleaners ?

 

[Pete999]

This question comes about through a query from my mother.
Her church has been closed, rightly so, for the past 6 weeks. She pops in for cleaning etc. She has noticed that the electric meter has gone up roughly 12 units each week.
Without taking a special trip over, I’ve tried asking her what might still be plugged in... they have a projector, laptop etc...
Finally discovered 2 emergency lights above the doors.
So 12 units, 12 kWh... 12,000/168 hours gives 71W so approx. 35W per fitting?
Sounds about right?

There must be a Key Holder for the Church, contact the KH and get the KH to check for any heavy or odd things plugged in or illegally connected to the Churches' supply. A simple check would allay your Mother worries.

 

[pc1966]

Do they have a small fridge/cooler somewhere? It could account for that.

 

[ruston]

Generally 8W tubes I thought. Are they maintained/always on ?

Any electricity use when your mother goes in to clean such as using other lighting and vacuum cleaners ?

And maybe hot water for cleaning , and the famous kettle.

 

[Strima]

Any other lighting on a time switch?

 

[pc1966]

I doubt her visits are using more than 1-2 kWh a time, most likely the rest is used by a dozen small things on standby.

 

[littlespark]

My mum is one of the keyholders, and at 74, is one of the youngest members of this particular church.
No broadband router, but there was a network at one time in the building as it was an old internet café at one time.... (and a creche, and a public toilet, and a bookshop I think)
There could be something with a fridge, she never mentioned one, but I bet there is.
She says the laptop and projector are turned off at the wall, and can only take her word for it.

What I can remember being in there was an oversink water heater and a heater in the toilet, controlled by a thermostat. Both off, she says, but if the stat is a frost stat, it could come on in the middle of the night with no one knowing.

The property is rented from the local council, with an old spinning disk meter and an old fuse box. Apparently it had an EICR done before the church moved in, but nothing has been improved regarding that report (I know they don't need to, but I would think a council property should be upgraded to at least have RCD protection by now)

I'll possibly be in her town later in the week, so i'll have a look myself

 

[pc1966]

If you have a low-reading leakage-style of clamp meter (looks like average of 0.3A or so) you might be able to see what circuit(s) are taking the power.

 

[littlespark]

Update:
Been over this morning, “delivering essential supplies” , and had a look with my clamp meter.
Current going through tails jumping from 0.2 to 0.3A... turned off the fuseboard and drops to 0.0
Tried each fuse in turn, it turns out to be one marked as “toilet spur” Not the heater, that’s turned off.
Had a look, and find a frost stat, turned up to max, a flex disappearing into a pipe box.

“Oh, we thought that was for the heater, so we turned it up in the winter”

no.... it’s frost protection for your water pipes

So, problem solved.

 

[UNG]

Update:
Been over this morning, “delivering essential supplies” , and had a look with my clamp meter.
Current going through tails jumping from 0.2 to 0.3A... turned off the fuseboard and drops to 0.0
Tried each fuse in turn, it turns out to be one marked as “toilet spur” Not the heater, that’s turned off.
Had a look, and find a frost stat, turned up to max, a flex disappearing into a pipe box.

“Oh, we thought that was for the heater, so we turned it up in the winter”

no.... it’s frost protection for your water pipes

So, problem solved.

Can you pin the thermostat at the set temperature to stop anybody turning it up

 

[littlespark]

Can you pin the thermostat at the set temperature to stop anybody turning it up

Well, ive told her not to let anyone touch it until it starts getting frosty again.... I left it at 0... in the middle (I think the range was -20 up to 10... and was past 10)
but talking to some of the congregation is like banging your head against a wall

Its not the type that can be pinned... but some clever so and so will put Sellotape over it, with a hand written note

 

[James]

Use caution, if the stat is inside a room and the pipes go outside at all, it would be possible for the pipes to freeze whilst the room is still above zero.

Idealy the stat should be measuring the outside temperature.

 

[littlespark]

the pipes don't go outside. they enter the building in this pipebox, and theres a hatch for the stopcock.
Don't worry.... they know to turn it up again in the winter