Fire the lazy bastards

Even then, at the hourly rate, one could make beer or golfing or fishing money on $20 worth of electricity.

Steve

Maybe I don't know what a "typical RCM motor" is, but to that I say nonsense. If a 1 horse motor is run AT CAPACITY, it draws roughly 746 watts. If it's drawing higher wattage, it's not running at capacity, but over capacity. That's not what we're talking about.

Rather bold statement, isn't it? Any motor that is running at capacity, doing the work it is intended to do, is drawing its rated amperage.

Unless they are being worked over their rated capacity, they do not draw more than their rated wattage, although when the load is lower than the capability, they do draw less amperage, thus lower wattage. I do agree with that.

That has nothing to do with the motor-----and everything to do with the heating element. The motor is likely no larger than 1/3 horse, if that, and consumes only a couple amps at best. Further, a dryer does NOT consume that level of power for its entire cycle. Most dryers have a cool down period, where only the motor operates. Couple amps, tops, and not even that if the motor operates @ 240 volts.

Yep----but it draws to its design limits, not more. That, of course, is not true when the motor is starting, at which time it may well draw five times its rated capacity, but only briefly. Otherwise it would overheat and stop. It's not magic, and it's not the luck of the draw. These things are well known and engineered.

Harold

I believe you are correct in your assessment. They generally rate by locked rotor amperage, which is totally useless to the consumer.

Sears has, for years, used shady methods of advertising machinery, compressors included.

I have a theory relating to Sears. Read what they say, then assume 1/4 of the advertised power. That *might* get you close.

Harold

Chuckle!

All too true.

I own one of those more than 2 horse radial arm saws, from Sears. I'd be shocked if it developed more than 1 horse.

Shocked, I say! :-)

Harold

The rating of a motor refers to it's output, not its input. Real motors are not perfectly efficient. A 1 HP motor must be 82.5% efficient or better to be labled as NEMA EPACT. Smaller motors tend to be less efficient than larger motors, efficiency defined as output/input.

Different motors delivering the same amount of HP can draw different amperages because they can have different power factors as well as different efficiencies. Power factor is the cosine of the phase angle between voltage and current, which can be substantial in an induction motor. Actual power, that which registers on your KWH meter, is voltage * current * power factor.

(...)

There is good news, though.

We buy with Sears Dollars, that lost 75% of their value since 1975.

:)

--Winston

I bet you get closer on a percentage basis to your RA saws true HP than I will to my 6 HP shop vac.

Wes

Braking horsepower maybe ?

I have a 1/3 HP Craftsman motor on my wood lathe. I think it is a 1/2. I'll have to measure it. Easy if I get to it. It is a 1946 cast iron and looks like a 5 hp motor. Big. Runs still on the ball bearings in each end. Big deal to have ball bearings. :-)

See if I can get to it.

Mart>

Make that past tense instead of imperfect. "Did," for years (at least on the compressor front).

I wanted a little carry around compressor for not much more than tires and the occasional light pneumatic use. Father's day special at Sears was a 1 HP compressor that draws 10 amps. Certainly not dishonest as the Air America I bought (somewhere else) many years ago that was rated at 3 HP drawing 11 amps. (Both at 115v, of course)

Not really, but...

Did they institute "Time of Day" billing? That would explain the huge jump, as they try to retrain people to use less during the afternoon peak periods. And increase their income at the same time...

The only other things would be if you have a lot of motor use and the new meters are more accurately catching the start surges as KWH. There's an inertia in the reluctor wheel the old registers use.

Or they are now metering for Demand Charges, but that's usually on commercial and industrial services only.

Or they are still using the " Multiply by 5" math from the old mechanical meter to bill the direct reading new electronic meter. But I doubt that, because computers never make misteaks like that.

If you think they are ripping you off, you can clamp on your own meter and measure your use independently - If the two meters don't agree....

Clip on the split bobbin current transformers, hook up the Voltage Sense leads, and you've got a certified for resale recording device.

-->--

Pretty hard to argue with that, Wes.

(I sent a copy of this to your email address by mistake. Sorry)

H

Yep----I should have said it that way.

While I don't recall the details, I do remember when there was quite an uproar over the false claims being made by them, as well as others. Sort of a dick size contest, or so it seemed. :-)

H

If so, it's a completely fraudulent measurement. Horsepower is defined as work done over time. A locked-rotor motor does no work. Seems like a nice class-action suit could be won over this...

Yeah, it certainly wasn't just Sears doing it. I'm not even sure they're the ones who started it, but once started, they all had to jump on the "Peak HP" wagon.

Like now with small engines, at least a couple of the manufacturers seem to have gone to torque rating instead of HP. Hey, 5.25 lb-ft. is a bigger number than 3 HP (and more precise, so it *must* be more accurate). To many consumers, that means bigger and better.

It can also be considered to be watts/745.7, as the horsepower *input* to the motor (which just happens to have 0% efficiency).

I'd be happy to act as an expert witness for the defense, at a somewhat inflated charge-out rate. ;-)

Just about everyone selling vacuum cleaners. Their claims 'sucked' more than their products.

H