Can Someone Help Me Convert This Voltz Amount To Watts?

Ok rolleyes Ok :yum I know I'm going to get harassed here for asking this question. It still has to do with my pc hardware so don't fret!

Anyways I bought a new 37" Inch Flatscreen TV... It's hooked up to the same surge bar as my computer. My pc is worth $3000 easily... So it's actually worth more than the tv since we got it on sale for $800. Well before I got this new tv I used to have an old 1990's type 23" inch tv on the same surge bar as my pc, but it's obviously out of the room now since it's replaced by the new tv we bought.

Well the old tv had these power specs:

AC 120v
60 Hz
115 Watts

The new tv has these power specs:

AC 100 - 240v
50/60Hz
1.8A


I never had any problems using the old tv on the same surge bar my pc is connected to. I'm quite scared that the new tv may draw too much power or something, and ruin my pc since it's on the same surge bar. That it may make the lights go out in my house and trip the breaker downstairs in the basement. I don't understand the new tv's power specs since it says AC 100 - 240v. So what I'd like to know is:

1. Does the new tv use more power than the old one?

2. Can you please tell me how many watts the new tv uses? I don't know how to convert that stuff from it's specs.

3. I'm assuming it says AC 100-240v on the new tv because the power it draws varies when you do stuff like turn the volume up louder or something like that right? Because if not than why wouldn't it just say AC 100v or AC 240v by itself?

4. If the new tv does use more power than the old tv I shouldn't worry unless the circuit breaker goes off and shuts the lights out in my house right? I believe those are meant to turn off power when there is too much electricity flowing through a single outlet no?

I'll have peace of mind using my pc on the same surge bar as my new tv, providing my new tv requires less or roughly the same wattage as my old tv. Because the old one never gave me any kind of problem for years while using it at the same time I used my pc.


- Thank You

 

1. Yes
2. Watts = Volts x Amps
3. Means it can be used in the US where the common voltage is 110V-ish and in the UK where the common voltage is 240V.
4. Can't answer as I don't know what ampage your circuit breaker trips out on.

 

Hmm I'll just show you a picture:

This is the box down in the basement. The switch that controls the room where the tv and pc is being pointed at by an arrow. I don't know if you can see the details on the switch well from the picture but it says 15 right on the switch, below that 10ka, and under than it says 120/240v.

http://i26.tinypic.com/358o30m.jpg

This is the surge bar I'm using for the tv and my pc. This is an old picture so NO all of this stuff is not plugged into it right now LOL.

https://melissa1.sslpowered.com/temp%20web%20images/eLECTRICAL%20007.jpg

 

Got a model number?

All I can tell you is the wattage will be less than 200watts.

The obvious watts = volts x amps does not work in this case I'm afraid.

The supply is one of those 'universal' supplies which switches on to allow just enough charge (current) through, at whatever supply voltage, to average 1.8 amps.

The actual equation is power = volts x amps times duty factor.

Hope this helps.

 

Dammit studiot. Stop being so clever!!

 

This stuff helps

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=86322&d=1207836183

 

Well I understand most of what you all are saying. But I guess my real question is:

Is it bad to have my new tv, pc, monitor, & modem, on one surge bar, which is connected to one outlet?

Will my pc be damaged when it's on and I decide to turn on the tv? [BTW I don't really notice any light dimming on my ceiling light bulb when I turn on the tv. I do notice a slight dim on my ceiling light bulb when I turn on my pc monitor]

 

Hmm excuse my last post... I understand what your saying now STUDIO T. I'm in north america though where they use about 120v on the grid. So would you be able to tell me what the "power = volts x amps times duty factor" is with that?

 

Yes I know about American supply voltages.
The duty factor will be close to 1 for 120 volts, which is where my figure of 200watts came from.
For European voltages (230) it will be less than 0.5.
Can't get a more accurate figure without a manufacturer and model.

 

The tv is a LG HDTV

Model: 37LG30

 

I found two 37" LG tellys. Both have a consumption around 200 watts.

http://uk.lge.com/products/model/detail/lcdtv_37lg5000.jhtml#

http://uk.lge.com/products/model/detail/lcdtv_37lg6000.jhtml#

 

Hey thanks studio t. I'm sorry for bothering you all I just want to make sure I don't cause a electrical fire because of an overload. I understand a lot more about electricity now. I'm actually adding everything hooked up on the one circuit in my room, and checking to make sure that it all adds up to at least 50-80% of the max amp on the circuit in the basement breaker panel.

Last question does turning a tv on and off in a room with a pc cause any damage? Especially when it's on the same surge bar as the pc?

As I mentioned before I don't notice any real celing light flicker or diming when I turn the tv on. I notice it more when I turn my pc monitor on... I'm still using a crt for my pc... LOl.

 

When you first turn on a (modern) CRT monitor there is a large inrush current due to 'automatic degaussing'. This 'clears' any magnetisation left in the scan coils from the last time it was used.

Some monitors allow you to turn this facility off in the menu if it becomes a problem. Degaussing shortens the life of the tube, although it allows sharper pictures.

Once the monitor is up and running this current falls back to normal.

You can often hear a clunk.

There is no need for degaussing on LCD or plasma screens so your telly isn't bothered.
Yes add up the normal powers on the bar and keep below its rating, then you should be OK.

Hope this helps.

 

Wow I never knew that! That is great information! I have heard that little clunk so I know what it is now when I turn on my monitor. That's really cool information. Thanks! :cool

So the button in front of my monitor that I press every now and than which makes my screen bounce/blink/clunk quickly for a second is doing nothing but shortening it's lifespan? I thought that button was used to take the static off the screen.


By the way someone said I shouldn't just add up all of the equipment running on one circuit, but to also stay below the max of my surge bar which my pc and tv are plugged into. I don't know much about surge bar maximums and all I see is an energy JOULE rating on it. I read that 1 JOULE = 1 WATT on wikipedia.org, but I may be wrong as that could be my misinterpretation from reading late at night. Anyways if that is what 1 JOULE is, does that mean if I have a power surge bar which is rated 1000 JOULES. I can't put over 1000 watts of equipment connected to it?

:wave

 

Not quite.

When everybody gets up to put the kettle on at once, during a break in a football match for instance, there is a temporary dip in the powerline locally.
Conversely when evrybody switches off after the late movie the is a corresponding surge as load is suddenly removed from the grid.
Either way the linked power systems activate to spread the load and restore the normal voltages a short time later.
You can even get a local spike on the mains when a large local load eg a freezer motor cuts in and out.

This is the point of the power bar. Now no one can predict the exact size and duration of any given surge or spike because they vary. The power bar contains circuitry to smooth out these dips and surges, to a certain level. This level is specified as the energy (Joules) they can absorb. Surges of larger energy will partly pass through the bar circuitry.
Some bars have additional (maybe sacrificial) devices to guard against excessive voltage rise which can destroy circuitry at lower energy levels.

A good quality power bar will have the same total rating as the wall outlet that feeds it, and an additional absorbtion capacity of, in your case 1000 joules.

For the sort of equipment you have connected, you do not need to consider power factor or ther complications. Just add up the equipment powers and make sure the total is comfortable below the total for your wall outlet. (you have got a quality power bar haven't you?).

 

Actually no I don't have a quality power bar... It's pretty generic and I've had it for 7-8 years now. I also have no grounding in my home so the bars not protecting to it's full potential. I bought an extended warranty on the tv which includes damage by power loss, spikes, and surges. Although I do I unplug my equipment whenever it rains so I'm not so worried.

 

I still don't understand what Joules converts into Watts? If my surge bar says it can only handle 1000 Joules does that mean you can only connect less than 1000 Watts to it?


Thanks

 

The 1000 joule part of the power bar specification refers to its protection capacity, not to its normal running capacity.

It will protect your equipment from a surge of up to 1000 Joules energy.

I am assuming you have 120 volts supply.

Looking at you photo of your consumer unit ('fuse box') I see the following:

You have what we call radial, spur or star wiring in your property.

Most of the fuseways are protected by 15 amp breakers. Each breaker supplies an individual 'circuit' which is a bunch of outlets in one room or another.

You have one 30 amp breaker which supplies a cooker, water heater or aircon.

For each 15 amp 'circuit' you can draw a total of (120 times 15) watts = 1800 watts = 1.8Kw without tripping the breaker. This is the total for all outlets connected to that breaker.

If you have nothing else connected to the other outlets on the 15amp breaker supplying your TV and PC your total available wattage is 1800, if your power bar can handle this.

What you can't do is plug an 1800 watt device into each outlet on the same breaker or into each socket on the power bar.

The power bar should state either the total amperage or wattage it is 'designed' for.

A quality power bar will have been type tested at the rated amperage/wattage. A $3.25 supermarket far eastern model probably won't.

A good consumer test is to see if the bar gets warm in normal use, or shows signs of burning at the sockets or the attached plug. You would need to unplug the adapter at the end in the photo to check this as it will probably get warm enough to mask any warmth from the power bar.

Finally it is good practice to label all the fuseways in you consumer unit, unless there is already a label card in the lid.

 

Well that's some refreshing information STUDIO T. Thank you very much for taking the time to let me know all of that. I did run some tests as you told me to do earlier. & well I figured out that the breaker that gives power to my room also powers another room, two washrooms, two hallways, half the dining room, kitchen, and various ceiling lights. rolleyes Yup it's unbelievable how all of that is on a "SINGLE" circuit. So I added every single piece of equipment and bulb on the circuit and it all comes out to approx 4100 WATTS which is equal to 34.16AMPS. Yup I know that's a crazy amount to but you have to consider two things:

1) This is an old house built during 1930/40's. :zzz

2.) Like you said before everything on the circuit isn't ever on at the same time.

The breaker can only supply 15 AMPS so it would obviously trip if everything on the circuit were on at the same time. A lot of the wattage is coming from our microwave or toaster [which are never used at the same time]. & the big boy of them all THE FRIDGE. Yes the darn fridge is on the same circuit as well. Anyways I did notice that there are a lot of ceiling lights on the circuit that have 60 watt bulbs for no reason. I'm going to try and keep the circuit wattage low by buying those new curly white 10 watt light bulbs that actually light up a room like a higher wattage bulb. That should help me a bit!

But hey Studio T you asked me to figure out more information about my surge bar because you said that whatever figure I see on the surge bar may only mean the amount of surge power it can withstand. & that there should be a figure for that and also a figure for the most wattage it can handle while powering equipment during normal use. Anyways I read the surge bars back description area and all it says is this:

MAX LOAD 15A, 125VAC, 60HZ

So would that be the amount of surge it can handle or the most power it can give to equipment during normal use? :wave

 

Yup that's your normal operating load.

So it's well matched to your 15amp breaker.

Maximum that means that if you connect it to a supply of lower capacity, your power bar will be OK but your supply circuit may not.

The technical term for the fact that you do not have everything switched on at once is called the 'diversity'.

 

Geez man, you have half your house on one circuit but have 9 15A slots available. I'll assume that the old wiring wasn't changed. If you can afford it, I'd run a new feed for your computer related stuff.

 

@ Studio T

Thanks for clearing that up... Ah how I love "diversity". lol.

@ Augiedoggie

I know I should do that asap... I just need to find a reputable electrician. I was thinking of doing just that! Basically having a breaker provide power for my room only. & have the electrician make sure it's grounded. Because we currently have no grounding which has me watching the weather network every now and than so I can find out when to shut off, and unplug my equipment like a mad man.