Is it really necessary to unplug AC adapters when a device is off/not in use?

[dcd]

Specifically, my Yamaha keyboard says I should, but it's kind of a pain to do so. Whaddya think?

 

[Brainonska511]

AC adapters still draw current from the outlet even when they aren't powering the device, but it is your electric bill.

 

[Heisenberg]

Yeah, those wall warts will typically draw a few watts just being plugged in.

 

[dcd]

Hmm, I see. Do you think it could damage my keyboard though?

 

[Heisenberg]

Originally posted by: dcd
Hmm, I see. Do you think it could damage my keyboard though?

If it does, whatever EE designed the thing should be beaten with said keyboard.

 

[FoBoT]

i don't do that
leave them in all the time
i have never seen a "warning" like that

 

[Muse]

Necessary? As noted, it's your electric bill.

I bought a VHS tape rewinder some years ago and didn't think about the fact that its AC adapter was always on 24/7. I bought it to protect my VCR's. I calculated that it had cost over $100 in electricity having that wall wart plugged in over a 10 year span or so. I could have had the VCR fixed at a shop for that sum. I no longer have it plugged in.

I only leave the ones on that have to stay on: Cordless phones, my answering machine. The others are off when I don't use them. I have several powerstrips that I use partly to facilitate the process. Just press the on/off rocker on the strip. When my desktop is off, I almost always press the rocker switch on the main power strip and EVERYTHING on that side of my computer room is off and drawing zero juice.

 

[Mark R]

It's highly unlikely that it will damage anything.

However, most power adaptors waste electricity like crazy, and should be left switched off for the good of your electricity bill and the environment. (An adapter left plugged in can easily cost $1 per month, perhaps more if it's a big one).

By switching off you also avoid keeping the adaptor hot, which could make it last longer.

 

[dcd]

It says to unplug the adapter when the keyboard is not in use and during electrical storms. It also says not to connect it to a "multiple-connector" because it can lower sound quality or cause the outlet to overheat...

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Muse
Necessary? As noted, it's your electric bill.

I bought a VHS tape rewinder some years ago and didn't think about the fact that its AC adapter was always on 24/7. I bought it to protect my VCR's. I calculated that it had cost over $100 in electricity having that wall wart plugged in over a 10 year span or so. I could have had the VCR fixed at a shop for that sum. I no longer have it plugged in.

I only leave the ones on that have to stay on: Cordless phones, my answering machine. The others are off when I don't use them. I have several powerstrips that I use partly to facilitate the process. Just press the on/off rocker on the strip. When my desktop is off, I almost always press the rocker switch on the main power strip and EVERYTHING on that side of my computer room is off and drawing zero juice.

So $10/year? and you couldn't live with that?

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Mark R
It's highly unlikely that it will damage anything.

However, most power adaptors waste electricity like crazy, and should be left switched off for the good of your electricity bill and the environment. (An adapter left plugged in can easily cost $1 per month, perhaps more if it's a big one).

By switching off you also avoid keeping the adaptor hot, which could make it last longer.

Holy Jeebus people! $1 a month is NOT wasting electricity like crazy. You envirowackos need to calm down.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Mark R
It's highly unlikely that it will damage anything.

However, most power adaptors waste electricity like crazy, and should be left switched off for the good of your electricity bill and the environment. (An adapter left plugged in can easily cost $1 per month, perhaps more if it's a big one).

By switching off you also avoid keeping the adaptor hot, which could make it last longer.

Holy Jeebus people! $1 a month is NOT wasting electricity like crazy. You envirowackos need to calm down.

That's just one adapter. Imagine if you have 10 or 15, then it becomes $10-$15/month.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Mark R
It's highly unlikely that it will damage anything.

However, most power adaptors waste electricity like crazy, and should be left switched off for the good of your electricity bill and the environment. (An adapter left plugged in can easily cost $1 per month, perhaps more if it's a big one).

By switching off you also avoid keeping the adaptor hot, which could make it last longer.

Holy Jeebus people! $1 a month is NOT wasting electricity like crazy. You envirowackos need to calm down.

That's just one adapter. Imagine if you have 10 or 15, then it becomes $10-$15/month.

Look, I've got a ton of things plugged in, but very few use adaptors. Maybe 5 at most. I think I can handle $5/month.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Mark R
It's highly unlikely that it will damage anything.

However, most power adaptors waste electricity like crazy, and should be left switched off for the good of your electricity bill and the environment. (An adapter left plugged in can easily cost $1 per month, perhaps more if it's a big one).

By switching off you also avoid keeping the adaptor hot, which could make it last longer.

Holy Jeebus people! $1 a month is NOT wasting electricity like crazy. You envirowackos need to calm down.

That's just one adapter. Imagine if you have 10 or 15, then it becomes $10-$15/month.

Look, I've got a ton of things plugged in, but very few use adaptors. Maybe 5 at most. I think I can handle $5/month.

Some people try to save money wherever they can. Hence coupon clippers and such.

 

[Mark R]

Originally posted by: CPA
Look, I've got a ton of things plugged in, but very few use adaptors. Maybe 5 at most. I think I can handle $5/month.

It's all a matter of degrees. While $1/month isn't much - if you've got 10 or 20 (as some people do), then these things add up. Just how much effort is required to switch off the supply to such an adaptor?

My comment about waste was directed at the overall inefficiency - you may spend $1/month on idle power and only $0.05 on power that is actually used by the device it is powering.

The problem is that although wall-warts are notoriously inefficient, internal power supplies aren't necessarily any better (some are even worse, like VCRs - where they are designed for 24/7 use, so for extra safety they use PSUs that are passively protected against overheating, but at the cost of massively reduced efficiency - many are under 50%).

 

[Mark R]

Originally posted by: dcd
It says to unplug the adapter when the keyboard is not in use and during electrical storms. It also says not to connect it to a "multiple-connector" because it can lower sound quality or cause the outlet to overheat...

Reasonably sensible advice. I don't think there would be much harm in leaving it connected, but it's not going to do any good, and there is an increased risk of a power surge damaging something (hence the warning over electrical storms).

The warning about 'multiple-connectors' (power strips) is a bit spurious - but yes, you could get interference if you plugged an AC unit or fridge into the same power unit. Overheat the power strip - unlikely.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Muse
Necessary? As noted, it's your electric bill.

I bought a VHS tape rewinder some years ago and didn't think about the fact that its AC adapter was always on 24/7. I bought it to protect my VCR's. I calculated that it had cost over $100 in electricity having that wall wart plugged in over a 10 year span or so. I could have had the VCR fixed at a shop for that sum. I no longer have it plugged in.

I only leave the ones on that have to stay on: Cordless phones, my answering machine. The others are off when I don't use them. I have several powerstrips that I use partly to facilitate the process. Just press the on/off rocker on the strip. When my desktop is off, I almost always press the rocker switch on the main power strip and EVERYTHING on that side of my computer room is off and drawing zero juice.

So $10/year? and you couldn't live with that?

I could live with that. But think about it. I bought the VHS tape rewinder to prevent having to pay $100 to replace the rewind motors in my VHS decks, a repair that would have cost $100 more or less. In fact, I almost never used the rewinder. So, on top of paying for the rewinder, I threw away $100 in electricity. See the irony in that?

So, extrapolating here, if I left all my wall warts connected 24/7, I'd have to figure that it would cost me over $100/year to keep them all powered. Could I live with that? Sure. I'm just a frugal guy. Is it more trouble than it's worth sometimes? Absolutely. Anyway to tell the truth I resent wall warts. Why should a device that's not being used be sucking juice? It's because consumer's are willing to pay for them and aren't willing to pony up the cash to buy energy smart devices. I have a homemade device that tells me what stuff uses in electricity. And I use it.