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peanut posted:honest question, how much heating do Australian homes actually need???? More people die of the cold in Australia than in Sweden.
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Jul 10, 2017 06:40
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NPR Journalizard posted:More people die of the cold in Australia than in Sweden. Yeah but Australia has more than twice the population and they die more to everything than Swedes.
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Jul 10, 2017 06:43
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Plus, the cold in Australia probably has spines filled with neurotoxin or something.
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Jul 10, 2017 06:53
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Pompous Rhombus posted:^ yeah, parasitic loads. Personally IDGAF but my partner does, so I am constantly having to switch things like the electric kettle on in two places (and turn them off in one I dunno what the 220v equivalent for this would be, but it may be worth getting a Kill-A-Watt or similar device which allows you to see a reasonable measure of what your devices are actually using. I'd be surprised if a kettle used any power when switched off, unless it's got Android running on it or some similar b.s.
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Jul 10, 2017 07:25
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NPR Journalizard posted:More people die of the cold in Australia than in Sweden. A/ Our homes are inadequately insulated if at all. B/ We're really stupid.
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Jul 10, 2017 07:27
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Progressive JPEG posted:out of curiosity, what's the benefit to having switched outlets? IIRC UK and NZ (likewise 220V) both have that as well Think of any situation where you'd want to fully kill power to something, like something that hums or has lights on at night, a heater with a ticking timer, going on holiday and concerned about fire safety, or maybe a multi-way extension cord with lots of these things on, and then have internationally renowned plugs that are nonetheless very stiff to pull out of the socket and sometimes annoying to put back in, in sockets that are already large and have convenient space on the top corners because of the size and shape of the plug. Then switches make more sense. The aussies do the same because they're a goddamn goodboy ex-colony and they'll do what they're drat well told. (colonial influence is probably the reason for AU/NZ, they have flat-pin plugs that I don't remember being as much of a pain to pull)
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Jul 10, 2017 07:41
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Progressive JPEG posted:I dunno what the 220v equivalent for this would be, but it may be worth getting a Kill-A-Watt or similar device which allows you to see a reasonable measure of what your devices are actually using. I'd be surprised if a kettle used any power when switched off, unless it's got Android running on it or some similar b.s. Oh, thanks for reminding me of that! Our big oil heater doesn't say wattage (or model number, wtf) so I have no idea how much power it uses, just "probably quite a lot". We've now got a wood heater which is our main source of heat, but for those times I can't be arsed to start a fire, it'd be good to have an idea of how much it's costing us. Also have a few other appliances that are question marks I'd like to check, and I'm sure I've got some friends/co-workers that'd be happy to borrow it. AU$22 on eBay? Sold. I have heard of power companies or local governments having them available to borrow for free (not sure if this is Australia or US or what, just something I vaguely remember reading), mine don't, but could be worth checking for others.
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Jul 10, 2017 07:46
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Cartoon posted:It's because: National case of occasional black-out-drunk alcoholism coupled with occasional coldsnaps? Anyone who passed out face down on their deck last night wakes up a corpsicle.
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Jul 10, 2017 08:20
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NPR Journalizard posted:More people die of the cold in Australia than in Sweden. I had a housemate from Sweden who would complain about the bitter cold when it got down to 5°C at night. Australian houses are by and large so shittily built that on cold nights they're barely warmer than outside. Edit for content: Undo it yourself GotLag fucked around with this message at 10:04 on Jul 10, 2017 |
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Jul 10, 2017 08:58
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Oh yeah. People move here from Europe and freeze as proper glazing and insulation is pretty uncommon especially in older places. Especially the rental market with older properties that can't be easily fixed up. Some places in Australia can get to a century old so no easy way to put in air con or heating if you like walls not to fall to bits when drilling through. Especially if it hits heritage listing. Insulation back then was made of seaweed. A fantastically flammable material. Thick walls usually were the go to keep cool during summer. but a place like that slowly heats up like a kiln. Winter it just gets cold and stays cold. No real insulation so the heat efficiency is horrible. Mid century is a mix of fibro boarding and stucco. Oh and much of the insulation of the day was abestoes that was sprayed into roof cavities. Or used as lagging for insulation. Newer places are not much better as some apartments are so badly designed they barely have decent air flow let alone natural light.
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Jul 10, 2017 10:12
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I'm the giant ant clipping through the wall.
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Jul 10, 2017 11:01
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Are switched outlets a thing at all in the US? This conversation made me realize I've never seen one that I can recall. We had them in Kenya because we use UK plugs.
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Jul 10, 2017 13:41
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WebDog posted:Insulation back then was made of seaweed. A fantastically flammable material. Thank god we have sawdust.
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Jul 10, 2017 13:45
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Ashcans posted:Are switched outlets a thing at all in the US? This conversation made me realize I've never seen one that I can recall. We had them in Kenya because we use UK plugs. Yes, I've lived in homes with switched outlets. Some homes are not built with overhead lighting, all lighting comes from floor lamps plugged in. You'll often see switched outlets in these cases since the switches are controlling the lamps.
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Jul 10, 2017 13:46
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Ethics_Gradient fucked around with this message at 01:05 on Jul 11, 2017 |
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Jul 10, 2017 14:02
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Ashcans posted:Are switched outlets a thing at all in the US? This conversation made me realize I've never seen one that I can recall. We had them in Kenya because we use UK plugs. I'm in Northern Virginia in a house built in 1967 and the bedrooms and a living room each have one switched outlet for a lamp. The rooms that have/had overhead lights installed do not have switched outlets. vvvve: I suppose they're pretty uncommon but I have a couple that are origninal to my house. They aren't setup to switch the outlet, but they could be. They're still available today with modern features, too. glynnenstein fucked around with this message at 14:51 on Jul 10, 2017 |
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Jul 10, 2017 14:02
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Ashcans posted:Are switched outlets a thing at all in the US? This conversation made me realize I've never seen one that I can recall. We had them in Kenya because we use UK plugs. If by switched outlet you mean what they're talking about above, a physical switch on the receptacle, they're not a thing at all in the US. If you mean a receptacle controlled by a switch on the wall, they're common and you usually find at least one in every bedroom.
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Jul 10, 2017 14:45
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Yeah living in America I had never seen an outlet with switches built in like this before: Not sure I've ever seen an unswitched outlet in the UK.
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Jul 10, 2017 16:43
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Crust First posted:Yeah living in America I had never seen an outlet with switches built in like this before These are similar and are a thing, although they're sorta niche, not generally used outside of specific applications a person might have:  I wouldn't mind having a couple above my electronics bench though.
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Jul 10, 2017 16:52
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Crust First posted:Yeah living in America I had never seen an outlet with switches built in like this before: Yeah, I've never seen an equivalent American outlet, but at the same time, I'd never use the switches anyways. I'm pretty sure it's standard code in the UK to have them. One thing I absolutely couldn't stand abroad last year (primarily in Ireland) was light switches outside the bathrooms. I had several instances of groping the wall for a minute or two before remembering the switch was.
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Jul 10, 2017 16:54
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Bad Munki posted:These are similar and are a thing, although they're sorta niche, not generally used outside of specific applications a person might have: But those don't switch the receptacle. That's just a switch and a receptacle in something that'll fit in a one-gang box, which is why the switch has its own set of screw terminals. You *can* wire it up to switch the receptacle, but you don't have to.
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Jul 10, 2017 16:55
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Crust First posted:Yeah living in America I had never seen an outlet with switches built in like this before: They exist, good for appliances that are always on like a fridge or freezer. If the socket is a switched one for lamps it will be a 5A round pin like this  , on a separate circuit from the 13A sockets. There also still exist in the regs 3A and 15A round pin plugs and sockets but you are unlikely to see them in a domestic setting, and in a commercial setting they have been mostly superseded by Ceeform plugs and sockets.
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Jul 10, 2017 16:57
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Phanatic posted:But those don't switch the receptacle. That's just a switch and a receptacle in something that'll fit in a one-gang box, which is why the switch has its own set of screw terminals. You *can* wire it up to switch the receptacle, but you don't have to. Well, I think you're right in this case, but I'm sure I've seen such a device that switches the outlet it's attached to. Or maybe I'm just thinking of the wiring-it-to-itself option. v  v
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Jul 10, 2017 16:58
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I was sure they must be available in the US, if only as a niche weird thing, but there's nothing. The closest I could find was wireless remote controlled outlets. It almost makes me wonder if there's something specifically prohibiting them from being a thing.
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Jul 10, 2017 17:03
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Explosionface posted:One thing I absolutely couldn't stand abroad last year (primarily in Ireland) was light switches outside the bathrooms. I had several instances of groping the wall for a minute or two before remembering the switch was. I still have that problem every so often after being here more than a couple of years. Some bathrooms have a ceiling lamp with a cord dangling from it instead which doesn't catch me out nearly as often as the switch being on the outside.
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Jul 10, 2017 17:08
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It's really simple to configure combination duplex switch/outlets for most models to switch what you want. All you do in this example is change where you put the wires and/or break off a tab on the device. e: the pdf cuts off the graphic showing where the wires go on the other side for the outlet in the last configuration. Ugh.
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Jul 10, 2017 17:22
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hailthefish posted:I was sure they must be available in the US, if only as a niche weird thing, but there's nothing. The closest I could find was wireless remote controlled outlets. It almost makes me wonder if there's something specifically prohibiting them from being a thing. My top guess (aside from familiarity) is form factor. There isn't exactly a lot of wasted space on your typical US duplex outlet and trying to shoehorn in one to two switches is going to eat into that. I played with some numbers real quick and a UK duplex faceplate has about 57% more surface area, which also indicates there's also more room internally for simple switches. Note that this is not an in-depth investigation at all.
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Jul 10, 2017 17:26
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Explosionface posted:which also indicates there's also more room internally for simple switches Also room internally for USB voltage step-downs: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=two+gang+socket+with+usb&tbm=isch
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Jul 10, 2017 17:50
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Those are a thing in the US too, though.
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Jul 10, 2017 17:55
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Putting USB ports next to mains sockets is crappy construction unless you’re building them into furniture or mounting the over a permanent work surface like a kitchen counter.
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Jul 10, 2017 20:31
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HERAK posted:They exist, good for appliances that are always on like a fridge or freezer. If the socket is a switched one for lamps it will be a 5A round pin like this I think the last holdout for 15a plugs is theatrical lighting. As soon as incandescents are dead it'll all be ceeform. I cannot stand 15a.
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Jul 10, 2017 20:35
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I look forward to replacing my USB wall plates every two years for either a new connector or new electrical specification. I love how the fine print on so many of those things mentions they can't charge smartphones or tablets.
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Jul 10, 2017 20:38
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WebDog posted:Oh yeah. People move here from Europe and freeze as proper glazing and insulation is pretty uncommon especially in older places.  I shudder to think what the heating bills are like over there.
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Jul 10, 2017 22:08
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My in-laws installed one of those outlets with a USB plug included. Except instead of a regular duplex outlet plus a USB plug (or two!), it's just a single outlet plus a single USB plug. It's worthless, what does that give you that a wart doesn't?
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Jul 10, 2017 22:11
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The most convincing answer I found on a quick google is that the switched outlets were a hangover from old DC mains that were prone to arcing when the plug was removed. When AC power was introduced the problem disappeared, but consumers preferred the switched outlets for the convenience reasons mentioned already. Another coincidental convenience that probably was more useful then than now is that if your more primitive appliances were faulty and started giving you shocks, then you could just turn it off at the wall. Haifisch posted:I can understand how old properties stay hosed up, but new ones? This isn't the 16th century, it's trivial to see what works worldwide and just copy it. Colonial houses in ANZ were typically timber framed (I think what you call "balloon frame" over in the states) with weatherboard cladding. Because it doesn't go below freezing very much, they could get away with the lighter form of construction and people heated them with fires because there was no other option. Up until about the 70s everyone just wore jumpers and put up with cold, damp homes. Over the last 20 years or so we've realized that actually, even post 70s houses weren't insulated well and are extremely energy inefficient, and the building codes have been updated. Modern houses are better, my current one has double glazing and a sun catching design and I don't have to heat it even though it's the middle of winter right now. From July 2019, it will be against the law to let a home without insulation in NZ, so we're still behind but trying to make progress. E: Back when I was living in lovely places, the summer vs winter power bill would be about $70/$130 dollars per month where we used electric heaters. Jaguars! fucked around with this message at 23:00 on Jul 10, 2017 |
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Jul 10, 2017 22:56
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Jaguars! posted:Colonial houses in ANZ were typically timber framed (I think what you call "balloon frame" over in the states) No, balloon framing is just one variety of timber framing. It's not really done anymore because it requires much longer lumber.
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Jul 10, 2017 23:08
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Phanatic posted:No, balloon framing is just one variety of timber framing. It's not really done anymore because it requires much longer lumber. It's also a fire death trap
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Jul 10, 2017 23:20
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Jaguars! posted:E: Back when I was living in lovely places, the summer vs winter power bill would be about $70/$130 dollars per month where we used electric heaters. Given how expensive electricity is in NZ, has anyone been moving towards natural gas/propane instead?
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Jul 10, 2017 23:52
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Jaguars! posted:The most convincing answer I found on a quick google is that the switched outlets were a hangover from old DC mains that were prone to arcing when the plug was removed. When AC power was introduced the problem disappeared, but consumers preferred the switched outlets for the convenience reasons mentioned already. My poo poo still arcs all the time. Do you think it's time for a DC mains comeback? So much of my stuff (including lighting, now) runs on DC and it seems so wasteful to have a hundred transformers in the house.
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Jul 11, 2017 00:06
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Plugging stuff into a powerbar in the dark in the UK will usually result in the whole thing lighting up.
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Jul 11, 2017 00:09
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