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Ow Mun Heng <Ow.Mun.Heng <at> wdc.com> writes: |
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> I know this is VERY OT. I have a Gentoo Server running at Home |
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24/7 and |
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> there's a possiblity that it's really eating up my energy bill. |
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> I've seen the Kill-A-Watt |
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> http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/7657/ but it's a 120V US |
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> Version. |
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> I'm looking for a 240V Version. Would anyone here know where to |
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get one? |
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> The Server is an old DELL PowerEdge 4300 w/ 2x350Mhz Procs and |
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1GB Mem |
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240 VAC in the US is (2) 120 VAC hots on separate wires with a |
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ground and neutral, if wired to code. If not, or the wiring is |
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very old, the neutral and ground might be tied together. |
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If you have an electrician, or are reasonably knowledgable with |
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electricity, then you can split off one of the "hot legs" run |
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it thru your 120VAC power meter an see how much juice (energy) |
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you are using. Most 240V power supplies run balanced |
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(appproximately the same amount of electricity in each "hot leg". |
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If you are curious, rewire your temporary system so that you can |
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move the power meter to the other leg and see what the comsumption |
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is. Each of the two hot-legs should be equal and 1/2 the power |
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consumption. |
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Another, better solution is to purchase a clamp/amp meter so you |
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can merely put it around the power cord and make all sorts of power |
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measurements. Very handy tool. If you do not have the money for |
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one, then go to home depot and purchase one on a credit card, use |
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it to test and return it in a few days. |
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The simplist solution is NOBODY puts a 240 VAC power supply |
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into a computer unless it's going to draw some serious current |
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(amps) thus by the nature of it being 240 VAC, you already know |
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it is a power hog. |
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Some power supplies are 120V/240V selecatable, but switching |
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from 240V to 120V may result in more energy consumption.... |
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If it was designed to host a bunch of hard drives and you are |
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only using a few, you may be able to change the power supply |
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to drop the energy consumption. |
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However with the low cost of the AMD turion series of processors, |
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you may be better off just purchasing a new low power |
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(less than 25 watts) mobo which will pay for its self in |
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energy savings in a year or so. Big power supplies also throw off |
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lots of heat, so if you live somewhere hot, it's a double wammie..... |
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hth, |
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James |
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-- |
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