GFCI outlets - how many test/reset cycles are too many?

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know how many test/reset cycles normal duty GFCI outlets are designed for?

I have an outlet that is located on the kitchen isle and is convenient for charging cellphones. So, I have the chargers plugged in and when we leave the house I would like to simply push the "Test" button to kill the chargers. When we come back, I would press "Reset" and start charging again. I am trying to eliminate the phantom loads but if it will wear GFCI outlet out too soon it would make no sense, so I'm trying to find out if this would be a good idea.

Thanks!

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Reply to
DA
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They only cost about 10$ Let us know how long it lasts.

Reply to
Terry

I'd read that cell phone chargers are generally not 'phantom load', that is they don't consume any power when the phone is not connected. Not sure if that is the case for all of them but one way to tell is if the transformer is warm to touch even when the phone is not connected.

Reply to
Mark

They all tell you on the boxes to NOT use them as a switch. Logically, it will weaken them and they'll trip more easily until finally they trip all the time for no reason.

Reply to
Twayne

I'd just plug it into the light socket in your bathroom using an adaptor. That way the longer you shit the longer you can use the cellphone. Just think how much sense this makes.

Reply to
jeziskeyriced

None at all: I will still need some light.

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Reply to
DA

Tripping for no reason would be pretty bad. I have discarded the package long time ago (and I don't believe I read anything on it in the first place) so thank you for telling me, I guess I'll just scrap that idea.

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Reply to
DA

You could buy a power strip. It has a built in switch.

Reply to
Terry

i got curious once and checked the amp draw of a couple cell phone chargers, with nothing charging... not plugged in to phone the load was in the low milli amp area, basically nothing

now the cable box we had was 50 watts.

your better off chasing loads that matter

Reply to
hallerb

An instant on TV set may use more than a cell phone charger. Don't know your cost of electrcity but these small items even if they use 10 watts (most don't even come close) your cost per continuous 24 hour day is a couple of cents. Hardly worth switching off if wear and tear causes one to buy another $10 GFCI and then have to wire it in (ten minute job?) and donate the old GFCI to the landfill?

BTW this bsiness of eliminating phantom loads maybe makes sense if you are in hot climate. This where Air Conditioning use more energy to to remove heat and pump it outside! But in our cool climate where electricity is used for home heating any 'wasted' heat from using old fashioned incandescent light bulbs etc. is merely offsets by less energy used by our electric heaters! And it is in the evening when lights are likely to be on that heating is required.

Where 'good' lighting is essential, e.g. work shop; we use fluorescent tubes anyway. Even recycled tubes and fixtures last a long, long time.

Also energy conservation makes sense for outside lighting where wasted energy dissipates into cold air; but we haven't yet found an economical CFL that works reliably, is robust and gives good light in minus 15 to 20 degrees Celsius (around zero Fahrenheit).

Ideas welcomed.

Reply to
terry

If you are really concerned there is a device you can buy known as the Kill-A-Watt. It will measure how much power any plug-in device is actually drawing, and also tell you the accumulated KWh over a period of time.

Reply to
Larry Weil

First, see if you have a phantom load worth worrying about.

We charge our cellphones with a Motorola "travel charger". It's clearly a little switching power supply because of the wide input voltage range. When it's not connected to a phone, its input current is undetectable (meaning under 10 mA) on a power monitor. That's under 1 W, possibly far under 1 W, and not worth doing anything about.

Dave

Reply to
Dave Martindale

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