VSD Power Factor

What is the product's make & model? Someone here may have actual experience with it and could tell you whether the salesman's claims are legit (or the degree to which they're not, which is more generally the case).

Ah, yes. The devil's in the details and knowing WHAT questions to ask. I must agree that I too hold a very dim view of sales people in general. While some will flat out lie, others will state things they hope are true without even knowing either way. I'm wracking my brain trying to think of one case where I had dealings with a sales person or real estate agent where they actually had my concerns or welfare in mind. Stumped . . . . maybe it's because I only remember the slimy ones . . . I would like to think there are decent ones out there . . . . somewhere.

I have had pleasant experiences with sales people when I've been spending the company's money, so yes, that is true. Those were professionals. However, I still can't think of a personal expenditure in which I wasn't screwed over or attempted to be screwed when I've purchased real estate, new cars, appliances or any other purchase that involved a human with a financial stake in the middle of the transaction. There was one exception but we had to go to great lengths find someone with scruples. I listed that below.

As I became older and more wiser to the ways, I was able to defend myself better against these people, including the walk. I've definitely improved my skills at identifying and calling out the B.S. and telling the sales person that if they don't stop it, I'm walking.

Back in 2002 when we were in the market for a travel trailer (RV), we were going to need to order the model we wanted because no one stocked this particular model. At the Chesaco RV dealer in Joppa, Maryland, we told the sales woman what we wanted to order and which options. She proceeded to tell us that they would order this model with the standard options they put in it and then we could add in any additional ones on top of that. Needless to say, their standard options were a bunch of high-margin foo-foo stuff we didn't need or want. We walked.

We hit all the Maryland RV dealers and always felt like we were going to get screwed.

We eventually found a nice mom-and-pop RV dealer called Radabaugh's Camping Trailers in Marysville, Pennsylvania who was happy to order exactly what we wanted, no more, no less and gave us a nice discount off the retail price, and we ordered that day. No haggling, no angst. But why did we have to search high and low to finally find someone who wasn't out to screw us?

When we purchased our Jayco Seneca in 2013 from Albany RV in Albany, NY because they had one on their lot, we were dealing with someone I'll call "Ted the Liar". We eventually got a price we were willing to pay, but that guy lied through his teeth or just made stuff up instead of saying he didn't know the answer and would get back to us. We should have walked, but my wife really wanted that RV. Too long to go into all the particulars. I'd never go back to that place.

The reason you had to look so long for a decent honest sales professional is that lying cheating underhanded sliminess is accepted by far too many who either don't see what's happening, or are willing to tolerate it because they want that one, or get exhausted by the techniques to intended to wear the customer out....and just want it to end.

Walk out. On every major purchase, shop several sellers and walk out of every one at least once, just to watch their reaction. If more than one acceptable example exists, call or fax in your order into the manager letting them know there are time constraints and that they are in a condition/accessories adjusted bidding war with other sellers. Disqualify those who try to skirt the rules or otherwise behave dishonestly (be sure to inform each disqulified seller of the specifics of the dishonesty that took them out of the competition and the person making the misrepresentation and request to be notified or remedial action taken)Make your purchase accordingly.

Encourage others to do the same. Weed out the lying extra weight.

W

<...trying to reduce energy consumption and improve efficiency to offset rising Electricity costs...>

There are more economic ways to do this, and they are incremental:

• Elimination of generation of off-spec product and waste materials
• Nagging people to turn stuff off once they have finished with things
• Draught excluders on doors
• Door closing devices
• Enhanced thermal insulation on building walls and under their roofs
• Time-switches on equipment rather than leave it on all the time
• Thermostats on heat-emitting equipment
• Occupancy detectors on room lighting
• High-efficiency replacement light emitters such as compact fluorescent and LED-based devices
• Etc., etc.

After all the above has been carried out should further improvements be considered.

• Only if the facility's power consumption has a power-factor-based tariff, then look at power factor correction equipment.

Harmonic Distortion is most common in cheap power supplies that only conduct when topping off the capacitor that stores the captured energy. Since most electronic equipment operates on DC, it must be converted from AC. That storage capacitor retains the supply of energy that is needed by the DC load. As that energy is consumed, the voltage drops. Only when the AC peak is higher than the stored voltage will it conduct. This creates gulps of current during the brief peak which is when the harmonic energy is created. It is as if your tire suddenly changed into a stick of lumber while speeding down the road. Not very smooth!

A VSD changes the AC to DC and then re-creates the AC needed by the motor. The newer VSD's do have a more sophisticated power changer so if you are replacing an old one then it might be an improvement. But the power company won't care very much about that. Harmonic energy is usually converted to heat by the large power transformers that change high voltage to useable voltage. Harmonics can bounce around within your facility or a neighboring facility if connected to the same transformer. That can cause other problems if it becomes significant.

Soft Starters may reduce the peak current required to accelerate a motor, but you never escape physics. It is always going to take more energy to accelerate than it is to maintain a given velocity. You really must know the fine details to keep from being taken advantaged of by fast talking salesmen.