Power Boards - FAQ
General
For the Simple IT Powerboard, it means that the Powerboard is plugged into the wall, the wall switch is ON and the appliance connected to the "Master" socket is either ON or in a "Low Power Mode".
With the Powerboard for TV/AV you can plug your TV and all the associated appliances you use with your TV into the device (Usually this is your DVD player, games console, set top box, home entertainment systems, speakers, stereo surround sound etc.)
With both the Computer and AV/TV Powerboard you can plug other appliances like lights, radios, and clocks etc. that are close to your computer or TV/AV system into the Powerboard. They do not have to be a typical computer or TV/AV add-on like those mentioned above. Just remember, that if you plug these devices into the Slave sockets they will only be available for use when the TV or Computer ‘Master’ devices are in a high power mode (like ON).
For more information on which appliance should be plugged into which socket, refer to the FAQ, "How do I decide what appliances to plug into which sockets?"
In an AV/TV environment this can apply to Pay TV units, DVD and/or Video Recorders on which you pre-program recordings ahead of time, TiVo on which you pre-program the recording at specific times of future TV programs, or any other appliance relying on a continuous timer or clock.
NOTE: Some projectors have a step down process when they are turned off which allows the projectors lights to cool gradually after use. These appliances should be plugged into the normal socket.
In a Computing environment some people may want their computer to remain connected to the internet even when they are not using their computer and may plug their modem into the Normal socket.
Master Socket – For an AV/TV Powerboard, plug your TV into the Master socket. When your TV is in Low Power Mode the powerboard will use this as a signal to disconnect mains power from the TV Master and all the Slave appliances.
For a Computer Powerboard, plug your Computer in here. When the Computer is in a low power mode (OFF, or SLEEP, or HIBERNATE are common examples) the device will disconnect mains power from the Slave appliances.
Note: a computer plugged into the Master socket is never disconnected from mains power so it can continue to function as it normally would in low power modes (like SLEEP or HIBERNATE). There is no possibility of lost work in open work files as a result of using the device.
Slaves Socket –Plug other peripheral computer or TV/AV appliances in here.
In an AV/TV environment, when the TV Master is turned into a low power mode (OFF or STANDBY are often common examples) the device will disconnect mains power to these Slave appliances. (Usually this is your DVD player, games console, set top box, home entertainment systems, speakers, stereo surround sound etc.).
In a computer environment, when the Computer Master is in a low power mode (OFF, SLEEP or HIBERNATE are often common examples) the device will disconnect mains power to these Slave appliances. (Usually this is your printer, monitor, speakers, external hard drives, etc.)
In some isolated instances, where you use a ‘Slave’ appliance for extended periods, without also wanting to have the ‘Master’ appliance on at the same time, you may find you can optimise energy savings by having this appliance plugged into the ‘Normal’ socket rather than the ‘Slave’ socket.
For example; when you listen to a radio for extended periods when you don’t have the TV On, it may be better for this radio to be plugged into a ‘Normal’ socket rather than a ‘Slave’ socket.
Your computer is charging the battery. The device generally maintains an electrical supply to the Computer ‘Master’ and its ‘Slaves’ whilst the battery is charging. This electrical supply can even be maintained when the computer is OFF, in SLEEP or in HIBERNATE. After the battery is fully charged the computer will typically adopt a low power mode. Within 120 seconds (2 minutes) of this the device will disconnect mains electricity from the ‘Slaves’
If you have a Super AV ESP and you have unplugged the ESP from the wall, or turned it off at the socket at the wall for more than 1 minute, it is possible you will need to re-run the ‘Initial Set-Up’ process to reset the powerboard. It is possible but unlikely that a power surge, overload or blackout situation could also mean you have to re-run the ‘Initial Set-Up’ process to reset the powerboard.
If you have a Super AV ESP and you have significantly altered the Power Saving Settings on your TV, you may need to re-run the ‘Initial Set-Up’ process to reset the powerboard.
If you have altered the Power Saving setting of your computer it may feel as if it takes a longer or shorter period to shut down the ‘Slaves’ than previously. For example; An ESP with a computer in its ‘Master’ socket that is set to enter a low power mode (like SLEEP) 5 minutes after you leave it Idle will shut down the ‘Slave’ appliances before an ESP whose ‘Master’ computer is set to enter SLEEP 30 minutes after it is left Idle.
2) Make sure the devices are plugged firmly into the correct sockets of the ESP.
3) Make sure there is not a fuse blown or there is not a blackout. Check other appliances in nearby sockets and if necessary the fuse box for your house.
4) Check that the Master (TV or Computer) is in a high power mode (like On). The slave will only be able to be switched on if the Master is also On.
5) If the ‘Slave’ appliance has a remote control, make sure you are pointing it directly at the appliance. Check the batteries on your remote control – are they in the right way? Are they too old?
6) Try turning the appliance On with the On/Off button on the appliance itself rather than with the remote. If this works it is likely there is a problem with your remote control.
7) Take the ‘Slave’ appliance out of the ESP and try it in a different standalone socket. If you can’t turn it On there it is likely to be a problem with your appliance. Not the ESP. Refer to your slave appliance instructions.
8) If nothing else works, try turning off all the appliances and unplugging them from the ESP. Then turn off the ESP from the wall and unplug it. Wait for three minutes and then re-plug in all appliances as per the ESP’s instructions and try again.
9) Call the installation company that installed the ESP and ask for help. If it is an installation problem they will help you. Otherwise they may refer you to Emerald Planet.
2) Make sure the devices are plugged firmly into the correct sockets of the ESP.
3) Make sure there is not a fuse blown or there is a blackout. Check other appliances in nearby sockets and if necessary the fuse box for your house.
4) With the AV Energy Saving Powerboards, you must reconnect electricity to the ESP using a remote control device before you can turn your TV and the ‘Slaves’ On. If you try and turn on the TV or ‘Slaves’ on at a ‘hard’ on/off button on the device without having first activated the ESP with an infra-red remote control message neither the TV or ‘Slaves’ will come on.
5) If it’s an AV Energy Saving Powerboards check that the Infra-red receiver of the device (a small plastic box connected to the ESP by a thin wire – the box will either be clear or red and is smaller than a matchbox) is in direct line of sight to where you are pointing the remote control.
The same conservative estimates of energy savings of the Simple AV product suggests it will save 500 kwH of electricity over its lifetime. This translates to $100 at a conservative electricity tariff of $0.20 a kwH over the period and 1 tonne of carbon emissions saved.
The Super AV product is undergoing a field trial currently to ascertain its savings. At this stage we anticipate that it will show that the product will save 2,000 kwH of electricity over its lifetime. This translates to $400 at a conservative electricity tariff of $0.20 a kwH over the period and 4 tonnes of carbon emissions saved.
Detailed workings and reference to analysis in government papers can be provided to support these figures.
You can plug a double adaptor or powerboard (choose a modern high quality one with its own overload protector) into the ESP’s ‘Normal’ socket and then put more than one appliance into this powerboard. All the appliances plugged into the ‘Normal’ socket, either directly or indirectly through a double adaptor or powerboard will remain connected to mains electricity at all times.
AV Energy Saving Powerboard Specific – (TV)
No, the one hour shutdown timer is fixed and cannot be altered. Under the regulations of the energy efficiency programs, and in order to allow the board to be provided to householders at low or zero cost, maximum energy savings from unintended use require the board to have a fixed shutdown timer. To avoid unwanted shutdowns, simply send any IR remote control signal at least once per hour to let the Super AV board know there is still someone watching.
With both the Computer and AV/TV Powerboard you can plug other appliances like lights, radios, and clocks etc. that are close to your computer or TV/AV system into the Powerboard. They do not have to be a typical computer or TV/AV add-on like those mentioned above. Just remember, that if you plug these devices into the Slave sockets they will only be available for use when the TV or Computer ‘Master’ devices are in a high power mode (like ON).
For more information on which appliance should be plugged into which socket, refer to the FAQ, How do I decide what appliances to plug into which sockets?
2) Check the batteries on your remote control – are they in the right way? Are they too old?
3) Try turning the TV off with the ‘hard’ button on the TV. If this works it is likely there is a problem with your remote control.
4) Refer to your TV instructions
2) If you notice that the disconnection takes place but it takes materially longer than 120 seconds (2 minutes) it is likely your TV may have a Step Down, Quick Start or Active Standby mode that is not a true low power state.
Check your TV’s instruction manuals to see if your TV has these modes and what purpose they serve for your TV. If these features are not appealing or useful you will find you maximise your energy savings by shortening, turning down or turning off these features.
Generally, these modes last for a few minutes at most. After a while most TVs then adopt a genuine low power mode, sometimes called Passive Standby, or simply Standby. 120 seconds (2 minutes) after this low power mode is established the device will disconnect mains electricity from the slaves.
3) If you have a Super AV ESP it is possible the powerboard may need to be run through the ‘Initial Set-Up’ process again. Refer to the original instructions on the packaging for guidance on how to re-run the ‘Initial Set-Up’
4) If nothing else works, try turning off all the appliances and unplugging them from the ESP. Then turn off the ESP from the wall and unplug it. Wait for three minutes and then re-plug in all appliances as per the ESP’s instructions and try again.
5) Call the installation company that installed the ESP and ask for help. If it is an installation problem they will help you. Otherwise they may refer you to Emerald Planet.
Provided you do not then actually turn the TV On, after approximately 30 seconds the ESP will assume that you do not want the TV or its ‘Slaves’ on and will disconnect mains electricity from these appliances. This is not a significant problem and the ESP has passed independent laboratory tests and/or field trials that demonstrate this does not adversely affect the ESP’s functionality or energy saving effectiveness.
If you pre-programme the recording of TV shows ahead of time to the DVD Recorders Hard Drive or to a DVD or onto a Video cassette, you should plug the appliance into the Powerboard’s ‘Normal’ socket. This is because you do not want power to be disconnected from this device as this would mean the pre-programming would be lost and you would not record the show.
If you do not pre-programme the recording of TV shows or you only record shows as you are watching them, you can plug these devices into one of the Powerboard’s ‘Slave’ sockets.
If you do not rely on the timer, clock or pre-programme functions of one of these devices you may still be able plug it into the Slave sockets. For example, if you have a DVD recorder but you only ever use it to watch rented DVDs or tape shows you are actually watching at the same time then you do not rely on the devices timer and pre-programme function and the appliance can be plugged into a ‘Slave’ socket.
If you pre-programme the recording of TV shows ahead of time to the TV’s HD the Powerboard may not work for you as it will disconnect mains power from the TV whenever the TV goes into STANDBY and you may lose the pre-programming and the TV show will not be recorded.
The problem can be overcome if you are willing to forgo the ability to pre-programme or you utilise another separate appliance like a standalone HD recorder or Foxtel with inbuilt HD recorder that is plugged into the ‘Normal’ socket of the Powerboard to do all your pre-programmed recording. Then you can use the standalone HD recorder or the Foxtel unit to pre-programme the recording of TV shows and it does not matter if the TV is disconnected from mains electricity from time to time.
If you do not pre-programme the recording of TV shows onto your TV’s HD, or you only record shows as you are watching them, you should be able to plug a TV with an HD recorder into the ‘Master’ socket of the Powerboard and the device will work as intended.
Active Standby is a term that is used in different ways and is hard often to apply to TVs. A clear example of Active Standby would be when a DVD is On (not Off or in Standby) but is idle. By idle, it is meant that no-one is using the DVD to record or watch DVDs.
Some TVs have a ‘Step Down’ mode which is power mode typically somewhere between On and Standby. Typically a TV with a ‘Step Down’ state enters this mode for an average of about 14 seconds after someone has finished watching it but before it enters Passive Standby. Sometimes this Step Down is labelled Active Standby.
|Some TVs have a Blue Screen or Black Screen mode. Typically this is only found in Plasma TVs and is generally a mode designed to prolong the life and quality of the screen itself. This may or may not be a lower energy state than the TV being On. However, it is sometimes referred to as being synonymous with Active Standby.
Typically, the presence of a Blue Screen, Black Screen, Step Down or Active Standby in your TV will not affect the effectiveness of the Powerboard. In some isolated instance you may notice the Powerboard doesn’t disconnect ‘Slaves’ until after a Step Down or similar mode is completed and the TV enters a conventional low power mode like Passive Standby.
Typically, the presence of a Blue Screen or Black Screen will not impede the suitability of the product with your TV. The Powerboard has been tested to establish that it can successfully manage Blue Screen and Black Screen states without problems by an independent test laboratory accredited by the National Association of testing Authorities and accredited to test Standby Power.
IT Energy Saving Powerboard Specific – (Computers)
With both the Computer and AV/TV Powerboard you can plug other appliances like lights, radios, and clocks etc. that are close to your computer or TV/AV system into the Powerboard. They do not have to be a typical computer or TV/AV add-on like those mentioned above. Just remember, that if you plug these devices into the Slave sockets they will only be available for use when the TV or Computer ‘Master’ devices are in a high power mode (like ON).
For more information on which appliance should be plugged into which socket, refer to the FAQ, How do I decide what appliances to plug into which sockets?
a) Allow the computer to automatically enter a low power mode like Sleep, depending on your settings in your computer’s power saving modes this occurs after a period where there is no active use of the computer.
b) Force the computer into a low power mode like (Sleep or Hibernate are often common examples). Often this is achieved by clicking on the Windows icon in the extreme bottom left corner of the screen, then choosing ‘Shut down’ and then ‘Sleep.’ The key strokes to force a computer into sleep may vary between Macintosh and Windows operating systems and between different versions of operating system software. Consult your computer’s instructions for guidance.
c) Turn the computer completely off.
Once you action either of the above steps the Powerboard will typically disconnect power from all the associated Slave appliances.Note: If you are using the Powerboard with a laptop computer and the battery is not fully charged the Slave appliances will only be switched off after the battery is completely charged. Sometimes this can take more than an hour. If you want the slaves to be disconnected earlier you can remove the battery from the back of the computer but be sure not to do this whilst you have open files on your laptop and it is also not plugged in or you will lose your work.
2) If the computer is in a low power mode like SLEEP, HIBERNATE or Off and the Slaves are still not turning off after about 120 seconds (2 minutes), check that the battery of the computer is not being charged. Only laptops will have batteries.
If the battery is charging the ‘Slaves’ will only turn off once the battery is completely charged. Typically a battery will charge in about 45 minutes but in isolated instances it can take longer. The status of the battery can usually be checked by right clicking a battery icon in the bottom left hand corner of your screen.
3) Check the Power saving settings on your computer. If the computer is configured so that it does not enter SLEEP or HIBERNATE for a long time, or at all, the ‘Slaves’ may not be disconnected from mains electricity for a long time, or at all.
Typical default setting for a laptop using battery power is to go to SLEEP after 15 minutes of not being actively used. The default setting is 30 minutes when the computer is plugged in. You can increase the energy saving efficiency of your Computer ‘Master’ and ‘Slaves’ by reducing these time frames.
Some Apple computers can have a tendency to wake the computer from SLEEP when a peripheral appliance is disconnected from mains electricity. If the Power Settings on the Apple is not adjusted this can impact the effectiveness of the ESP. There is a significant amount of detail in Apple on-line support materials and chat rooms to assist you to reconfigure your settings if you experience this problem.
4) If nothing else works, try turning off all the appliances and unplugging them from the ESP. Then turn off the ESP from the wall and unplug it. Wait for three minutes and then re-plug in all appliances as per the ESP’s instructions and try again. 5) Call the installation company that installed the ESP and ask for help. If it is an installation problem they will help you. Otherwise they may refer you to Emerald Planet.
Refer to your Operating System Software Help Guides for more assistance.
Once the battery charge is complete, and the computer is in a low power mode like SLEEP, HIBERNATE or OFF the Powerboard will disconnect mains electricity from the ‘Slave’ appliances.
Safety
The product has also been tested to additional stringent requirements by independent third parties who are members of the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) and who are accredited in the measurement of Standby Power. The additional stringent requirements were specified by the Victorian Government in the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Act and its associated Regulations, Guidelines and Explanatory notes.
The EP 4357 Super AV (RCIR) product was also subjected to a field trial where its performance and suitability was tested against a sample of Australian houses.
To satisfy yourself that the product is compatible with your particular appliances you should refer to the instructional manuals of those appliances to ensure the ESP does not operate in a way that is detrimental to your appliances or incompatible with how you would like to use them.
If the Powerboard is ‘tripped’ by a Surge you may need to press the Reset button (the black button on the side of the Powerboard). If you have a Super AV ESP it is possible (but unlikely) that a Surge may mean you have to re-run your ESP through its ‘Initial Set-Up’ process.
If the Powerboard is ‘tripped’ by an overload you may need to press the Reset button (the black button on the side of the Powerboard). If you have a Super AV ESP it is possible (but unlikely) that an overload may mean you have to re-run your ESP through its ‘Initial Set-Up’ process.
Emerald Planet has been working at the forefront of the environmental market since 2006. Emerald Planet was originally founded with the vision to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by utilising energy efficient products. Emerald Planet was involved with the NSW greenhouse Gas Abatement scheme (GGAS) from 2006 and partnered in the giveaway and installation of over 15 million CFL globes across NSW to December 2008.
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