Assume v. Presume

[Trev]

Shoot and foot seem to spring to mind.
On the BBC news this lunchtime. It seems that we can do the same amount of work for less power with our new electrical gadgets, all of course because of EU emissions reduction directive.
An interesting concept. I wonder how that works. Have they found some magic stuff that disassociates the traditional relationship between work and power?

 

[EEPhil]

Have they found some magic stuff that disassociates the traditional relationship between work and power?

Usually, them that work don't have the power!

I missed the news and can't find the item on the BBC's website. I would imagine the item should be referring to the effeciency of gadgets and not to the fundamental relationship between work and power.

 

[Trev]

He was talking about vacuum cleaners specifically, and the bloke said that they would do the same amount of work for less power. I can't see that a slight increase in efficiency can make up for the reduction in power. There must be less suck on the lower powered devices, and that's what vacuum cleaners work on isn't it? Less suck means it takes longer to hoover.

Like kettles, reduce the power and it takes the kettle longer to boil. Uses the same amount of energy. Well, it must be slightly more due to heat loss due to the extended heating time with little or no thermal insulation. So reducing the power actually makes it less efficient.

 

[Steve 11]

I just got rid of my vacuum cleaner!!........Why you ask?.......Well.....it was just collecting dust !...LOL......

 

[EEPhil]

If the motor is more efficient, you could get the same amount of useful work for less power in.

Just bought a new microwave cooker. It claims to be 800W, but consumes 1.27kW. Not very efficient.
If, by tweaking the design, you could still get 800W cooking power but only consume 1kW of actual power, you could argue it was a lower powered device. The useful work it does is the same. But it would cost me (and the environment) less to run it.

 

[Deleted member 473]

I just got rid of my vacuum cleaner!!........Why you ask?.......Well.....it was just collecting dust !...LOL......

That joke sucks.

 

[EEPhil]

Depends whether he asked for some loaves and fishes, and then fed the crowd.

I'm sure Mr Shredded-Wheat-Hair (Andrew Neil) pinched this idea on this week's "This Week". Cheeky bar steward!

 

[EEPhil]

That joke sucks.

We once had a vacuum cleaner that sucked, blowed and even had a spray paint attachment.

 

[Trev]

But you got rid of it? That's a blow then isn't it!

 

[Deleted member 473]

We once had a vacuum cleaner that sucked, blowed and even had a spray paint attachment.

We had one of those, an Electrolux cylinder.

 

[EEPhil]

We had one of those, an Electrolux cylinder.

That's the one.

But you got rid of it? That's a blow then isn't it!

I didn't. I don't know who did, but it's gone now.

 

[MikeSh]

We had one of those, an Electrolux cylinder.

They were probably the original cylinder job; pretty sure we had one when I was young
Shiny metal ends, coloured body?, sat on skids. That's what I recall.

 

[Deleted member 473]

They were probably the original cylinder job; pretty sure we had one when I was young
Shiny metal ends, coloured body?, sat on skids. That's what I recall.

Yep, ours was red. Never used the paint sprayer.

 

[MikeSh]

Yep, ours was red. Never used the paint sprayer.

Oh, no, that's a modern one ... relatively speaking.
Mind you, on reflection I doubt if anyone would have offered a domestic paint spray attachment back in the 60s or thereabouts. I don't think DIY had been invented.

 

[Deleted member 473]

I can't recall what the blower was for. Was it for hair drying? Or was it only for the paint sprayer? I remember you detached the hose from one end and attached it the other. I reckon my parents must have got it in the late sixties.

 

[RobH1]

Oh, no, that's a modern one ... relatively speaking.
Mind you, on reflection I doubt if anyone would have offered a domestic paint spray attachment back in the 60s or thereabouts. I don't think DIY had been invented.

Really? You don't remember Barry Bucknell? The guy who persuaded diy-ers to replace traditional doors with 'modern' hardboard panel jobs!

 

[Black Hole]

My dad was a keen DIYer (you had to be in those days, unless you could afford tradesmen for everything), was a consultant for DIY magazine, and as a family we got trailed to the annual Do It Yourself exhibitions in London (Earls Court IIRC). All sorts of interesting things (including the introduction of the paint pad).

 

[EEPhil]

I can't recall what the blower was for. Was it for hair drying? Or was it only for the paint sprayer? I remember you detached the hose from one end and attached it the other. I reckon my parents must have got it in the late sixties.

Sounds about right. Ours was green. (In colour, not in environment terms). We did have the spray paint attachment and, IIRC, we spray painted a replacement wing on a Morris 1000.

Really? You don't remember Barry Bucknell?

I've heard of him. But I don't remember seeing him. I'm from the era when DIY on ITV was provided by Yorkshire TV and presented by Mike Smith (not the late Mike Smith who worked with Noel Edmonds).

 

[MikeSh]

Really? You don't remember Barry Bucknell? The guy who persuaded diy-ers to replace traditional doors with 'modern' hardboard panel jobs!

The name rings a bell. But I was probably at an age where girls were more interesting than DIY.

 

[RobH1]

The name rings a bell. But I was probably at an age where girls were more interesting than DIY.

Really?