Does laptop charger wastes electric current when not connected to the laptop?












19















Wonder if when I leave it connected to the outlet but not connected to the laptop, it still consumes electricity.










share|improve this question

























  • Every device uses power, at least a little bit, when plugged in, even if the device is off

    – MaQleod
    Sep 24 '10 at 21:48











  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_source

    – Aki
    May 11 '11 at 15:55











  • Depends on the charger. A few (such as Apple's charger) detect when they're plugged in and turn themselves off (leaving only a very microscopic current drain) when not plugged in. Most original equipment supplies for name-brand laptops meet US energy-saving standards and draw relatively little current when not plugged in. No-name replacement chargers, OTOH, are apt to be current hogs.

    – Daniel R Hicks
    Mar 27 '12 at 0:38
















19















Wonder if when I leave it connected to the outlet but not connected to the laptop, it still consumes electricity.










share|improve this question

























  • Every device uses power, at least a little bit, when plugged in, even if the device is off

    – MaQleod
    Sep 24 '10 at 21:48











  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_source

    – Aki
    May 11 '11 at 15:55











  • Depends on the charger. A few (such as Apple's charger) detect when they're plugged in and turn themselves off (leaving only a very microscopic current drain) when not plugged in. Most original equipment supplies for name-brand laptops meet US energy-saving standards and draw relatively little current when not plugged in. No-name replacement chargers, OTOH, are apt to be current hogs.

    – Daniel R Hicks
    Mar 27 '12 at 0:38














19












19








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9






Wonder if when I leave it connected to the outlet but not connected to the laptop, it still consumes electricity.










share|improve this question
















Wonder if when I leave it connected to the outlet but not connected to the laptop, it still consumes electricity.







power-supply






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edited Sep 11 '13 at 18:22









wonea

1,48211940




1,48211940










asked Sep 24 '10 at 21:34









Oren AOren A

2673515




2673515













  • Every device uses power, at least a little bit, when plugged in, even if the device is off

    – MaQleod
    Sep 24 '10 at 21:48











  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_source

    – Aki
    May 11 '11 at 15:55











  • Depends on the charger. A few (such as Apple's charger) detect when they're plugged in and turn themselves off (leaving only a very microscopic current drain) when not plugged in. Most original equipment supplies for name-brand laptops meet US energy-saving standards and draw relatively little current when not plugged in. No-name replacement chargers, OTOH, are apt to be current hogs.

    – Daniel R Hicks
    Mar 27 '12 at 0:38



















  • Every device uses power, at least a little bit, when plugged in, even if the device is off

    – MaQleod
    Sep 24 '10 at 21:48











  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_source

    – Aki
    May 11 '11 at 15:55











  • Depends on the charger. A few (such as Apple's charger) detect when they're plugged in and turn themselves off (leaving only a very microscopic current drain) when not plugged in. Most original equipment supplies for name-brand laptops meet US energy-saving standards and draw relatively little current when not plugged in. No-name replacement chargers, OTOH, are apt to be current hogs.

    – Daniel R Hicks
    Mar 27 '12 at 0:38

















Every device uses power, at least a little bit, when plugged in, even if the device is off

– MaQleod
Sep 24 '10 at 21:48





Every device uses power, at least a little bit, when plugged in, even if the device is off

– MaQleod
Sep 24 '10 at 21:48













en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_source

– Aki
May 11 '11 at 15:55





en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_source

– Aki
May 11 '11 at 15:55













Depends on the charger. A few (such as Apple's charger) detect when they're plugged in and turn themselves off (leaving only a very microscopic current drain) when not plugged in. Most original equipment supplies for name-brand laptops meet US energy-saving standards and draw relatively little current when not plugged in. No-name replacement chargers, OTOH, are apt to be current hogs.

– Daniel R Hicks
Mar 27 '12 at 0:38





Depends on the charger. A few (such as Apple's charger) detect when they're plugged in and turn themselves off (leaving only a very microscopic current drain) when not plugged in. Most original equipment supplies for name-brand laptops meet US energy-saving standards and draw relatively little current when not plugged in. No-name replacement chargers, OTOH, are apt to be current hogs.

– Daniel R Hicks
Mar 27 '12 at 0:38










5 Answers
5






active

oldest

votes


















20














The answer for this is: YES, it will consume power, but such a little power that you may consider it irrelevant in terms of overall power consumption.



As you can see in the picture below
(a schematic of an AC notebook adapter), the "entrance" of the circuit
(“L and N 90 - 265 VAC”, in the lower left corner) has an AC transformer:



schematic of an AC notebook adapter



This component is responsible for converting the entrance AC voltage into another one in AC (if there is a load on the "output" side of this component). As you can see in the picture below:



enter image description here



Wikipedia has a good explanation about the operation of a transformer:






A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one
circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the
transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding
creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a
varying magnetic field through the secondary winding. This varying
magnetic field induces a varying electromotive force (EMF), or
"voltage", in the secondary winding. This effect is called inductive
coupling.



If a load is connected to the secondary, current will flow in the
secondary winding, and electrical energy will be transferred from the
primary circuit through the transformer to the load.
In an ideal
transformer,
the induced voltage in the secondary winding (Vs) is in
proportion to the primary voltage (Vp)
and is given by the ratio of
the number of turns in the secondary (Ns)
to the number of turns in
the primary (Np) as follows:



formula: V<sub>s</sub> / V<sub>p</sub> = N<sub>s</sub>) / N<sub>p</sub>




I marked in bold the main part of explanation to explain what will happen if there is no load on the transformer (in this case, it means that there is no device "consuming" power from the transformer). If there is no load, the secondary part of the transformer will not "act" on the primary part of it. 
It means that you will only have the input loaded with the entrance impedance of the transformer, or, in this specific case, the AC power from your electric outlet to an inductor of 200 µH in the transformer. A theoretical "ideal" inductor will not dissipate any power, but a real inductor will also have a resistive component that dissipates a small amount of power, usually due to the magnetic material in the core of the transformer producing "core losses". This will explain why you have a consumption of the AC adapter even if there is no "load" or on this case, if the notebook is turned off.



PS: This situation applies not only for your notebook AC adapter but to all adapters that have a transformer on their entrance.



Hope being helpful with my explanations.






share|improve this answer


























  • Could you please tell an approximate power the adapter draws from the source when there is no "load"? I know it depends, but just give a rough estimate to know what we'r losing.

    – styrofoam fly
    Mar 11 '17 at 12:38



















11














Yes it does.



The simple proof? Hold the charger in your hand while it's plugged in. Does it feel warm? That heat is generated from the electricity passing through the charger, even though it's not plugged into a laptop.



Edit:



Some related links:




  • Vampire hunters: Devices reduce energy waste

  • Energy tip #10: remove wall warts and slay electricity vampires

  • Do chargers use electricity when they aren't being used?






share|improve this answer





















  • 3





    Actually, some chargers are cold when not in use. For example my Hipro HP-OL093B13P is always cold when not in use.

    – AndrejaKo
    Sep 24 '10 at 21:50











  • hmmm. interesting. Mine have always been a bit warm to the touch. Maybe wasting electricity is not a universal property of chargers?

    – DaveParillo
    Sep 24 '10 at 21:55











  • I've never had a PSU that does not get at least slightly warm.

    – paradroid
    Sep 25 '10 at 1:32











  • All good power supplies should stop electricity flow if A. the battery is fully charged, or B. there is no laptop connected. From my experience, my old Thinkpad charger as well as both my MacBook and MacBook Pro chargers over the years have never been warm when not actively charging anything. I'd say it could be vendor specific, though I'd sure hope not. That said, I think they will all still have some electricity flowing through them, but it should be miniscule and nothing enough to cause warmth.

    – raffi
    May 11 '11 at 15:30













  • "Warm" is pretty subjective and will depend on the ambient temperature.

    – Jamie Kitson
    Mar 20 '12 at 15:31



















6














In general, yes it does. Unless there's a sensor that detects the connection to the laptop and cuts the circuit to the transformer, there's still electrons moving around.



You can actually measure this with the Killawatt http://www.p3international.com/products/special/P4400/P4400-CE.html



It's sold at thinkgeek.com as well






share|improve this answer
























  • Very useful device for figuring out how much those DC transformer blocks actually eat when idle. I used it to see how much power my older laptop drew in sleep mode (1.5w), and when the laptop was unplugged but the power still in (.25w).

    – SysAdmin1138
    Sep 24 '10 at 23:14



















4














Not all chargers use a measurable amount of power when the laptop is plugged in but off. My laptop charger uses 0 watts as measured by a watt-meter. Yours might be different. Now it might not be an actual 0.000000000000 but it is apparently less than 0.1 watt which is the minimum my meter will read. Under load with my laptop running it's 25 watts.






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    3














    Yes. There are still components in the laptop charger that uses a "little" energy when it is plugged in. About a year ago, there were numerous commercials on TV stating to unplug your cell phone charger when not in use due to the same reason.






    share|improve this answer
























    • Don't mean to be petty, but you're saying it does, but not as much as it would have consumed if the laptop was connected to it?

      – Oren A
      Sep 24 '10 at 21:46











    • Yes, if you plug in a device which draws current (puts a load on), it will definitely draw more current

      – DaveParillo
      Sep 24 '10 at 21:56










    protected by Diogo Sep 12 '13 at 13:32



    Thank you for your interest in this question.
    Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site (the association bonus does not count).



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    5 Answers
    5






    active

    oldest

    votes








    5 Answers
    5






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    20














    The answer for this is: YES, it will consume power, but such a little power that you may consider it irrelevant in terms of overall power consumption.



    As you can see in the picture below
    (a schematic of an AC notebook adapter), the "entrance" of the circuit
    (“L and N 90 - 265 VAC”, in the lower left corner) has an AC transformer:



    schematic of an AC notebook adapter



    This component is responsible for converting the entrance AC voltage into another one in AC (if there is a load on the "output" side of this component). As you can see in the picture below:



    enter image description here



    Wikipedia has a good explanation about the operation of a transformer:






    A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one
    circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the
    transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding
    creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a
    varying magnetic field through the secondary winding. This varying
    magnetic field induces a varying electromotive force (EMF), or
    "voltage", in the secondary winding. This effect is called inductive
    coupling.



    If a load is connected to the secondary, current will flow in the
    secondary winding, and electrical energy will be transferred from the
    primary circuit through the transformer to the load.
    In an ideal
    transformer,
    the induced voltage in the secondary winding (Vs) is in
    proportion to the primary voltage (Vp)
    and is given by the ratio of
    the number of turns in the secondary (Ns)
    to the number of turns in
    the primary (Np) as follows:



    formula: V<sub>s</sub> / V<sub>p</sub> = N<sub>s</sub>) / N<sub>p</sub>




    I marked in bold the main part of explanation to explain what will happen if there is no load on the transformer (in this case, it means that there is no device "consuming" power from the transformer). If there is no load, the secondary part of the transformer will not "act" on the primary part of it. 
    It means that you will only have the input loaded with the entrance impedance of the transformer, or, in this specific case, the AC power from your electric outlet to an inductor of 200 µH in the transformer. A theoretical "ideal" inductor will not dissipate any power, but a real inductor will also have a resistive component that dissipates a small amount of power, usually due to the magnetic material in the core of the transformer producing "core losses". This will explain why you have a consumption of the AC adapter even if there is no "load" or on this case, if the notebook is turned off.



    PS: This situation applies not only for your notebook AC adapter but to all adapters that have a transformer on their entrance.



    Hope being helpful with my explanations.






    share|improve this answer


























    • Could you please tell an approximate power the adapter draws from the source when there is no "load"? I know it depends, but just give a rough estimate to know what we'r losing.

      – styrofoam fly
      Mar 11 '17 at 12:38
















    20














    The answer for this is: YES, it will consume power, but such a little power that you may consider it irrelevant in terms of overall power consumption.



    As you can see in the picture below
    (a schematic of an AC notebook adapter), the "entrance" of the circuit
    (“L and N 90 - 265 VAC”, in the lower left corner) has an AC transformer:



    schematic of an AC notebook adapter



    This component is responsible for converting the entrance AC voltage into another one in AC (if there is a load on the "output" side of this component). As you can see in the picture below:



    enter image description here



    Wikipedia has a good explanation about the operation of a transformer:






    A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one
    circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the
    transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding
    creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a
    varying magnetic field through the secondary winding. This varying
    magnetic field induces a varying electromotive force (EMF), or
    "voltage", in the secondary winding. This effect is called inductive
    coupling.



    If a load is connected to the secondary, current will flow in the
    secondary winding, and electrical energy will be transferred from the
    primary circuit through the transformer to the load.
    In an ideal
    transformer,
    the induced voltage in the secondary winding (Vs) is in
    proportion to the primary voltage (Vp)
    and is given by the ratio of
    the number of turns in the secondary (Ns)
    to the number of turns in
    the primary (Np) as follows:



    formula: V<sub>s</sub> / V<sub>p</sub> = N<sub>s</sub>) / N<sub>p</sub>




    I marked in bold the main part of explanation to explain what will happen if there is no load on the transformer (in this case, it means that there is no device "consuming" power from the transformer). If there is no load, the secondary part of the transformer will not "act" on the primary part of it. 
    It means that you will only have the input loaded with the entrance impedance of the transformer, or, in this specific case, the AC power from your electric outlet to an inductor of 200 µH in the transformer. A theoretical "ideal" inductor will not dissipate any power, but a real inductor will also have a resistive component that dissipates a small amount of power, usually due to the magnetic material in the core of the transformer producing "core losses". This will explain why you have a consumption of the AC adapter even if there is no "load" or on this case, if the notebook is turned off.



    PS: This situation applies not only for your notebook AC adapter but to all adapters that have a transformer on their entrance.



    Hope being helpful with my explanations.






    share|improve this answer


























    • Could you please tell an approximate power the adapter draws from the source when there is no "load"? I know it depends, but just give a rough estimate to know what we'r losing.

      – styrofoam fly
      Mar 11 '17 at 12:38














    20












    20








    20







    The answer for this is: YES, it will consume power, but such a little power that you may consider it irrelevant in terms of overall power consumption.



    As you can see in the picture below
    (a schematic of an AC notebook adapter), the "entrance" of the circuit
    (“L and N 90 - 265 VAC”, in the lower left corner) has an AC transformer:



    schematic of an AC notebook adapter



    This component is responsible for converting the entrance AC voltage into another one in AC (if there is a load on the "output" side of this component). As you can see in the picture below:



    enter image description here



    Wikipedia has a good explanation about the operation of a transformer:






    A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one
    circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the
    transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding
    creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a
    varying magnetic field through the secondary winding. This varying
    magnetic field induces a varying electromotive force (EMF), or
    "voltage", in the secondary winding. This effect is called inductive
    coupling.



    If a load is connected to the secondary, current will flow in the
    secondary winding, and electrical energy will be transferred from the
    primary circuit through the transformer to the load.
    In an ideal
    transformer,
    the induced voltage in the secondary winding (Vs) is in
    proportion to the primary voltage (Vp)
    and is given by the ratio of
    the number of turns in the secondary (Ns)
    to the number of turns in
    the primary (Np) as follows:



    formula: V<sub>s</sub> / V<sub>p</sub> = N<sub>s</sub>) / N<sub>p</sub>




    I marked in bold the main part of explanation to explain what will happen if there is no load on the transformer (in this case, it means that there is no device "consuming" power from the transformer). If there is no load, the secondary part of the transformer will not "act" on the primary part of it. 
    It means that you will only have the input loaded with the entrance impedance of the transformer, or, in this specific case, the AC power from your electric outlet to an inductor of 200 µH in the transformer. A theoretical "ideal" inductor will not dissipate any power, but a real inductor will also have a resistive component that dissipates a small amount of power, usually due to the magnetic material in the core of the transformer producing "core losses". This will explain why you have a consumption of the AC adapter even if there is no "load" or on this case, if the notebook is turned off.



    PS: This situation applies not only for your notebook AC adapter but to all adapters that have a transformer on their entrance.



    Hope being helpful with my explanations.






    share|improve this answer















    The answer for this is: YES, it will consume power, but such a little power that you may consider it irrelevant in terms of overall power consumption.



    As you can see in the picture below
    (a schematic of an AC notebook adapter), the "entrance" of the circuit
    (“L and N 90 - 265 VAC”, in the lower left corner) has an AC transformer:



    schematic of an AC notebook adapter



    This component is responsible for converting the entrance AC voltage into another one in AC (if there is a load on the "output" side of this component). As you can see in the picture below:



    enter image description here



    Wikipedia has a good explanation about the operation of a transformer:






    A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one
    circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the
    transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding
    creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a
    varying magnetic field through the secondary winding. This varying
    magnetic field induces a varying electromotive force (EMF), or
    "voltage", in the secondary winding. This effect is called inductive
    coupling.



    If a load is connected to the secondary, current will flow in the
    secondary winding, and electrical energy will be transferred from the
    primary circuit through the transformer to the load.
    In an ideal
    transformer,
    the induced voltage in the secondary winding (Vs) is in
    proportion to the primary voltage (Vp)
    and is given by the ratio of
    the number of turns in the secondary (Ns)
    to the number of turns in
    the primary (Np) as follows:



    formula: V<sub>s</sub> / V<sub>p</sub> = N<sub>s</sub>) / N<sub>p</sub>




    I marked in bold the main part of explanation to explain what will happen if there is no load on the transformer (in this case, it means that there is no device "consuming" power from the transformer). If there is no load, the secondary part of the transformer will not "act" on the primary part of it. 
    It means that you will only have the input loaded with the entrance impedance of the transformer, or, in this specific case, the AC power from your electric outlet to an inductor of 200 µH in the transformer. A theoretical "ideal" inductor will not dissipate any power, but a real inductor will also have a resistive component that dissipates a small amount of power, usually due to the magnetic material in the core of the transformer producing "core losses". This will explain why you have a consumption of the AC adapter even if there is no "load" or on this case, if the notebook is turned off.



    PS: This situation applies not only for your notebook AC adapter but to all adapters that have a transformer on their entrance.



    Hope being helpful with my explanations.







    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited May 31 '18 at 18:30









    Scott

    15.8k113990




    15.8k113990










    answered Mar 20 '12 at 12:28









    DiogoDiogo

    22k57132210




    22k57132210













    • Could you please tell an approximate power the adapter draws from the source when there is no "load"? I know it depends, but just give a rough estimate to know what we'r losing.

      – styrofoam fly
      Mar 11 '17 at 12:38



















    • Could you please tell an approximate power the adapter draws from the source when there is no "load"? I know it depends, but just give a rough estimate to know what we'r losing.

      – styrofoam fly
      Mar 11 '17 at 12:38

















    Could you please tell an approximate power the adapter draws from the source when there is no "load"? I know it depends, but just give a rough estimate to know what we'r losing.

    – styrofoam fly
    Mar 11 '17 at 12:38





    Could you please tell an approximate power the adapter draws from the source when there is no "load"? I know it depends, but just give a rough estimate to know what we'r losing.

    – styrofoam fly
    Mar 11 '17 at 12:38













    11














    Yes it does.



    The simple proof? Hold the charger in your hand while it's plugged in. Does it feel warm? That heat is generated from the electricity passing through the charger, even though it's not plugged into a laptop.



    Edit:



    Some related links:




    • Vampire hunters: Devices reduce energy waste

    • Energy tip #10: remove wall warts and slay electricity vampires

    • Do chargers use electricity when they aren't being used?






    share|improve this answer





















    • 3





      Actually, some chargers are cold when not in use. For example my Hipro HP-OL093B13P is always cold when not in use.

      – AndrejaKo
      Sep 24 '10 at 21:50











    • hmmm. interesting. Mine have always been a bit warm to the touch. Maybe wasting electricity is not a universal property of chargers?

      – DaveParillo
      Sep 24 '10 at 21:55











    • I've never had a PSU that does not get at least slightly warm.

      – paradroid
      Sep 25 '10 at 1:32











    • All good power supplies should stop electricity flow if A. the battery is fully charged, or B. there is no laptop connected. From my experience, my old Thinkpad charger as well as both my MacBook and MacBook Pro chargers over the years have never been warm when not actively charging anything. I'd say it could be vendor specific, though I'd sure hope not. That said, I think they will all still have some electricity flowing through them, but it should be miniscule and nothing enough to cause warmth.

      – raffi
      May 11 '11 at 15:30













    • "Warm" is pretty subjective and will depend on the ambient temperature.

      – Jamie Kitson
      Mar 20 '12 at 15:31
















    11














    Yes it does.



    The simple proof? Hold the charger in your hand while it's plugged in. Does it feel warm? That heat is generated from the electricity passing through the charger, even though it's not plugged into a laptop.



    Edit:



    Some related links:




    • Vampire hunters: Devices reduce energy waste

    • Energy tip #10: remove wall warts and slay electricity vampires

    • Do chargers use electricity when they aren't being used?






    share|improve this answer





















    • 3





      Actually, some chargers are cold when not in use. For example my Hipro HP-OL093B13P is always cold when not in use.

      – AndrejaKo
      Sep 24 '10 at 21:50











    • hmmm. interesting. Mine have always been a bit warm to the touch. Maybe wasting electricity is not a universal property of chargers?

      – DaveParillo
      Sep 24 '10 at 21:55











    • I've never had a PSU that does not get at least slightly warm.

      – paradroid
      Sep 25 '10 at 1:32











    • All good power supplies should stop electricity flow if A. the battery is fully charged, or B. there is no laptop connected. From my experience, my old Thinkpad charger as well as both my MacBook and MacBook Pro chargers over the years have never been warm when not actively charging anything. I'd say it could be vendor specific, though I'd sure hope not. That said, I think they will all still have some electricity flowing through them, but it should be miniscule and nothing enough to cause warmth.

      – raffi
      May 11 '11 at 15:30













    • "Warm" is pretty subjective and will depend on the ambient temperature.

      – Jamie Kitson
      Mar 20 '12 at 15:31














    11












    11








    11







    Yes it does.



    The simple proof? Hold the charger in your hand while it's plugged in. Does it feel warm? That heat is generated from the electricity passing through the charger, even though it's not plugged into a laptop.



    Edit:



    Some related links:




    • Vampire hunters: Devices reduce energy waste

    • Energy tip #10: remove wall warts and slay electricity vampires

    • Do chargers use electricity when they aren't being used?






    share|improve this answer















    Yes it does.



    The simple proof? Hold the charger in your hand while it's plugged in. Does it feel warm? That heat is generated from the electricity passing through the charger, even though it's not plugged into a laptop.



    Edit:



    Some related links:




    • Vampire hunters: Devices reduce energy waste

    • Energy tip #10: remove wall warts and slay electricity vampires

    • Do chargers use electricity when they aren't being used?







    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited Jan 14 at 5:52









    Pang

    583611




    583611










    answered Sep 24 '10 at 21:42









    DaveParilloDaveParillo

    13.1k3444




    13.1k3444








    • 3





      Actually, some chargers are cold when not in use. For example my Hipro HP-OL093B13P is always cold when not in use.

      – AndrejaKo
      Sep 24 '10 at 21:50











    • hmmm. interesting. Mine have always been a bit warm to the touch. Maybe wasting electricity is not a universal property of chargers?

      – DaveParillo
      Sep 24 '10 at 21:55











    • I've never had a PSU that does not get at least slightly warm.

      – paradroid
      Sep 25 '10 at 1:32











    • All good power supplies should stop electricity flow if A. the battery is fully charged, or B. there is no laptop connected. From my experience, my old Thinkpad charger as well as both my MacBook and MacBook Pro chargers over the years have never been warm when not actively charging anything. I'd say it could be vendor specific, though I'd sure hope not. That said, I think they will all still have some electricity flowing through them, but it should be miniscule and nothing enough to cause warmth.

      – raffi
      May 11 '11 at 15:30













    • "Warm" is pretty subjective and will depend on the ambient temperature.

      – Jamie Kitson
      Mar 20 '12 at 15:31














    • 3





      Actually, some chargers are cold when not in use. For example my Hipro HP-OL093B13P is always cold when not in use.

      – AndrejaKo
      Sep 24 '10 at 21:50











    • hmmm. interesting. Mine have always been a bit warm to the touch. Maybe wasting electricity is not a universal property of chargers?

      – DaveParillo
      Sep 24 '10 at 21:55











    • I've never had a PSU that does not get at least slightly warm.

      – paradroid
      Sep 25 '10 at 1:32











    • All good power supplies should stop electricity flow if A. the battery is fully charged, or B. there is no laptop connected. From my experience, my old Thinkpad charger as well as both my MacBook and MacBook Pro chargers over the years have never been warm when not actively charging anything. I'd say it could be vendor specific, though I'd sure hope not. That said, I think they will all still have some electricity flowing through them, but it should be miniscule and nothing enough to cause warmth.

      – raffi
      May 11 '11 at 15:30













    • "Warm" is pretty subjective and will depend on the ambient temperature.

      – Jamie Kitson
      Mar 20 '12 at 15:31








    3




    3





    Actually, some chargers are cold when not in use. For example my Hipro HP-OL093B13P is always cold when not in use.

    – AndrejaKo
    Sep 24 '10 at 21:50





    Actually, some chargers are cold when not in use. For example my Hipro HP-OL093B13P is always cold when not in use.

    – AndrejaKo
    Sep 24 '10 at 21:50













    hmmm. interesting. Mine have always been a bit warm to the touch. Maybe wasting electricity is not a universal property of chargers?

    – DaveParillo
    Sep 24 '10 at 21:55





    hmmm. interesting. Mine have always been a bit warm to the touch. Maybe wasting electricity is not a universal property of chargers?

    – DaveParillo
    Sep 24 '10 at 21:55













    I've never had a PSU that does not get at least slightly warm.

    – paradroid
    Sep 25 '10 at 1:32





    I've never had a PSU that does not get at least slightly warm.

    – paradroid
    Sep 25 '10 at 1:32













    All good power supplies should stop electricity flow if A. the battery is fully charged, or B. there is no laptop connected. From my experience, my old Thinkpad charger as well as both my MacBook and MacBook Pro chargers over the years have never been warm when not actively charging anything. I'd say it could be vendor specific, though I'd sure hope not. That said, I think they will all still have some electricity flowing through them, but it should be miniscule and nothing enough to cause warmth.

    – raffi
    May 11 '11 at 15:30







    All good power supplies should stop electricity flow if A. the battery is fully charged, or B. there is no laptop connected. From my experience, my old Thinkpad charger as well as both my MacBook and MacBook Pro chargers over the years have never been warm when not actively charging anything. I'd say it could be vendor specific, though I'd sure hope not. That said, I think they will all still have some electricity flowing through them, but it should be miniscule and nothing enough to cause warmth.

    – raffi
    May 11 '11 at 15:30















    "Warm" is pretty subjective and will depend on the ambient temperature.

    – Jamie Kitson
    Mar 20 '12 at 15:31





    "Warm" is pretty subjective and will depend on the ambient temperature.

    – Jamie Kitson
    Mar 20 '12 at 15:31











    6














    In general, yes it does. Unless there's a sensor that detects the connection to the laptop and cuts the circuit to the transformer, there's still electrons moving around.



    You can actually measure this with the Killawatt http://www.p3international.com/products/special/P4400/P4400-CE.html



    It's sold at thinkgeek.com as well






    share|improve this answer
























    • Very useful device for figuring out how much those DC transformer blocks actually eat when idle. I used it to see how much power my older laptop drew in sleep mode (1.5w), and when the laptop was unplugged but the power still in (.25w).

      – SysAdmin1138
      Sep 24 '10 at 23:14
















    6














    In general, yes it does. Unless there's a sensor that detects the connection to the laptop and cuts the circuit to the transformer, there's still electrons moving around.



    You can actually measure this with the Killawatt http://www.p3international.com/products/special/P4400/P4400-CE.html



    It's sold at thinkgeek.com as well






    share|improve this answer
























    • Very useful device for figuring out how much those DC transformer blocks actually eat when idle. I used it to see how much power my older laptop drew in sleep mode (1.5w), and when the laptop was unplugged but the power still in (.25w).

      – SysAdmin1138
      Sep 24 '10 at 23:14














    6












    6








    6







    In general, yes it does. Unless there's a sensor that detects the connection to the laptop and cuts the circuit to the transformer, there's still electrons moving around.



    You can actually measure this with the Killawatt http://www.p3international.com/products/special/P4400/P4400-CE.html



    It's sold at thinkgeek.com as well






    share|improve this answer













    In general, yes it does. Unless there's a sensor that detects the connection to the laptop and cuts the circuit to the transformer, there's still electrons moving around.



    You can actually measure this with the Killawatt http://www.p3international.com/products/special/P4400/P4400-CE.html



    It's sold at thinkgeek.com as well







    share|improve this answer












    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer










    answered Sep 24 '10 at 22:03









    Rich HomolkaRich Homolka

    25.4k64367




    25.4k64367













    • Very useful device for figuring out how much those DC transformer blocks actually eat when idle. I used it to see how much power my older laptop drew in sleep mode (1.5w), and when the laptop was unplugged but the power still in (.25w).

      – SysAdmin1138
      Sep 24 '10 at 23:14



















    • Very useful device for figuring out how much those DC transformer blocks actually eat when idle. I used it to see how much power my older laptop drew in sleep mode (1.5w), and when the laptop was unplugged but the power still in (.25w).

      – SysAdmin1138
      Sep 24 '10 at 23:14

















    Very useful device for figuring out how much those DC transformer blocks actually eat when idle. I used it to see how much power my older laptop drew in sleep mode (1.5w), and when the laptop was unplugged but the power still in (.25w).

    – SysAdmin1138
    Sep 24 '10 at 23:14





    Very useful device for figuring out how much those DC transformer blocks actually eat when idle. I used it to see how much power my older laptop drew in sleep mode (1.5w), and when the laptop was unplugged but the power still in (.25w).

    – SysAdmin1138
    Sep 24 '10 at 23:14











    4














    Not all chargers use a measurable amount of power when the laptop is plugged in but off. My laptop charger uses 0 watts as measured by a watt-meter. Yours might be different. Now it might not be an actual 0.000000000000 but it is apparently less than 0.1 watt which is the minimum my meter will read. Under load with my laptop running it's 25 watts.






    share|improve this answer




























      4














      Not all chargers use a measurable amount of power when the laptop is plugged in but off. My laptop charger uses 0 watts as measured by a watt-meter. Yours might be different. Now it might not be an actual 0.000000000000 but it is apparently less than 0.1 watt which is the minimum my meter will read. Under load with my laptop running it's 25 watts.






      share|improve this answer


























        4












        4








        4







        Not all chargers use a measurable amount of power when the laptop is plugged in but off. My laptop charger uses 0 watts as measured by a watt-meter. Yours might be different. Now it might not be an actual 0.000000000000 but it is apparently less than 0.1 watt which is the minimum my meter will read. Under load with my laptop running it's 25 watts.






        share|improve this answer













        Not all chargers use a measurable amount of power when the laptop is plugged in but off. My laptop charger uses 0 watts as measured by a watt-meter. Yours might be different. Now it might not be an actual 0.000000000000 but it is apparently less than 0.1 watt which is the minimum my meter will read. Under load with my laptop running it's 25 watts.







        share|improve this answer












        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer










        answered Sep 25 '10 at 0:26









        hoteihotei

        3,55221424




        3,55221424























            3














            Yes. There are still components in the laptop charger that uses a "little" energy when it is plugged in. About a year ago, there were numerous commercials on TV stating to unplug your cell phone charger when not in use due to the same reason.






            share|improve this answer
























            • Don't mean to be petty, but you're saying it does, but not as much as it would have consumed if the laptop was connected to it?

              – Oren A
              Sep 24 '10 at 21:46











            • Yes, if you plug in a device which draws current (puts a load on), it will definitely draw more current

              – DaveParillo
              Sep 24 '10 at 21:56
















            3














            Yes. There are still components in the laptop charger that uses a "little" energy when it is plugged in. About a year ago, there were numerous commercials on TV stating to unplug your cell phone charger when not in use due to the same reason.






            share|improve this answer
























            • Don't mean to be petty, but you're saying it does, but not as much as it would have consumed if the laptop was connected to it?

              – Oren A
              Sep 24 '10 at 21:46











            • Yes, if you plug in a device which draws current (puts a load on), it will definitely draw more current

              – DaveParillo
              Sep 24 '10 at 21:56














            3












            3








            3







            Yes. There are still components in the laptop charger that uses a "little" energy when it is plugged in. About a year ago, there were numerous commercials on TV stating to unplug your cell phone charger when not in use due to the same reason.






            share|improve this answer













            Yes. There are still components in the laptop charger that uses a "little" energy when it is plugged in. About a year ago, there were numerous commercials on TV stating to unplug your cell phone charger when not in use due to the same reason.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered Sep 24 '10 at 21:42









            wbeard52wbeard52

            2,73622238




            2,73622238













            • Don't mean to be petty, but you're saying it does, but not as much as it would have consumed if the laptop was connected to it?

              – Oren A
              Sep 24 '10 at 21:46











            • Yes, if you plug in a device which draws current (puts a load on), it will definitely draw more current

              – DaveParillo
              Sep 24 '10 at 21:56



















            • Don't mean to be petty, but you're saying it does, but not as much as it would have consumed if the laptop was connected to it?

              – Oren A
              Sep 24 '10 at 21:46











            • Yes, if you plug in a device which draws current (puts a load on), it will definitely draw more current

              – DaveParillo
              Sep 24 '10 at 21:56

















            Don't mean to be petty, but you're saying it does, but not as much as it would have consumed if the laptop was connected to it?

            – Oren A
            Sep 24 '10 at 21:46





            Don't mean to be petty, but you're saying it does, but not as much as it would have consumed if the laptop was connected to it?

            – Oren A
            Sep 24 '10 at 21:46













            Yes, if you plug in a device which draws current (puts a load on), it will definitely draw more current

            – DaveParillo
            Sep 24 '10 at 21:56





            Yes, if you plug in a device which draws current (puts a load on), it will definitely draw more current

            – DaveParillo
            Sep 24 '10 at 21:56





            protected by Diogo Sep 12 '13 at 13:32



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