The ads for the consumer appliances are pretty appealing these days, especially those streamed on the digital platforms. One of the ads garnering lot of buzz on online platforms is about the convertible refrigerators. Big brands like Samsung, LG and Haier are aggressively marketing this feature as a revolutionary one. So, what exactly convertible technology is, what it does, how it works, how it benefits you, we will try to answer all these questions in this article.
The Journey of Convertible Technology So Far
Samsung is the first brand to introduce the concept of “convertible refrigerators” in India around two years back. Since then brands like LG and Haier have also caught up and came with their own variants. LG uses Dual Fridge to market convertible refrigerators whereas Haier took it to the next level with its 8-in-1 convertible refrigerator.
What is Convertible Refrigerator and How it Works?
The main idea behind the convertible refrigerator is to convert and control two main compartments of refrigerator—fridge (main unit maintaining temperature between 2o to 5o C) and freezer (smaller unit maintaining temperature between −15o to −23o C) separately. For example, you can turn off the fridge while keeping only the freezer active or you can simply convert a freezer into freeze. Depending upon brand and model, there is some other permutation combination to these settings as well which we will look in details in this article.
Heart of convertible technologies lies in having two separate fans & evaporator—one for the fridge and another for the freezer. This way there is separate regularization of temperature in both the compartments and they can run independent to each other.
This conversion is easy to activate—there is usually a push button for this purpose. But do keep in mind that switching between the two modes does take some time for the appliance to adjust. Like for example to convert the freezer to fridge LG takes around an hour whereas Samsung takes nearly two hours.
Now let us look into specific modes of different convertible technologies based upon the brand.
Samsung 5-in-1 Convertible refrigerator
Premium double door Samsung refrigerators come with a 5-in-1 convertible feature which helps to make the most out of the refrigerator during the varying phase of seasons or changing requirements. It does so by allowing users to fully customize their refrigerator into any of the 5 modes ranging from normal fridge-freezer mode to frugal home alone mode.
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Let us look into details of each modes:
Normal mode: This is the usual mode with the top compartment of the refrigerator used as freezer while the bigger bottom part for normal refrigeration. This is usually the default option out of the box.
Extra fridge mode: According to one of the studies, Indians consume much lesser frozen food than the western counterparts. This is because a good percentage of Indians are vegetarians and probably won’t need freezer that much. Extra fridge mode gives the liberty to convert the freezer compartment into the normal fridge providing extra refrigeration space. If you are a vegan who often ends up bringing home more bags of veggies than that can be stuffed inside the refrigerator, this option would be your saviour.
Seasonal mode: With the option of Extra fridgemode you can beef up your “only refrigeration” requirement. But there are times when you don’t need freezer at all. But the ordinary refrigerator, in this case, would run both fridge and freezer compartment even though the freezer is empty. This is a wastage of energy. This problem is solved by the seasonal mode which turns off the freezer while keeps running the fridge compartment.
Vacation mode: Refrigerator works 24×7, 365 days a year (provided no power cuts occur). This means they are incessantly consuming electricity. There would be occasions when you would move out of your home with your complete family for vacations, weddings, or other purposes. These trips may be of a few days or few weeks. Obviously then, neither you would be carrying the refrigerator nor would be anyone using it. And your ordinary refrigerator would keep on piling up your electricity units. Vacation mode solves this predicament. When activated, only the freezer compartment runs while shutting down the bigger refrigeration compartment. So, on vacations and outing, you can enjoy more and worry less about refrigerator gobbling up power units.
Home alone mode: There would be times when your family members go out, but you don’t—because of the exam, office work or some other priorities. There are good chances that you won’t actually need that big volume refrigerator working with full power. Also, with full power comes big electricity bills! So again, to your rescue would be Home alone mode wherein you can shut down the refrigerator compartment and shift all your small stock of perishables to the top compartment which is now converted into a mini refrigerator.
Samsung 3-in-1 Convertible refrigerator
Although the name says 3-in-1, this range of refrigerators from Samsung just have Normal Mode and Extra Fridge Mode as explained above. These refrigerators are like any other convertible refrigerators from any other brand.
LG Dual Fridge
LG has convertible technology called Dual Fridge. But dual fridge doesn’t quite offer the versatility that matches with Samsung’s 5-in-1 convertibles. But it makes up for it by a faster conversion time between the mode switching. LG refrigerators coming with Dual Fridge technology has only two modes one the normal and other mode wherein freezer can be converted to fridge thus increasing refrigeration storage by 40%.
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Haier 8-in-1 Convertible Refrigerator
Latest high-end Haier refrigerator series has gone three steps ahead of Samsung by offering 8 different convertible modes. These are the 8 different modes:
Normal mode: This is the normal mode with fridge and freezer both running and doing their respective job of refrigeration and chilling.
Veg mode: This is Extra fridge mode equivalent of Samsung convertible refrigerators. In this mode, main fridge compartment does the regular refrigeration job, but the freezer is converter to the fridge which means the whole refrigerator is now one big fridge debarred of chilling operation.
Home alone mode: This is equivalent to seasonal mode of Samsung convertible refrigerators (and not the home alone mode!). Here the fridge works as usual, but the freezer is turned off.
Freezer mode: This is similar to vacation mode of Samsung’s 5-in-1. As the name suggests only the freezer compartment works in freezing mode while the main refrigeration is turned off.
Vacation mode: Home alone mode of Samsung’s convertible refrigerator is the vacation mode of Haier. In this mode, the main refrigeration unit is turned off while the freezer is transformed into a fridge mode saving you electricity as you travel away from your home for vacations.
Surprise party mode: This is a slightly amped-up version of normal mode. Here fridge compartment works as it is, but the freezer mode is run with peak capacity for faster chilling using “turbo icing technology”. That’s why called surprise party mode because it allows you to cool your beverages and other cold items in a short notice before the surprise party.
Summer mode: Many times, during the summer when the heat is high the refrigerator fails to keep up with requisite cooling. That’s where the summer mode comes to rescue. It makes the fridge component run on its peak capacity to keep up with the scorching heat.
Swift chill mode: This is the pinnacle of refrigeration power. It’s like running your refrigerator on steroids. Here both the fridge and freezer run at the maximum settings for faster cooling of food inside the refrigerator.
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Conclusion
Some of you while going through the article might feel that Haier might be the best as it has “8 modes” but to call it the best convertible technology isn’t really that straightforward. Actually, though it offers 8 modes, the conversion time is highest while switching. LG has just two modes but has the smallest conversion time. Moreover, the main benefit of convertible technology is in converting the freezer to a fridge which is typically useful for people who don’t eat meat and ice cream much. Turning on and off the individual freezer and fridge component is beneficial from an energy savings standpoint. Interestingly none of the manufacturers provide the functionality to turn the refrigeration unit into a freezer. Haier at the most makes refrigeration unit with full power but that doesn’t convert it to the freezer. Other brands like Hitachi and Whirlpool have also introduced a few models which are very similar to Samsung’s 3-in-1 or LG’s Dual Fridge technology.
Eating fresh fruits is better than gulping juice. But still, the juicing craze is all around us. From celebrities to health buffs, everyone is propagating its benefits. Freshly squeezed fruits are not only delicious but are also easy to digest, and ideal for the modern eat-on-the-go lifestyle.
Come summer and demand for yummy juice goes up in every house. Providing the best quality juice with vitamins/minerals intact and right ingredients for the taste becomes a challenge for every mom or homemaker in a house. Going around a shopping mall, talking to sales advisers and choosing the best Juicer is always a painful exercise.
There is a large variety of Juicers available in the market: as a standalone function (i.e. Juicer, mixer or blender) or part of multi-functional home appliance available in the market called food processor. In this article we will talk about standalone home appliance, i.e. Juicer or juicer/blender/mixer and partly on food processors. There are mainly two types of juicers: manual and power-driven centrifugal type. Power-driven centrifuging are of two types: with a USB port and the most commonly used 230V AC type. 230V AC electric motor juicers are generally with additional jars and cutters for blending/mixer/grinding also for multi-functional usages.
Manual Juicer
You might be surprised to find that Manual Juicers are still in use by a large group of people. The reasons behind the existence of manual juicers is the convenience in use, simple design, and affordable price. Simplicity of manual juicing is the main reason why they still serve as a great gadget for all juicing requirements. Most varieties of manual juicers are very compact and can be carried along very easily. Manual Juicer gives you the flexibility of enjoying your daily dose of juices without the need of electricity. The only thing that you need is a bit of muscle power and your relishing juice gets ready for you in minutes.
Most manual juicers have only a few parts such as feeder and a body. You need not bother about the availability of electricity. These juicers are simple, durable, low cost, easy to maintain, quiet with no noise and simple to clean. And most importantly there is no loss of nutritional value, minerals, enzymes. It also does not cause any oxidation which the centrifuging Juicer causes due to heat produce by the friction between the spinning tools and the fruit/vegetables. The juices extracted using a manual juicer come along with the pulp, which people may or may not like. People who do not like the pulp along with the juice should not go for a manual juicer.
The accessories of a manual juicer contain
Juicer Collector with Strainer
Waste Collector Tray
Pusher
Stainless Steel Handle
This kind of Juicer is mostly suitable for soft/pulpy/juicy fruits like orange, pineapple, grapes, sweet lime, watermelon, pomegranate, spinach, tomato, mango, melon, etc. The price is in the range of 500-700/-, depending on the additional accessories like cutters for slicing the fruits/vegetables, jars, etc.
Based on some important few features and the general requirement of any home, the bijlibachao team has identified the best five makes namely Floraware, H k Villa, Besque, Bluzon, Wixxon available in the market and selection of such Juicer.
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In spite of so many advantages of a manual juicer, people still like to use electric juicers because manual juicers are a little time-consuming, need extra effort, and are not suitable for non-citrus food or vegetables. They are also not useful when a large quantity of juice is required.
One of the essential requirements for an Electric Juicer is that it should use food-grade material for the container because it works at high speeds. The container material should be of food-grade, non-toxic and eco-friendly material and free of BPA (Bisphenol A). Some research has shown that BPA can seep into food or beverages if made in a container having BPA. Use of food-grade material adds to the cost of the juicer. However, the Food and Drug Administration of USA suggests that at Low Levels, BPA is still safe.
Electric Juicers are of two types: centrifuging (low price range) and cold press type (high price range). Cold Press has certain advantages over centrifuging type and we will discuss them in subsequent paragraphs.
Centrifuging Juicer
A Centrifuging juicer works by rotating fruits/vegetables or any other content at very high speeds. During the process, it crushes the fruit/vegetable using a cutting tool and the juice separates from the pulp due to the centrifuging process. Since it operates at high speeds it generates a lot of noise. But since it is used for a short duration, the noise does not bother much.
There are two types of centrifuging juicers available in the market: one which operates on 230V normal power supply (usually used for household application) and another which is used for travel requirements as it operates on chargeable battery/power bank/laptop/mobile phone, etc.
USB Type Juicer
These are very handy, portable, good for travel juicers for making orange juice, milkshake, cold coffee, etc. But they are certainly not good for all juicing requirements as they have low power rating of the motor. If you want to use it for non-citrus food, then adding water is necessary. Also it will not start if the container is packed with cut fruits. It has a safety feature, that unless the container is tight, it will not start. Once the container is tight, the electric circuit gets complete and the motor starts.
It is provided with a chargeable battery which can be charged through the USB port. It also has a port through which you can charge your phone as well.
But be careful, since the cost of the product is very less (Rs. 600-800/-), either it does not have Warranty or it is limited to only 30 days. Since there are good reviews of few brands, you may take that there may not be many failures of the sold product but don’t grudge if the one sold to you fails for any reason since the Warranty is either not there or limited to 30 days.
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These juicers are generally part of the juicer/blender/mixer/grinder etc. being marketed by most of the reputed brands. These operate with a motor of 500-900W which is usually run for a short time: up to 1-5 minutes. These are handy, compact and consume less space as compared to a food processor. They usually have 2-3 jars of 200-500 ml capacity with 2-3 types of cutters, which also accounts for the price difference. The price varies due to jars, cutters, product dimensions, weight, etc. Since the usage of the appliance is limited to a few minutes, the electricity consumption is not a major criterion while selecting the model.
There are different kinds of juicers specially designed to extract juice from different varieties of fruits and vegetables. The elongated jar is perfect for preparing juice of fruits like bananas, apples, guavas and more. The wide jar with a feeding tube at the top will help you extract juices from citrus fruits. It also will have an outlet for the extraction of pulp.
Some brands offer locking arrangement in which unless the jar is secured, the motor will not start, this is because the speed at no load can go very high and can be dangerous. Overload protection arrangement is provided in all brands which trips the motor if it does not rotate freely. Ensure that the plug is of three pins so that in case of any earth fault, you don’t get a shock. The appliance may give some burning smell during the first two/three usages but if it continues then contact the customer care immediately. Warranty is generally for two years for the product and five years for the motor but always check the description before buying. Warranty is applicable in a similar way irrespective of the mode of purchase i.e. online or through the dealer. Always keep the invoice along with the warranty card. The GST paid invoice with warranty mentioned on the guidebook is acceptable for the purpose of the warranty claim. In case your complaint is not addressed, don’t hesitate to approach Consumer Forum ( you don’t have to hire the services of a lawyer) for non-compliance of warranty obligation, ensure the invoice is GST paid. For this purpose visit the website of consumer forum of your district.
Noise level is generally very high due to high speeds. It is specified by few brands to be around 80 dB. And it is difficult to differentiate and recommend any model on this basis. Since usage is limited to 1-2 minutes, one never feels at loss with this noise level. The acceptable level of Mixer Grinder is 80-90 dB as compared to the human noise level of 50-60 dB.
We are recommending brands having motor power between 400-900 W. For tough grinding such as turmeric, masala or idli batter – use mixer grinders with wattage rating 750 Watts or more. Don’t go for a higher rating motor if you want to use for juicer and blender purpose only.
There are large many brands available in the market. The famous brands provide value to the product through better engineering, experience gained over the period, warranty and customer friendly service center. Based on this, the most popular brands identified by our team which shall meet the requirement of any Indian family are Nutri Bullet/Nirja Bullet design of USA (but may be manufactured in China or any other country), Morphy Richards, Phillips, Prestige, Maharaja, Panasonic, Bajaj, Havells. Insalsa, Sujata, etc. (Disclaimer: Our identification of these brand does not in any way having any negative recommendations towards other brands)
Nutri Bullet/Ninja Bullet
Nutri-bullet is the most popular brand with different configurations marketed in different names and having value for money. It is called with an affix ‘bullet’ because of the shape of the jar which provides for cyclonic and centrifuging action for preserving of nutritions along with juicing function
It has handy countertop appliance that can chop, mix, blend, whip, grind, mince, dice, and more. The magic bullet comes with two blades: a cross blade for chopping, grating and blending and a flat blade for whipping cream and grinding hard foods. There are many models with varying size of short and tall cups and motor power ranging from 400-1000W to choose. It is compact and consumes less space as compared to the bulky food processors and mixers. You can drink from the same container you blend in as the blending jar doubles as a travel cup. It is provided with non-skid rubber footing necessary for handling the machine at such a high speed. It is easy to operate, clean, detachable, easily washable parts and dishwasher safe. Warranty: 2 years on product
Warranty: 2 years on the product but be careful it will not be on jars; Power: 400 W. Volt-AC 230, 50 Hz.
Includes Juicer mixer grinder with a long jar with lid and blending blade. Short jar with seasoning cap, Chopping blade and Motor base
Blades not interchangeable
Precautions to be taken as per the experience that since the motor is compactly spaced, better to run not more than 30 secs. even prescribed for 1 minute and give a rest of 5 minutes. Not useful for frozen and hard items which are difficult to crack and better to break before grinding in this.
Since it consumes less space, very useful for small kitchen, small family and having limited use in one go.
Higher motor size is recommended if anyone wants all kitchen operations.
Bpa proof, Nutri Ninja Cups (Tritan Material) – 1 x 500ml Single Serve Tritan material Cup, 1 x 650ml Single Serve Tritan Cup
Featuring 2 auto – programs, pulse – blend and ultrablend – ice crushing technology
Nutrient and vitamin extraction: pro extractor blades break down whole fruits, vegetables and seeds for nutrient and vitamin extraction
2 Auto – IQ programs for an intelligent program with no guesswork required, Pulse and Nutri Ninja Functionality – Blend & Ultrablend – Ice Crushing Technology
The powerful motor of 1000 W with 21,000 rpm speed – operating voltage 220/240 volts – 2 years warranty
Nutrient and Vitamin extraction: Nutri Ninja Pro Extractor Blades break down whole fruits, vegetables and seeds for nutrient & vitamin extraction
Similar to above except it includes coffee and spice grinder
BPA Free Nutri Ninja Cups (Tritan Material) – 1 x 500ml Single Serve Tritan material Cup, 1 x 650ml Single Serve Tritan Cup
Power: 900W Motor with Ice Crushing Technology & Pulse Function
Nutrient and Vitamin extraction: Nutri Ninja Pro Extractor Blades break down whole fruits, vegetables and seeds for nutrient & vitamin extraction
Operating Voltage 220/240 Volts. Watch Product Video: https://youtube/dayVBfSa7yc
The Nutri Ninja comes with: 1 x 900W Power-base, 1 x Pro-Extractor Blades, 1 x 500ml Single Serve Tritan material Cup, 1 x 650ml Single Serve Tritan Cup, 2 x Spout Lids, 1 x 30 recipe book.
Panasonic MX-AC400 550-Watt Super Mixer Grinder with 4 Jars (Black)
A safety locking system as per international standard and will not work if not locked correctly.
5 years motor warranty
Flow breaker Jar help to increase grinding efficiency (Flow Breaker creates an obstruction to the flow of the ingredients during wet grinding for better results).
Circuit breaker system for protection towards overloading or short circuit, and make sure to reset if motor not functioning due to overload
Samurai edge with the hardened stainless steel blade (Japanese technology for making Samurai sword)
Removable spout and blade, the online pulp chamber
Chatni and multiple jars of stainless body and fiber-glass unbreakable long-lasting plastic body for blender
Material Blade: Stainless steel, Material knife: Stainless steel and Material sieve: Metal
Power: 700 W motor (The motor rating varies from 500 to 700 W with 500W appliance is Rs. 1000/- cheaper. Since the usage is for short term, electric consumption is immaterial, and the higher rating will undoubtedly give better reliability and life)
Removable spout and blade, the online pulp chamber
Warranty: 2 years on the product
Maharaja Whiteline Joy Elite 750 Watt 4 Jar Mixer Grinder
3-speed control knob that comes with 90 degrees range of movement. 5 l liquidizing jar for blending, whipping, and mixing. Refer to the product description for details. 1 l jar for dry and wet grinding, making batters, and gravies
Bajaj Twister 750-Watt Mixer Grinder with 3 Jars (White)
Includes: Mixer grinder, Chutney jar (500ml), Dry or wet grinder jar (1-litre), Blending jar (1- litre) and Manual
Chutney making, dry grinding, wet grinding and blending
Three stainless steel jar with transparent PC lid
3-speed option
2 and five years warranty on product and motor respectively. The manufacturers’ state in one of the replies to the query raised that it provides on-site Warranty.
Inalsa Jazz Dx 750-Watt Mixer Grinder with 3 Jars (Grey/Maroon)
Three-speed with plus function. RPM (Max. Speed at No Load)-18000
Dome and flat lid for the jar
Warranty: 2 years on product, Power: 750 watts; Operating Voltage: 150 – 240 volts (though stated but be careful that at low voltage it will draw high current and there may be the issue of commutation and burning smell)
Product is equipped with an over heat safety device which operates as soon as the motor is overheated. When this safety device operates the product stops working. Don’t panic and press the re-start button after some time as soon as the motor is back to normal temperature or cause of the overload is removed and the product will function normally.
Includes: Mixer grinder, Liquidizer jar (1.5 liter), Dry grinder jar (1 liter), Chutney grinder jar (0.4 liter), User manual and Warranty card
Sujata Powermatic Plus 900 Watts Juicer Mixer Grinder
900 W motor with double ball bearings for efficiency, low maintenance and trouble-free running for years
A juicer with unique honeycomb filter mesh for fine juice with higher yield
90 mins. continuous running- suitable for more extended usage (rarely used but it brings confidence on the motor power and design)
Transparent and unbreakable mixer jar
High strength stainless steel blade that cut finer and faster
Low maintenance, trouble-free running
Cold Press Type (Masticating and triturating type)
This group is called cold press juicer wherein the extraction of juice is by pressing the fruit/vegetables/leaves with the extraction of dehydrated pulp.
A masticating juicer known as cold press juicer or slow Juicer uses a single auger to compact and crush produce into smaller sections before squeezing out its juice along a static screen while the pulp is expelled through a separate outlet.
The triturating Juicer, or twin-gear Juicer, has two gears that are assembled very close to each other. When the produce goes into the machine, the gears rotate to crush and grind it into very small particles and extract the juice, pushing out the very dry pulp. Pros. Very high yield
It produces high-quality clear juice with no foam, a choice of juice passionate person. It does not generate oxidation and the degradation time is of 36-72 hours as compared to 1-2 hours for centrifuged juice. It has very high yield with almost dry pulp, negligible noise, speed is around 80-100 rpm as compared to 10,000 rpm for centrifugal type. The price range is around 2-6 times as compared to the centrifugal type. Request for home demo after purchase since the manual may not be able to answer all your queries. Be careful to cut the hard vegetables into pieces before extracting the juice for better result.
In case cost does not matter you and found of fresh fruit, vegetable and herbal juices, go for it.
Kuvings Professional Cold Press Whole Slow Juicer (B1700)
Originally manufactured by NUC Electronics, South Korea and truely an international brand with service offices in India.
Dark Silver Color. Cold Press Juicer is capable of juicing Fruits, Vegetables, Greens and also making Nut Milk out of Almonds and other nuts.
The product is made out of food-grade BPA free plastic for enhanced life and hygienic juice
Large Mouth (76 mm) enables to load the whole ingredient. Loading a whole fruit makes juicing convenient and fast. It comes with a safety lock precaution, so the Juicer will only start if installed properly. Compatible with Smoothie and Ice-Cream attachments (to be bought separately), Make delicious recipes using these attachments
240 W; 50 rpm; Weight: 9.6 Kg Dimension in cm (LBH): 45 X 28 X 36 and Run Time: Max. 30 minutes continuous Idle time: 20 minutes (time to keep the machine on standby after 30 minutes continuous use)
The model will have the motor, juicing bowl and lid, auger, juice strainer, and rotation wiper. It will also have Juice and Pulp Jars for gathering the juice. Cleaning kit containing specialized rotating cleaning brush and it includes regular brush. The company claims that one can start juicing in minutes of receiving the product
Warranty: 10 years on Gear and Motor, one year on Electrical Parts (Wear and tear plastic and rubber parts not included)
Versatility: Juice it all – Hard vegetables, Green vegetables, Nuts and Grains, Fruits, Frozen desserts
Cold press Juicer extracts maximum juice yield from soft fruits and vegetables; Extracts far more juice than normal Juicer
Retains nutrition, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals due to the unique cold-pressed mechanism with low temperature juicing for healthy and natural Juicing
Warranty: 5 Years on Motor and 2 Years on product
Free home demo available in selected cities post-purchase (Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai), For other cities Product Demo Video Available Online
Free recipe Book with the box
This is the lowest priced with other models 382F (Rs. 10,500), CPJ 362 F (Rs. 18,000) having additional features.
Frozen attachment, juice cup, and pulp cup, The MJ-L500 also comes with a frozen attachment for making sorbets and frozen cocktails, plus it’s small enough to sit out on the worktop permanently
Warranty: 5 years on motor and one year on the rest of the product
Operation Rating: 2 consecutive cycles of 15 min.ON, then 30 min. OFF
Includes: Slow Juicer, Frozen attachment, Juice container, Cleaning brush, Pulp container, Instruction manual and Warranty card
Hestia Nutri-Squeeze Cold Press juicer can easily process hard and soft fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, and soy to make a variety of juices, smoothies, nut-milks, grain-milks, sorbets while ensuring your juice/smoothie/milk, retains all of its natural nutrients with vibrant colors and thick texture. Dense juice with practically no air bubbles. Almost no oxidation, so stays fresh longer More Juice than centrifugal juicers and dry pulp compared to any cold press juicer
All plastic parts are 100 % BPA free and made with the superior quality of materials: Auger & Juicer bowl is made up of BPA-free Tritan plastic (-15°C to +85°C), Strainers are made up of Stainless Steel 304 and Tritan Plastic. Patented Long Vertical hole strainer for the smoothie
Large Feeding Tube (78 mm, drop a full apple/orange in the feeding tube. Taller Auger and 45 RPM allows for maximum juice to be squeezed
200 W AC Induction motor with high-torque to squeeze hardest of vegetables with ease. Motor working time: 20+ minutes continuously. 100% pure Copper wired motor weighing 2.8 Kgs. Total weight of the machine is 5.9 Kgs. On/Off/Reverse function available
Residential Use only: 3 year on Electrical parts and 10 years on motor reflecting on the quality of manufactured parts. Please note Warranty excludes normal wear & tear, Plastic & Silicone parts Unit Packaging Includes: Juicer, Hopper, Pusher, Juicing screw, Juicing bowl, Juice strainer & Smoothie strainer, Cleaning brush and 2 cups/jars Frozen fruit strainer(Optional): INR 500
Food Processor
An All-in-one food processor helps a homemaker in processing various foods requiring the function of the vegetable slicer, chopping, blending, mixing, dry/wet grinding, dough kneader, Juicer, etc. They are available in different capacities and sizes to suit the requirement. It comes with different blades and discs to perform slicing, shredding, grating, juicing and kneading the dough as well. It also has a feeding tube for you to add ingredients while slicing or shredding continuously. The manufacturers provide spatulas, blades, and covers for additional convenience. It is mostly electrical (230 V) operated but a few are battery operated too (better avoid it unless the function is limited to juicing only) for portable use.
JGM (Juicer/mixer/grinder) meets most of a kitchen’s requirement, but All-in-one Food Processors add jars and blades/disc to meet various other needs. The motor is rating is between 750-1000 W with at least two processes can be taken simultaneously, one with the longer jar at the top and the one with a broad diameter at the base.
High-Class Food Processor Premium Product With 2 Year Free Replacement Warranty: – NO 1 Quality Compare to any brand, 1 time purchase lifetime satisfaction.Spare Parts Available .2 Year Free Repair or Replacement Warranty No need to worry if you from a small village we will pay courier charges for repair & replacement.
Japanese “Quick Grind ” Technology: – With Japanse Quick Grind Technology & 100% Copper Motor with 750 Watt Powerful motor that provides for best grinding and mixing results instantly. The warranty covers whole product including plastic components Except Rico no company gives this type of Warranty. Food processor: Mincing, shredding, slicing, atta kneading, blending, juicing, dry and wet grinding, separate whipper and overload reset switch
High-Quality Premium Components Last Many Years: – Premium & Only High-quality parts and component used for best quality, 2-speed selector knob with whipper option, Jar flow breakers help in reducing chunks
European Design with Low Noise: – European standard & design, Anti Slip feet ensures optimum grip while in operations,100% Copper Motor Lifetime Rust-free Motor Guarantee.Super Sharp Blades for powerful grinding results, Strong Polycarbonate mixer body with Elegant look plus powerful motor with 100% copper. Blender jar with fruit filter and unbreakable bowl and cover,3 jars with flow breakers and 10 attachments 750 Watt Powerful motor that provides for optimum grinding and mixing results
All in One Food Processor:- Function Rico Food Processors All In One Multifunction 700 Watt chopping mixing slicing shredding kneading juicing coconut grating centrifugal juicer mixer grinder chopper aata maker electric juicer citrus juicer more than 28 operations
One can hear the news of death due to electrocution and fire almost every day. One of the prime reasons for the fire incident that is talked about immediately is ‘short circuit’. Usually, the memory is short, and one forgets within a few days of the happening but indeed provoking thought for a short period in your mind “Is my house safe from electric fire and electrocution?”
It is our best friend as long as we handle it properly but may be dangerous otherwise to life and property. Since the flow of electric current is not visible to naked eyes, it is difficult to visualize its fatality and what measures ensure safety. This post is with the intentions to make a common man understand how to ensure electrical safety in his house in an easy to understand language.
What you should know about Electric safety?
The only principle involved is that there is no chance for electric current to leak out from its intended path. It leaks out either through ‘direct’ or ‘indirect’ contact.
Direct Contact
The current not to leak directly is by ensuring the insulation of live parts, adding barriers and having enclosure so that no one comes in contact with the live wire. The items used in anyone has to care in his house for providing safety towards these items are
Cables/wires
The wire consists of Cu conductor in accordance with IS 8130 (avoid aluminum) and insulation. There is no protective sheathing use in single-core stranded cables for the house wiring. The standard specification is covered under IS 694 (with category C1 for fire retardant and C2 for Fire Retardant and low smoke). The copper conductor is multi-stranded in accordance with clause 5 of IS 8130-1984. The wires are defined in terms of sq.mm. of cross-section and sizing is determined based on current-carrying capacity. For house wiring, the sizing is generally in the range of 1 to 6 sq.mm with current-carrying are determined in accordance with IS 3961 (Part V)-1968 as under:
Size (in sq.mm.)
Current carrying capacity in Amp.
DC Resistance in ohms/km at 20 degree
Outer diameter including insulation in mm
1
12
19.50
2.44
1.5
16
13.50
2.66
2.5
22
7.98
3.27
4
29
4.95
3.99
6
37
3.3
4.52
As a general principle, all light/fan circuit is wired with 1.5 sq.mm. and power plugs 6/16A with 4 sq.mm. cable. In fact, there are many manufacturers claiming their manufacturing as per IS standard but with the price varying very largely. You will find many marketing strategies adopted by leading brands to attract customer like
“Polycab cables save energy up to 25%”. No documentary evidence is available to support this claim on company website except stating use of Advance Triguard Technology;
“Havell’s cable which does not catch fire”. This because of Fire retardant property in which fire does not propagate in accordance with Is 694 C1 category. The best way to check is to just put the wire on flame and if the cable does not burn means it is Fire retardant. Many more brands qualify for this category.
Low smoke and Halogen-free wire are not much of an advantage in your house when wiring is concealed in conduit since the starvation of oxygen will result in the fire either not to initiate or extinguish immediately.
ROH i.e. Restriction of Hazard Substance in Electrical and Electronic Equipment such as Hg, Pb, etc. When it is mandatory, all cable manufacturer to comply with this.
Temperature Rating and Index are other parameters but not much relevant for house wiring.
Anti-termite and Anti-rodent are stated in manufacturers claim but no mention of the standard to which it is tested. In concealed wiring with sealing at the end is not relevant for house wiring.
The color code generally followed are RED, BLUE, YELLOW for phase, BLACK for neutral and GREEN for earth wire
One can examine the 1.5 sq.mm. 90-meter roll price and wire specification by the leading manufactured marketed at Amazone are as under:
Switch and Socket
Switch and sockets are used for plugging/unplugging appliances with the provision of switching ON and OFF function making it vulnerable to failure, insulation failure, insulation failure. The socket and switches are manufactured to Indian Standard IS 3854:1997. One of the test one can perform at home that it should not burn when ignited. While selecting, always go for sockets with shutter. Check the photo of safety shutter and price at amazon
As regard plug read https://www.bijlibachao.com/general-tips/why-use-3-pin-plugs-for-electrical-safety.html
Steel or GI Box
Steel or GI Box is used to house the switch and socket panel and in accordance with IS 5133. Never use box other than steel or GI box to look for the advantage that if the wire comes out, it will not cause MCB to trip.
Conduit
Always prefer concealed wiring, using the conduit in accordance with Indian Standard
Non-Metallic: Rigid: IS 2509-1974 and 3419-1989; flexible: IS 9537 (Part 5) 2000
For reason, if the flexible conduit is required for wiring in the open, always use metallic flexible conduit.
Cable jointing
Cable jointing should always be avoided. There is standard practice developed in Indian electrician to twist the strands and using insulated tape to insulate. Such a practice should be avoided. The latest technique that is now getting popular is wire jointing terminals, heat shrinkable sleeve and heat shrinkable sleeve with solder. See image and price at
The purpose of all these cares is to ensure that no one comes in direct contact with electricity.
Indirect Contact
Even with all the measures ensure to prevent direct contact, a person may come in contact with the live wire accidentally or through leaking current. The protection is ensured by
Fuse
The fuse, when selected of correct rating, is the most reliable mode of protection towards short and overload current. The main disadvantage is that if blown, it takes time to change with another fuse. For this reason, MCB was developed, but are preferred at the distribution board. After the energy meter, one should always provide fuse or cartridge fuse and fuse wire selected of the right size or use standard cartridge. See image of cartridge fuse
MCB
MCB is a very popular and no household protection system can be imagined without the use of MCB or called Miniature Circuit Breaker. MCB is manufactured in accordance with IS 13032:1991. MCB is distribution and sub-distribution board. The standard sizes of MCB for load vs MCB rating are 1-4A/6A, 6A/10A, 16A/20A, 20A/25A, 25A/32A, 32A/40A etc. Type B is recommended for resistive loads having least inrush current and Type C for Air Conditioner having a high level of inrush current due to inductive load. See image of various makes of 10 A MCB at amazon
ABB is pack of four and Schineider is pack of two.
RCCB
RCCB is the most important protective device to protect your house from fire, damage to appliance and electrocution. Believe it, RCCB protects your house from any possibility of initiation of fire. See image of RCCB of 63 A 100 mA sensitivity
The word ‘earthing’ is used in UK whereas ‘grounding’ in US but meaning the same. Earthing has a significance in electrical engineering to the fact that earth has a very high capacitance of .0007 F, a very high value assuming it is infinity, and not to cause any potential change (V=Q/C) when gaining or losing even enormous charge during lightning, fault current, etc. It is, therefore, convenient to accept earth body possessing equipotential, and thus, accepting as a reference potential. Every electrical appliance body is connected to the earth and the reason for the word ‘earthing’ (or grounding) to find relevance. Earthing provides a path for the fault current to flow through the earth and helping the protection relay to sense the high current and trip the circuit. Read more on Earthing and Electrical Protection and Fire Safety on
Irons are for removing wrinkle from the fabrics. It is the most required activity in any household, even with the development of wrinkle-free fabric. Even though getting ironing at laundry or ironman in the area is very common yet having an iron for regular ironing or occasion makes it an essential item to be part of any household appliances.
On heating, the yarn molecules are easy to orient and on pressure get straightened and remain so when cooled down. The presence of water/steam helps in loosening the molecular bonds in fabrics such as cotton and linen. In olden days, dry iron was commonly used with a sprinkling of water or fine wet cloth to help the ironing process. But today large many types of irons, i.e. dry, with thermostat control, water mist or steam generator and travel iron (with features of portability, folding, etc.) are available to do the primary job of ironing. From cheap no-frills options to higher price value-added irons had been developed having advanced steam-spread technology and soleplates.
How much electricity does an iron use?
All-electric iron, just like any other heating or cooling appliance has a thermostat and the electricity consumption depends on the temperature one sets of his own or follows the recommended temperature setting marked on the iron. Upon the testing of an electric iron (non-steam) it is observed that the electric heating component of the iron remains ‘on’ for roughly 30% of the time. This means the iron that is rated for 1200 W consumes approximately 0.4 units of electricity in 1 hour
Power consumed = Wattage Rating of Iron/1000 * No. of Appliance * 30%
= (1200/1000) * 1 * (30/100)
= 0.4 units
Ironing is normally considered about 10 hours activity per month, i.e. consumption of 4 units per month. In view of this, internationally the star rating is not done for the iron because the usage is limited. Cut-in and cut-out, auto-shutoff, the right setting of thermostat shall add to the energy efficiency and longevity of the garment. In view of this, the Bijlibachao recommendations are not based on energy efficiency but usefulness, safety, features as discussed above.
Technology
Iron technology is very simple heating the soleplate with the use of resistive heating with many additions developed over the period. The various technologies with value additions by many of the manufactures to have the user-friendly function of making ironing a delightful household chorus for the housewife are unfolded here to choose between the multiple models marketed today.
Soleplates
Asoleplate is one of the most important parts of the iron in regards to geometry, thickness, method of steam ejection and material. The soleplate shall be non-sticky type, easy to clean and scratch resistance.
Material of soleplate
Aluminum: It conducts heat well, but is hard to clean, reactive to the environment and scratches easily. It is not recommended for household application.
Non-stick: Non-stick soleplate is made up various variants of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coated on Al or other material. They are easy to maintain and distribute heat evenly. Their only limitation is that the coating often degrades with time. aluminum or plastic with ceramic coating which helps in gliding but also scratches/crack easily.
Stainless steel: It is an alloy of iron and Chromium. This is hard-wearing, conducts heat well and uniformly, glides well, no scratch, corrosion-resistant and a good option to buy. Clean the surface of the soleplate with a fine cloth before use.
Ceramic: It is a coating given on Al. or plastic base material. It glides excellently over clothes, distributes heat uniformly, very hard-wearing and easy to clean. Similar to the chance of breakage of ceramic material, handle with care avoiding its fall. Otherwise the best option.
Better coatings will probably be invented that is more resistant to damage from zippers or other protrusions on garments and reduce drag over the fabric.
Geometry
Geometry is important for gliding and covering the corners of the stitched cloth. Pointing at the front and oval at the rear is considered the best shape. The total area for household iron is generally within a range and selection is not difficult. Normally it is well designed by all manufacturers and not much to choose between many.
Thickness
Lower thickness is preferred with a stainless plate for quick heating.
Automatic/Non-Automatic
Thermostat control helps in controlling the temperature you prefer for ironing. The iron will switch off as soon as the desired temperature is attained. It is important for you to know whether the iron is automatically switched off or not for which, features like LED display, working temperature display, etc. is provided. One should never buy an iron without this feature. The iron now available in the market displays either continuous temperature but the best option where the desirable setting for the type of cloth is provided.
Automatic switch-off: the ultimate safety feature, the iron will turn itself ‘off’ if it isn’t being used. An intelligent sensor that automatically shuts the iron ‘off’ when left standing for 10 minutes in the upright position, or after one minute if the iron is left unattended on its soleplate or tipped over on its side.
Pre-set ironing program: There is no need to know which temperature you should be using; simply sets the iron which fabric is being ironed and rest will be taken care automatically. It is preferred to see the fabric from the slip attached to the garment. Not knowing this, it may cause damage to the fabric.
Water Spray and Steam generator
Continuous fill: allows you to top up the water tank without having to turn off the iron. The capacity of the tank is required to be selected by you.
Pressurized steam: penetrates fabric deeply to remove creases quicker. There are irons with the setting of how much steam to inject on a scale of 0-9. Steam ejection is required for linen and cotton cloth. For other cloth, mist shall serve the purpose. The steam chamber shall have a safety valve, water level indicator for mist and steam. The requirement of steam will be higher when linen and a cotton cloth to be ironed are large otherwise a small or medium size is adequate.
Anti-scale stops limescale from building up, thereby preventing damage to your iron. If this feature is not there then use RO water.
Iron with press button to throw mist on the cloth to remoistened the fabric for generating steam during iron is also available. In case one select non-steam non-mist iron, then the easiest way to keep a wet thin cloth, put in the fabric to be ironed and provide steam indirectly. This convention was used before the advent of steam or mist ejector irons.
Vertical Ironing by steam bust
In this process, the result of ironing is achieved when the cloth is hanging and suitable for wool, silk and nylon fabric cloth. In this process, the wrinkles get removed due to heat, water and weight of the fabric. This is not useful for lightweight fabric. However, this is also very convenient for curtains after vacuum cleaning of the fabric.
Travelling Iron
It is nothing but a low wattage without water spray or steam jet having features of folding which can be conveniently packed in your suitcase without occupying much space.
Power Rating
The power rating of iron is generally between 1.2 to 2 kW. For irons requiring higher consumption of stream, 2 kW steam iron is better
Check for other features
Cool touch body, 360-degree swivel pf chod, Button groove for easy ironing under the button, Anti-drip feature to avoid any water dripping when steam temperature not achieved, suitability for vertical ironing. The steam shot is specified as continuous in gm/min or shot bust in gm/min or per bust.
Tips for efficient and effective ironing
For good result in ironing, care during drying is necessary. Always put the trouser or any other cloth in a hanger, and due to the weight of moist cloth, wrinkles do not initiate
Never try ironing wet cloth unless it is emergency
Select the temperature set correctly and read the fabric carefully which is marked on each of the readymade garment
Do not fill water completely, leave some gap. Wait for some time for the iron to heat up before using the steam
function effectively.
To Prevent Water Leakage, keep the iron horizontal when not in use.
Buyer shall check the price, wattage, brand, warranty, customer care, etc.
Chordless vs Chord Iron
Chordless Iron will attract anyone that he doesn’t have to manoeuver the chord while ironing and makes the ironing a delightful experience. But before going for this one has to be careful about the following:
The requirement of additional space for its charging station which sometimes is not there on the iron board;
Additional time is taken for putting back the iron to the charging station whereas it is continuous heating in chord iron;
The iron soleplate plate will cool just after ironing one piece of cloth and one has to wait for to heat it again and loss of time; most importantly
Higher price as compared to chord iron and the reason why many brands are not developing chordless iron.
Best Irons, brands and price range
Best Dry Iron
Most of the dry iron marketed are having all such features and difficult to identify the best amongst the lot on various parameters. The price range is Rs 750-1000/- and power rating is less than 1 kW. In order to make it simple for the buyer, we have identified five best amongst the lot based on brand, customer-friendly approach, and who cares for its brand reputation. However, does not mean others are not equally good and may choose amongst the above stated technological aspects and other option based on color, shape, grip and overall appearance.
Best Travel Iron
As the name suggests, it is folding iron which one can carry the iron in his bag and use at the place of his stay.
Best Steam Iron
The steam iron requirement for best performance is detailed above. All the models suggested here suitable for vertical ironing as well.
Havells Plush 1600 W; Water tank capacity 230 ml; steam output not specified
Black+Decker BD BXIR2202IN 2200-Watt; continuous steam 35 g/min and 90 g/min boost with 380 ml tank capacity
Morphy Richards Super Glide 2000-Watt; continuous steam 11 g/min and 150 g/min boost with 350 ml tank capacity
Usha Steam Pro 3820W; continuous steam 20 g/min and 0.4 gm/shot with 280 ml tank capacity
Phillips Easy speed GC 1028; continuous steam 25 g/min and 100 g/min boost with tank capacity not specified
Crompton Greaves, or simply Crompton, is one of oldest and trusted names in consumer appliances segment. Founded by a British engineer but was later acquired by the Thapar group post-independence. So technically, Crompton Greaves is an Indian company. With 130+ years of overall experience in electrical appliances segment, Crompton has been setting the standard for product quality, durability, and performance. In fact, Crompton was one of the first large-scale manufacturers of household electrical appliances maker. Crompton Greaves is one of the known brands in the water heating segment. It manufactures a variety of water heaters like instant and storage, horizontal and vertical and so on. Apart from water heating solutions, Crompton Greaves manufactures room heaters too.
Key Technologies in Crompton Greaves Water Heaters
Instant Water Heaters
Instant water heaters, as the name suggests are designed to deliver warm water instantly. Having a minimal storage capacity (around 1 to 3 litres in case of Crompton), they can heat up the water really fast. Instant water heaters from Crompton usually comes with around 2 years of warranty.
Sleek and Sophisticated Design
New series of Crompton instant water heaters like Solarium comes with a sleek design which makes a great addition to the bathroom’s aesthetics. It comes with a patented design for the inner tank made up of stainless steel. A high-quality copper heating element is used for heating the water.
Triple Protection from Current, Heat, and Pressure
New Crompton heater comes with all necessary protection to safeguard users from any unwanted hazard. It comes with a fusible plug which would protect the geyser from overcurrent. To protect from burns due to extremely hot water, geysers are armed with an option of a thermal cutout which completely shuts the operation of heating when water temperature exceeds the permissible threshold. New instant heaters can withstand up to 6.5 bar pressure making it suitable for high rise building. There is a safety valve which flushes the water out if the pressure overshoots. Thus, this way instant water heaters are triply protected from vagaries of electricity, temperature, and pressure.
Storage Water Heaters
Storage water heaters are meant for big families; needing a larger volume of warm water for bathing. Crompton comes with a decent variety of water heaters. New storage heaters come with a capacity starting from 6 litres and extending up to 25 litres. Storage heaters come with 2 years of general warranty with around 5 years of warranty on the inner tank.
Nano Coating with Single Weld Line
Modern storage heaters come with the patented nano coated inner tank to safeguard geyser from rusting. Though the process of making nano coated tank is quite an elaborate one but once done, it proves to be a boon in combatting the corrosion. Another good thing about Crompton geyser’s tank is that it is designed with single weld line. This helps in minimizing the leakage by up to 66% compared to ordinary geysers.,
ISI Certified Incoloy Heating Element with Rust-free ABS Body
Crompton uses high-quality Incoloy heating element in storage geyser which helps in delivering better heating performance. Incoloy is a special type of alloy which provides tremendous resistance to oxidation, corrosion, and carbonization, a phenomenon which frequently occurs at higher temperatures at which the geysers often operate. This heating element is certified by ISI and offers a good resistance to corrosive salts and minerals present in the hard water When it comes to the outer body, it is made up of the sturdy and shockproof acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic. Owing to its amorphous chemical composition, ABS does not catch fire upon heavy heating but rather melts, making it possible to remould and reinject. This makes ABS plastic recyclable.Being a good insulator, users need not worry about getting electrical shocks when using Crompton heaters.
Conclusion
Crompton is one of the most trusted names when it comes to consumer appliances in general. But it has a long way to go before establishing itself as a market leader in the geyser business, just like its fans segment. There are a couple of areas where Crompton lags. Most important one being the dearth of smart features like remote controlled heaters or app controlled geysers offered by its competitors like Feroli and Venus. So, Crompton is presently missing out on the “smart functionality” trend, which has been fast adopted by electronic and electrical appliance makers, following the increasing demand from tech-savvy consumers. Similarly, there is lack of variety too with Crompton. You will not find any gas heaters and solar heaters from Crompton. Also, none of the horizontal heaters from Crompton come with a 5-star rating. This would be a setback for the buyers looking for an energy-efficient geyser which they plan to mount horizontally in their bathroom. On the design front, it isn’t as attractive as the one offered by Racold (i.e Andris). Finally, another important area where Crompton falls short of its competitor is the warranty. Crompton offers a maximum of 5 years of warranty on an inner tank of the premium geysers. But its competitors like Racold and Venus are offering up to 7 years for the same.
But despite this shortcomings and misses, Crompton as a brand still holds a strong value amongst the mind of the Indian consumers given its vast experience in this field. Also, it has one of the strongest networks in India with 1.5 lakh retail outlets and a robust network of 3000+ distributors. So, you’ll find the sinewy presence of Crompton even in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. On the quality front, Crompton geysers have one of the best heat retention capabilities. Their pressure handling capacity too is unmatched with models like Magna coming with enormous 10 bar pressure handling capacity. So, in short, if you are someone who doesn’t mind missing out on smart features like remote/app control, but looking for a robust heater with good heat retention rate, you can surely consider Crompton Greaves.
Samsung is one of the most trusted brands when it comes refrigeration segment. Reliability, versatility and after sales service is what makes Samsung most preferred choice amongst the Indian consumers. That’s the very reason it dons a big chunk of market share in cooling appliances department. Also, Samsung is a brand known for innovation. Advanced features in its premium line up like All-around Cooling and Convertible 5 in 1 are examples of it. We will cover these in more detail in this article. With a new line up of refrigerators this season, Samsung has brought incremental changes in its features to cater the evolving needs of its customers, in a constantly upgrading world of technology.
Key Samsung Refrigerator Technologies
Refrigerator Experience Redefined with Family Hub Refrigerator
With Family Hub Samsung has revolutionized the concept of refrigerators by offering wide range of smart features that users might have not even dreamt of. Its like a confluence of computing and refrigeration. Flagship Samsung model RF28N9780SG/TL comes with giant 21 inch screen which allows to interact with your refrigerator in a smart way. This model comes with a full-fledged operating system that let’s you use it like a mini computer.
It has three cameras inside which you access from the homescreen to see what’s inside the refrigerator without needing to open the door. The best part is this refrigerator comes with an app which lets you see inside your refrigerator on you smartphone or tablet. Personally for me this is the most amazing feature. Just imagine you went out for grocery purchase but cannot recollect what you actually have inside your refrigerator. All you need to do is turn on the Family Hub app check the inside the refrigerator and voila you now know what’s there and what’s not!
This refrigerator comes with smart sensors which can detect what fruits and vegetables are stuffed inside and can even recommend you dishes based on ingredients available. Moreover it comes with Bixby voice assistant and you delegate couple of task just by saying it to your Bixby assistant.
It even let’s you to cast the screen of your mobile, tablet or smart TV for that matter onto your refrigerator. Now your refrigerator becomes a TV inside your kitchen! Not to forget that it has high-quality AKG premium speakers which would please your aural senses!
Samsung Convertible Refrigerator 5 in 1 to Fulfill All Your Cooling Requirements
New double door models like RT65K7 and RT61K7 comes with an interesting 5-in-1 convertible feature which helps to make the most out of your refrigerator during the varying phase of seasons and requirements. It allows to completely customize refrigerator by providing 5 different modes as explained:
Normal mode: This is the usual mode with the top compartment of the refrigerator used as freezer while the bigger bottom part for normal refrigeration. With this option enabled, users can not just have a fridge space that keeps a fresh supply of food for long but also a freezer which gives ice pretty faster.
Extra Fridge mode: According to one of the studies, Indians consume much lesser frozen food than the western counterparts. This is because a good percentage of Indians are vegetarians and probably won’t need freezer that much. Extra Fridge mode gives the liberty to convert freezer compartment into the normal. If you are a vegan who often ends up bringing home more bags of veggies than that can be stuffed inside the refrigerator, this option would be your saviour.
Seasonal mode: With the option of Extra Fridge mode you can beef up your only refrigeration requirement. But what if you neither need extra space for refrigeration nor the freezer at all? Well, the answer to this is the Seasonal With this mode enabled, you can turn off the freezer without impacting the smooth functioning of the refrigerator compartment. This will also help you to conserve electricity.
Vacation mode: Refrigerator works 24×7, 365 days a year (provided no power cuts occur). This means they are incessantly consuming electricity. There would be times when you would move out of your home/city for vacation, wedding, or other purposes. That too for a longer period of days. Obviously then, neither you would be carrying along the refrigerator nor would be anyone using it. But your ordinary refrigerator would keep on vociferously piling up your electricity units. To rescue you out of this predicament, Samsung offers Vacation mode wherein you can simply turn off the bottom refrigerator compartment while only the freezer compartment continues to work usually. Thus, on your vacations and outings, you can enjoy more and worry less about refrigerator gobbling up power units.
Home Alone mode: There would be times when your family members go out, but you don’t—because of the exam, office work or some other priorities. There are good chances that you won’t actually need that big volume refrigerator working with full power. Also, with full power comes big electricity bills! So again, to your rescue would be Home Alone mode wherein you can shut down the refrigerator compartment and shift all your small stock of perishables to the top compartment which is now converted into a mini refrigerator.
All-around Cooling with Active Fresh Keeper to Safeguard from Bacteria
Premium double door refrigerators come with the All-around Cooling system. It helps in cooling every corner of the fridge evenly. Here, multiple vents are uniformly placed on each and every shelf, so when the cold air is blown through them it is easy to maintain the requisite (cold) temperature which ensures the food inside the refrigerator stays fresh for longer.
There is always a risk of mixing odours of different food when kept in close proximity inside the refrigerator. This results in foul odor—ice cube smelling like garlic bread. To overcome this problem Samsung uses Twin Cooling System in its premium series double door and side-by-side refrigerators. This system provides two separate air flows and precise temperature control to maintain optimal humidity levels on both the refrigerator and freezer sides. Also, it is complemented by Active Fresh Keeper technology which keeps the fridge clean and hygienic. Direct cool single door Samsung refrigerators comes with Anti-Bacterial Gasket that keeps the door liner clean and avoids buildup by bacteria and fungi. This ensures high hygiene quotient even in budget Samsung fridges. The arrangement of deodorizing filer inside of the refrigerator deodorizes and conserves true aroma and flavour of the food for much longer. Additionally deodorizing filter filters out the strong smells as the air is incessantly passed through activated carbon filters
Sleek Design and SpaceMax Technology
Premium side-by-side models comes with sleek and seamless counter-depth design with recessed handles that beautifully complements the other appliances and cabinets inside your home so that even your kitchen turns into talking point about aesthetics! They also come with unique SpaceMax technology with thinner walls which gives more storage space without needing to alter external dimensions.
LED: Beautiful Yet Intuitive Display + Bright But Efficient Lighting
You’ll see the power of LEDs everywhere with modern Samsung refrigerators. First with the illumination and then with the display. Talking about illumination aspect of LED, Samsung modern refrigerators are equipped with new LED lighting which is not only slimmer but also softer and much more energy efficient. As they occupy lesser space, they help in increasing the usable fridge space for storing the perishables. This LED lighting system emits 10 times lesser heat than the ordinary bulbs. This means food would remain much more immune to temperature swings owing to the lighting arrangement. This LED comes with eco-technology which consumes 20 times less power than conventional light bulbs. Also, they are designed to last 2 times longer. Thus, this way users can save a good sum of money as they consume much less amount of energy while having a good longevity, meaning lesser repairs and replacements.
To complement this highly efficient LED illumination system, premium refrigerators from Samsung comes with beautiful blue LED display. This display provides all the cooling information and control at fingertips of the user. Now, from an energy saving perspective, it’s not a very good idea to keep opening the door of refrigerator intermittently to sniff what’s inside. Because every time you open your fridge, it needs to rework to balance the requisite temperature inside the refrigerator. But with the ultra-modern Samsung refrigerators powered with intuitive LED display outside, the user can know what’s happening inside the refrigerator without needing to open the door every time. If the information displayed on LED still cannot control the urge of opening the door, premium French door refrigerator from Samsung comes with Food Showcase—a transparent see-through glass door, through which the user can see food items inside the refrigerator.
Inbuilt Water & Ice Dispenser with Power Cool and Power Freeze
Modern side-by-side and French door refrigerators from Samsung comes with Ice Master technology. Here, there is a dedicated space is built into the door which generates and stores the ice automatically. Since it’s a transparent compartment, the user can precisely see the amount of ice available. Also, there is ice and water dispenser on the exterior of the refrigerator. The dispenser in multi-door refrigerator comes with a tall opening, so pitchers and even big bottles can be easily filled with filtered water and cubed ice.
Premium Samsung refrigerators come with buttons called Power Cool and Power Freeze. Power Cool quickly chills food and drinks simply at the press of the button while Power Freeze on the other side freezes (firms up) the frozen food and helps in making the ice in a jiffy. With these features, users can instantly get ice or chilled water.
Cooling Pack plus Cooling Wall and Stabilizer-free Operation – A Perfect Blackout Solution
Power cuts and load shedding is commonplace in India, especially in distant towns and villages. Since refrigeration generally works 24×7, it is a home appliance most susceptible to the erratic blackouts. Power cuts poise two problems for the refrigerator. First is the spoilage of food in case if power cuts persist for a longer duration of time. Second is much more hazardous—damage to the refrigerator due to voltage fluctuations. Samsung’s new refrigerators are well-equipped to handle this crisis. It comes with a good cooling retention plan in the form of Cool Pack and Cool Wall.
Cool Pack is a gel-like material located in the freezer on both sides. Cool Packs keeps the food well frozen for few hours without power, and keep the freezer compartment cold even in the absence of electricity. This means even ice cream kept inside the refrigerator won’t melt for few hours in case of blackouts. Samsung is the first manufacturer in India to come with a Cool Wall inside the refrigerator—an especially designed wall which retains cooling even during power cuts for several hours. Thus, with Cool Pack in the freezer and Cool Wall in the fridge, food items stored inside the refrigerator can remain chilled for up to 12 hours with spoilage during the power cuts.
New series of Samsung refrigerators also comes with the stabilizer-free operation. What this means is that refrigerator can work steadily and reliably without getting damaged due to excessive flow of electricity in case of voltage fluctuations. Also, if voltage fluctuation exceeds the preset permissible limits (100V-300V), the power supply is automatically switched off, so it does not cause any harm to the refrigerator. Thus, Cool Pack, Cool Wall with the stabilizer-free operation design makes a good cooling retention plan in case of blackouts and safeguards refrigerator from the vagaries of voltage fluctuations.
Toughened Glass Shelves to Hold Heavy Items
Modern Samsung refrigerators comes with shelves made of toughened glass which are robustly designed to withstand weight as heavy as 150 kilograms. Be it heavy vegetables or dishes prepared in heavy utensils your refrigerator can be able to to withstand.
Digital Inverter and Solar Connect to Conserve Electricity
Compressors in the lower-end/primitive refrigerators come with single speed motor. They are either “on” or “off” based on the temperature in the refrigerator. Such compressors are designed to work incessantly at the peak load conditions (for high temperatures in summers), which means that they run at peak load even in winters when the cooling requirement is less. This is where reputed brands like Samsung excels. Samsung arms its compressor with a smart digital inverter with 7 adjustable speeds to suit different cooling demands.
Working of this compressor with inverter technology is analogous to the car accelerator. When the speed required is more, the acceleration is more, and when it is less, and then the acceleration is less. This makes sure that during the summer season when the cooling load is more, the compressor works at the peak capacity taking more electricity. But during winters when the cooling load is less, the compressor runs at the lower speeds thereby consuming less electricity. Even during summers, the night temperature is less than the day temperature. Thus, electricity is saved even during the late evenings when compressor can run at a lesser speed.
Complementing this digital inverter, Direct Cool—a new series refrigerator from Samsung run on solar panel with negligible power consumption from the main supply. Another good part is that they can operate on home inverters ensuring smooth operation of refrigerator even during power cuts with up to 9 hours of cooling retention. With the government’s efforts to promote and subsidize solar power, Samsung believes this solar connect refrigerators will go a long way in energy conservation.
Conclusion
Samsung is definitely one of the most trusted brands when it comes to consumer electronics and appliances. Alongside LG, it is the brand which keeps bringing innovation in refrigeration technology. With the Family Hub refrigerator Samsung is completely revolutionizing mundane appliance like refrigerator by empowering it with technology.
Samsung is India’s first brand to offer smart digital inverter even in single door refrigerator that too with a 5 Star Rating, 10-year warranty on the compressor. Compressor with an inverter is arguably the greatest refrigeration technology in recent years which helps in saving considerable units of energy. Samsung’s inverter compressor coming with 7 speed setting for the precise temperature control further glorifies its utility.
If you are someone who is tech-savvy and wants the best of technology, then you can surely go for multi-door Samsung refrigerators. But there is a caveat: you’ll need to pay the inordinately high price to own that technology-laden refrigerator.
“With great power comes great responsibility.” I know this line sounds a bit cheesy, and I am sure you would have heard it umpteen number of times. But then when we are talking about “power” or “electricity”, it does make a lot of sense. Quite frequently we come across news of someone dying due to electrical fire or electrocution. One of the primary reasons cited for the same is “short circuit”. Most people brush it off as a one-off incident and do not think if their own house is safe from electric fire and electrocution or not. But electrical safety is a great responsibility that we have for being a consumer of electricity.
Electricity is our best friend if we handle it properly, but otherwise, it can be quite dangerous. It is difficult for humans to visualize the flow of electricity. And that is why we find it very difficult to ascertain the amount of hurt it can cause. We have written this post intending to make a common man understand some simple steps to ensure electrical safety in your house.
Things that you should know about Electric Safety
The main objective behind electrical safety is to make sure that the current does not leak out from its intended path. There are two ways in which the current can leak out: Direct Contact or Indirect Contact. Let’s look at how to block these two:
Direct Contact
Any contact with live wire can be hazardous. It is essential to provide proper insulation to live parts and making sure that these are enclosed properly. A few items that you need to take care of while setting up your house are:
Cables/wires
When looking for Cables, you should make sure that you buy a cable that is made out of copper and complies with IS 8130 for insulation. Please avoid wires made out of aluminum. There are two types of wires available: Single-Core and Multi-Core, as shown in the image below.
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Single-Core And Multi-Core Wires
Usually, single-core stranded wires are the ones used for house wiring. As shown in the image above, there is no protective sheathing (or black covering in the image above) available in single core stranded wires. But the copper conductor is still covered with PVC insulation. There is an Indian Standard: IS 694 for the PVC insulation. A PVC insulation is of category C1 if it is fire retardant and C2 if it is fire retardant and has low smoke. Do check for these categories while buying a cable.
The copper conductor inside a wire should be multi-stranded as per clause 5 of IS 8130 – 1984 (as shown in the image below). This is done to provide flexibility.
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Single and Multi Stranded Wires
The wires dimensions are defined in terms of sq.mm. of cross-section and sizing is determined based on current-carrying capacity. For house wiring, the sizing is generally in the range of 1 to 6 sq.mm with current-carrying capacity determined in accordance with IS 3961 (Part V)-1968 as under:
Size (in sq.mm.)
Current carrying capacity in Amp.
DC Resistance in ohms/km at 20 degree
Outer diameter including insulation in mm
1
12
19.50
2.44
1.5
16
13.50
2.66
2.5
22
7.98
3.27
4
29
4.95
3.99
6
37
3.3
4.52
As a general principle, all light/fan circuits are wired with 1.5 sq.mm. and power plugs 6/16A with 4 sq.mm. cable. When a cable or wire is installed, make sure that your electrician follows a color code: RED, BLUE, YELLOW for phase, BLACK for neutral and GREEN for earth wire.
Some brands market that their cables/wires can save electricity. However, Power loss in a cable depends on the resistance of the wire. And the resistance of a wire depends on the cross-sectional area of the wire. So ideally it should be the same for all copper wires with same cross section. So we at Bijli Bachao are not convinced with the message.
Here are some good wires (1.5 sq mm) available on Amazon:
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Switch or Socket is another important component that you need to take care of when you take up an electricity safety project. Being switched on and off regularly, they are vulnerable to failure, especially insulation failure. The sockets and switches in India are manufactured as per Indian Standard IS 3854:1997, so when you buy one, make sure that this standard is mentioned on the box. One of the tests to make sure it follows the standards is to try to ignite it and see to it that it does not burn.
While selecting sockets, make sure that you go for sockets with a shutter so that kids to not accidentally put their fingers inside it.
Here are some good sockets on Amazon:
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Indian Standards have section IS 5133 which is meant to provide specifications for the box to house switch and socket panel. Please make sure that you buy a Steel or GI Electrical box.
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GI-Box
Someone may advise you using a different type of Box, but please remember, for safety, it is better to use Steel/GI Box since in case of a fault it will result earthing and tripping of MCB.
Conduit
Leaving wires in the open is always not desirable, and it is better to use conduit concealed wiring, not only for better aesthetic but for safety as well. You will need a conduit to do the same. Always go for a conduit which is in accordance with Indian Standards:
Non-Metallic: Rigid: IS 2509-1974 and 3419-1989; Flexible: IS 9537 (Part 5) 2000
If a flexible conduit is required for wiring in the open, always use metallic flexible conduit.
Cable joints
A standard practice that is typical in India, to join cables, is to twist the strands and insulate them with insulation tape. However, that practice is prone to risks and hazards. These days you can get cable connectors in the market that can be used to join cables safely. You can also use a heat-shrinkable sleeve or a heat-shrinkable sleeve with solder to provide extra insulation to make it safe. Some of those products on Amazon are listed below:
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The purpose of all these products is to ensure that no one comes in direct contact with electricity.
Indirect Contact
Even after taking all the measures, a person may come in contact with a live wire accidentally. It can happen through a current leakage somewhere in the system. To protect such inadvertent contacts, you should look at installing these in your house:
Fuse
A fuse is meant to provide protection from short and overload current. It is the best and most reliable mode of protection if you install one with the right rating (based on the connected appliance and their current usage). However, a fuse that is blown needs replacement, and this can cause inconvenience to some people. And to avoid that inconvenience, one can use an MCB (Miniature Circuit Board). But please note that MCB is good if used at the distribution board. After the energy meter, it is always good to use a fuse or cartridge fuse of the right ratings instead of MCB because the reliability of protection is best achieved by a fuse. Here is an example of cartridge fuse available on Amazon:
MCB or Miniature Circuit Breaker is another good tool to protect from short and overload current. MCBs are very popular these days, and it is difficult to imagine a house without it. MCBs are manufactured in accordance with IS 13032:1991. MCBs are provided at the distribution and sub-distribution board. The standard sizes of MCB for load vs rating are 1-4A/6A, 6A/10A, 16A/20A, 20A/25A, 25A/32A, 32A/40A etc. You should use the help of an electrician to find the right size as per your requirements. They are available in two variants: Type B and Type C. If you have an appliance with a motor and you want to use MCB for it, then you should use Type C variant. For all other resistive loads (like lights, Fans, TV, etc) you should use Type B. Here are some 10 Amp MCBs available on Amazon:
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ABB is a pack of four and Schneider is a pack of two.
RCCB
RCCB or Residual Current Circuit Breaker is one of the best protection for your house from electric shocks. Electric shock can be hazardous and can also lead to loss of life. Thus it is crucial to have an RCCB in a house. RCCB cuts of the electricity supply whenever it detects current leakage beyond a certain point. While choosing RCCB, it is essential to go with the one with the right sensitivity level. As a highly sensitive RCCB will give you false alarms. We usually suggest going for an RCCB with a sensitivity of 60 or 100 mA (as lesser than this can result in frequent tripping). Current leakage of less than 60 mA is not life-threatening. Here are some RCCBs on Amazon with 63Amp rating and 100 mA sensitivity:
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Earthing (also known as grounding in the US) is an essential aspect of electrical wiring in a house. In layman’s terms, Earthing acts as a “drainage” for leaking current. All appliances should have proper earthing. It is done by connecting a wire to the metallic portion of the device, and that wire goes in the top (thick) pin of a three-pin plug. Every house should be wired in such a way that there is earth wire running throughout the house. The earth wire should collect leakage current from all the house and “ground” it or move it to earth (literally). It is essential to have proper earthing in your house. Make sure you get it done properly when you are setting up your house. Avoid renting a house which does not have good earthing.
Here are a few more articles that you can read on Earthing, Electrical Protection and Fire Safety:
An electric Iron is an appliance that is used to remove wrinkles from clothes. Even though wrinkle-free fabrics are gaining popularity, ironing clothes is an essential activity in most households. Although it is common to get the ironing done at a laundry or by a local Iron-man, still people do like to keep an electric Iron at home for occasional use.
Electric-iron works by heating the yarn molecule after which the fabric is ready to orient, and when pressure is applied, it changes shape. On cooling, it retains the shape. The presence of steam/water further loosens the molecular bonds in fabrics such as cotton or linen, making it easier to iron. In the past, ironing was done using dry iron while hands were used to sprinkle water. But today, different types of Irons are available to handle different kinds of requirements. All Irons come with thermostat control where they do not let the temperature go beyond a limit. But then some also have a steam generator or water mist inbuilt. Then there are foldable Irons that are highly portable which are suitable for travel. But they are all able to do the primary job: Ironing. You can get cheap no-frills options to high priced value-added options that have advanced steam-spread technology and soleplates.
How much electricity does an Iron use?
Electric Irons just like other heating or cooling appliances have a thermostat. The electricity consumption of an Iron depends on the temperature one sets of his own or follows the recommended temperature setting marked on the Iron. Upon the testing of an electric iron (non-steam) it is observed that the electrical heating component of the Iron remains ‘on’ for roughly 30% of the time. This means the Iron, which is rated 1200 W consumes approximately 0.4 units of electricity in 1 hour.
Power consumed = Wattage Rating of Iron/1000 * No. of Appliance * 30%
= (1200/1000) * 1 * (30/100)
=0.36 or approximately equal to 0.4 units
A typical household uses an electric Iron for about 10 hours a month. This means an average family will use about four units in a month for Ironing. Because the usage of electric Iron is limited, there is no energy efficiency rating available for Irons globally. In this view, the recommendations below are not based on energy efficiency but usefulness, safety, and features.
Technology
Electric Irons have a simple design. The heating happens through a sole plate which is a metallic or ceramic plate that is heated using a resistive heating element namely Nichrome which is an alloy of 80% Nickle and 20% Chromium and also called Nichrome 80/20. Many other features are then added to improve the user experience of an Electric Iron. Let’s look at different things in an electric iron which can help you do better Ironing and selection of right Iron.
Soleplates
A soleplate or the base of an electric Iron is an essential part of an Iron. It’s material, geometry, thickness and method of the steam ejection; all can impact how good it works. The right quality can ensure that it is non-sticky, easy to clean and scratch-resistant.
Different types of material used in Soleplates:
Aluminum: It conducts heat well but is hard to clean, reactive to the environment and scratches easily. It is not ideal for household applications.
Stainless Steel: It is an alloy of Iron and Chromium. Stainless Steel is hard-wearing, conducts heat well and uniformly, glides well, does not scratch, is corrosion-resistant and usually an excellent option to buy. Please make sure to clean the surface of the soleplate with a fine cloth before use.
Non-stick: Non-Stick soleplates are made by coating a metal like Aluminium or Stainless steel with Teflon or Ceramic. They are easy to maintain and distribute heat evenly. Their only limitation is that the coating often degrades with time. The Ceramic coating helps it in gliding but also scratches/cracks easily.
Geometry
The geometry of an electric Iron is a crucial aspect to consider before buying an electric Iron. Precise geometry is vital for gliding and covering all corners of a stitched cloth. The best shape is the one with a pointed front and an oval rear. Most manufacturers use this shape these days, but just in case you find one which does not have it, then avoid buying it.
Thickness
Lower thickness is preferred with a stainless plate for quick heating.
Automatic/Non-Automatic
Electric Irons have thermostats that help them control the temperature. Irons will switch off as soon as the desired temperature is attained. This feature is there in all the Irons. But some Irons do not have an indicator which shows if the Iron is off or not. It is best to avoid buying such Iron. The indicator is handy to tell you if the Iron is switched on or not.
Additionally, some Irons have an LED display to show temperature continuously. It is also quite useful to have different temperature settings for different kinds of cloths. Some Irons may just let you change the temperature to the desired setting. But some have different presets for different types of fabrics. These preset help you avoid any damage to the fabrics. It is always better to look at different presets available in an Iron before buying one.
Some Irons also has a feature to switch off the Iron when not in use automatically. They have intelligent sensors that sense if an Iron is in standing position for 10 minutes or is left unattended on its soleplate for more than 1 minute. It switches off the Iron immediately when it senses such a situation. Such a sensor is like the ultimate safety feature.
Water Spray and Steam generator
What was a manual activity in the past has become automated in modern electric Irons. Many Irons these days come with a water spray or steam generator. But not every Iron with water spray/steam generator is similar. Here are a few features that are different:
Continuous fill: This feature allows you to top up the water tank without having to turn off the iron. You will have to select the water tank capacity based on your requirements.
Pressurized steam: This feature helps steam penetrate fabric deeply to remove creases quickly. There are Irons with an option to set how much steam to inject on a scale of 0-9. Steam ejection is required for linen and cotton cloth. For other types of cloths, mist shall serve the purpose. The steam chamber has a safety valve, water level indicator for mist and steam. The requirement of steam will be more when ironing linen and cotton cloth. Otherwise, the small or medium size is adequate.
Anti-scale: This feature stops limescale from building up, thereby preventing damage to your iron. If this feature is not there, then you will have to use RO water in your Iron.
Vertical Ironing by steam bust
Sometimes you may have a requirement to iron a fabric that is hanging. It could be Ironing your curtains, or Ironing a wool, silk or nylon fabric. For all such needs, you get Irons that can do vertical Ironing with steam busts. In this process, the wrinkles get removed due to heat, water and weight of the fabric. Vertical Ironing is not useful for lightweight fabric.
Traveling Iron
If you want to carry an Electric Iron along with you while traveling, then you can buy a travel Iron. These Irons are low wattage Irons without any water spray or steam jet functionality. These are small Irons that can easily be folded and kept in your luggage without occupying much space.
Power Rating
The power rating of Iron is generally between 1.2 to 2 kW. For Irons requiring the consumption of stream, 2 kW steam Iron is better.
Check for other features
There are several other features that you can look for based on your needs:
Cool Touch Body: With this feature, the body of the Iron does not get hot, and it makes it easy to hold the Iron.
360 degree Swivel Chord: This feature makes the movement of the Iron very easy. The chord does not get tangled, and it does not get in the way of the movement of the Iron.
Button groove: For easy Ironing under the button.
Anti Drip Feature: To avoid any water dripping when the steam temperature is not achieved (good for vertical ironing).
Cordless Iron: These days you can get cordless Irons in the market which may sound very enticing. However, there are some challenges with them. Firstly, they need a charging station which cannot fit in every Iron-board. With the absence of a cord, the heating of soleplate is not continuous. So you will have to take it back to the charging station frequently. This may result in loss of time and efficiency. And these Irons are expensive.
Best Irons, brands and price range
Best Dry Iron
Dry Irons are manufactured in India as per IS 366. Most dry irons available in the Indian market are similar in features, and it is tedious to differentiate. The typical price range is Rs 750-1000/- and the power rating is 1 kW. Here are some good ones based on brand reputation and customer feedback:
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Steam Irons are manufactured in India in accordance with IS 6290. Here are some good Steam Irons. All the models suggested here are suitable for vertical ironing as well.
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कुछ साल पहले तक हमें अपने बिजली बिलों का भुगतान करने के लिए कतारों में खड़ा होना पड़ता था। हमारे देश में सूचना प्रौद्योगिकी क्रांति ने हमारे लिए ऑनलाइन बिजली बिलों का भुगतान करना आसान बना दिया है। कई राज्यों में बिजली वितरण कंपनियों (या संक्षेप में DISCOMs) ने अपनी वेबसाइटों पर ऑनलाइन बिल भुगतान की सुविधा प्रदान की है। आप बिजली कंपनी की वेबसाइट पर जाएँ और कनेक्शन आईडी का उपयोग करके खुद को पंजीकृत करें। यदि आपका कनेक्शन डिजिटलीकरण से पहले का है तो आप कनेक्शन id के जानकारी निकट के बिजली वितरण कंपनी के दफ्तर से प्राप्त करें। ध्यान रहे की किसी भी राज्य में बिजली दर और विभिन्न नियम/रेगुलेशन उस राज्य के रेगुलेटरी कमीशन द्वारा निर्धारित किये जाते है जो की एक स्वतंत्र संस्था है।
ऑनलाइन बिल का भुगतान करने के लिए एक और आसान तरीका – अमेज़न लिंक- https://amzn.to/34SWjlx के माध्यम से भी कर सकते है।
यदि आप भुगतान से पहले अपने बिल को सत्यापित करना चाहते हैं, तो आप इसे हमारे कैलकुलेटर लिंक पर देख सकते हैं: Online Electricity Bill Calculator – For all states in India. यदि आप अपने बिल में व्यापक भिन्नता पाते हैं, तो आप हमारी टीम की जाँच और सुझाव देने के लिए बिजली यूनिट खर्च (kWh में), स्वीकृत भार (kW) और बिजली कंपनी का नाम और राज्य से प्राप्त वास्तविक बिल की जानकरी के साथ अपना सवाल हमें भेज सकते है।
List of DISCOMs and their Online Bill Payment Links :
आपको नवीनतम जानकारी प्रदान करने के लिए हम इस सूची को नियमित रूप से अपडेट करते रहेंगे। जब भी डिस्कॉम, ग्राहक-अनुकूल बिल भुगतान सुविधा प्रदान करना शुरू करता है, तो हम उसी को प्रतिबिंबित करने के लिए अपनी वेबसाइट को अपडेट करेंगे।
ऑनलाइन बिल भुगतान बिल का भुगतान करने की प्रक्रिया को बहुत आसान बनाता है क्योंकि आप इसे अपने घर या कार्यालय में आराम से बैठकर कर सकते हैं। सुनिश्चित करें कि आप अपने बिल भुगतान को ब्याज के किसी भी दंड से बचने के लिए समय पर करें नहीं तो प्रति माह 1।5% से 2% तक की पेनल्टी लग सकती है जो बहुत अधिक होती है।बहुत अधिक है।
बिजली बिल को समझना बहुत महत्वपूर्ण है और यह ऊर्जा बचत के लिए योजना बनाने के लिए सार्थक सिद्ध हो सकता है। हमारे बिजली का बिल बिजली की खपत के पैटर्न की अच्छी जानकारी देने के लिए काफी जानकारी है। विभिन्न घटकों की एक अच्छी समझ धन-बचत की योजना में आपकी उपयोगी सिद्ध हो सकती है। इस लेख में, हम बिजली के बिलों पर विभिन्न वर्गों / सूचनाओं पर चर्चा करेंगे जो आपके जानने के लिए जरूरी है।
Tariff / Category( टैरिफ / श्रेणी): टैरिफ और श्रेणी बिल पर लागू दर संरचना निर्धारित करते हैं। साधारणतः टैरिफ कोड एल.टी. (लो टेंशन 230 V सिंगल फेज या 400 V थ्री फेज) या एचटी (हाई टेंशन 11kV और ऊपर) से शुरू होते हैं। एल.टी. कोड आमतौर पर आवासीय, वाणिज्यिक और छोटे कार्यालयों के कनेक्शन के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है। HT कोड आमतौर पर बड़े उद्योगों और परिसरों के लिए उपयोग किए जाते हैं। बिल में लिखी श्रेणी निर्धारित करती है कि क्या कनेक्शन आवासीय, वाणिज्यिक या औद्योगिक है। अलग-अलग टैरिफ कोड के लिए अलग-अलग दरें / स्लैब लागू होते हैं और इस प्रकार यह सत्यापित करना महत्वपूर्ण है कि बिजली बिल पर सही टैरिफ कोड लागू है क्योंकि कंप्यूटर डाटा ऑपरेटर की गलती से यदि गलत श्रेणी लिखी गई है तो बिल गलत आएगा । यह जानकारी बिल हेडर पर उपलब्ध है जैसा कि नीचे दिखाया गया है: Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Type of Supply & Connected Load (Fixed charges of each State/DISCOM):कनेक्टेड (या स्वीकृत) लोड आपूर्ति है जो एक मीटर के द्वारा आपके घर मे दिया जाता है। इसकी गणना kW (या किलो-वाट) में की जाती है। यह मीटर से जुड़े उपकरणों के आधार पर आपके घर के लिए स्वीकृत की जाने वाली स्वीकृत लोड kW में है। यह आपकी वास्तविक ऊर्जा खपत नहीं है और केवल आपके बिजली बिल पर निर्धारित फिक्स्ड शुल्क को प्रभावित करता है। कनेक्टेड लोड यह भी निर्धारित करता है कि आपको सिंगल फेज या थ्री फेज कनेक्शन सैंक्शन किया जायेगा। यदि वास्तविक भार स्वीकृत भार से अधिक है, तो यह उस महीने के लिए निर्धारित फिक्स्ड शुल्कों को प्रभावित करेगा और कुछ DISCOM वास्तविक भार के ऊपर वृद्धि पर निर्धारित शुल्कों से अधिक का जुर्माना लगाता है। प्रत्येक DISCOM के पास कनेक्टिड लोड सैंक्शन करने के लिए लोड की गणना करने का एक तरीका है जो कंपनी की वेबसाइट की जांच करनी पर मिलेगी और व्यापक रूप से भिन्न होती है जैसे:माकन का निर्मित क्षेत्र
जुड़े उपकरणों के भार और उसके उपयोग करने के आधार पर मूल्यांकन
माह में खर्च यूनिट पर आधारित
Units Consumed (Unit rates of each State/Discom): बिजली बिल दिखये गए यूनिट एक महीने में खपत होने वाली kWh (किलो-वाट-घंटे) की संख्या है। यदि आप 1०० वाट के लैंप को 1० घंटे के लिए इस्तेमाल करें तो 1 kWh ( एक यूनिट ) बिजली खपत के बराबर होता है। इस जानकारी की गणना लगातार एक या दो महीनों के मीटर रीडिंग के बीच अंतर के हिसाब से बिजली का बिल आपको हर माह मिलता है। यह मीटर से जुड़े सभी उपकरणों द्वारा कुल मासिक खपत है। यह वह मासिक खपत है जिसको काम करने या जयादा हो जाने से आपका बिजली का बिल प्रभावित होता है। यदि आप अपने द्वारा बिजली खपत को काम किये जाने वाले प्रयासों को जानना चाहते है तो किसी दो दिन के बीच यह रीडिंग लेकर समय समय पर देख सकते है की मेरे बिजली की खपत पर क्या प्रभाव पड़ रहा है। बिजली खपत की इस जानकारी से आप अधिक बिजली खर्चे वाले उपकरण जैसे एयर कन्दतिओनेर , रूम हीटर आदि के इस्तमाल से बिजली खर्चे में प्रभाव प्राप्त कर सकते हैं और इन उपकरणों के बिजली conservation के जानकारी प्राप्त कर उसका प्रभाव देख सकते हैं।
यदि आप अपने खर की संभावित बिजली खर्चे का अनुमान निकलने चाहते हैं तो सभी उपकरणों की सूची और उनपर लिखी वाट के साथ बनाये और अनुमानित रोजाना खर्च को भी लिख लें। उसके बाद इस लिंक पर जाकर आप बिजली खर्च का अनुमान लगा सकते हैं। Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Tariff Structure: आपके बिल पर टैरिफ संरचना की समझ रखना बहुत महत्वपूर्ण है, क्योंकि यही सबसे अच्छा संकेतक है कि बिल को कैसे कम किया जा सकता है। आमतौर पर आवासीय और एसएमबी वाणिज्यिक कनेक्शनों के लिए, संरचना स्लैब आधारित होती है (औद्योगिक कनेक्शनों को उच्च फ्लैट-दर पर चार्ज किया जाता है)। स्लैब संरचना के पीछे का उद्देश्य कम ऊर्जा उपयोगकर्ताओं को पुरस्कृत करना और उच्च खपत वाले लोगों को अतिरिक्त शुल्क देना है। स्लैब उन “इकाइयों उपभोग” पर आधारित हैं जिनकी हमने पहले चर्चा की थी। जैसे-जैसे इकाइयों के खर्चे में वृद्धि होती है, ऊर्जा चार्ज में भी परिवर्तन होता है और स्लैब में वृद्धि के साथ कुछ राज्यों कइ फिक्स्ड चार्जेज भी स्लैब बदलने से बदल जाते हैं। इसलिए जरूरी है की आप अपने राज्य के यूनिट एंड फिक्स्ड चार्ज की जानकारी रखें और हर माह प्राप्त बिल को चेक कर सकें। नीचे मुंबई से बिल की टैरिफ संरचना (एक फेज कनेक्शन) का एक नमूना है:Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Fuel Adjustment Charge (FAC): जैसा कि आप ऊपर टैरिफ संरचना में देख सकते हैं, प्रत्येक स्लैब में एफएसी दर लागू है। यह एक वर्ष के दौरान ईंधन की कीमत वृद्धि के कारण उपभोक्ता पर उस खर्चे को रेगुलेटरी कमीशन की इजाजत से लगाया जाता है। ज्यादातर मामलों में ईंधन कोयला है। एक अध्ययन के अनुसार, 2011 के बाद कोयले की उत्पादन दर में गिरावट आएगी, जो वर्ष 2037 तक 1990 के स्तर पर पहुंच जाएगी, और वर्ष 2047 में शिखर मूल्य का 50% तक पहुंच जाएगा। इसलिए, जब तक कि बिजली के वैकल्पिक स्रोत जैसे सोलर, हाइड्रो, आदि देश में विकसित नहीं किए जाते, तब तक FAC में वृद्धि होने की सम्भावना बानी रहेगी। इसलिए भविष्य में बिजली की लागत इन बातो पर ही निर्भर करेगी। याद रखें कि FAC शुल्क हर राज्य से भिन्न होता है और जिन राज्यों में मुख्यता हाइड्रो (जैसे केरला) से बिजली उत्पादन होता है में यह शुल्क बहुत काम लगता है । कुछ राज्यों अपने वार्षिक संशोधन के समय ही टैरिफ में इसे शामिल कर लेते हैं । कुछ राज्य (UPPCL) इसे रेगुलेटरी शुल्क भी कहते हैं ।
Electricity Duty/Taxes (applicable taxes of each State): हर राज्य में एक विद्युत (शुल्क) अधिनियम है, जिसमें विभिन्न टैरिफ संरचना पर होने वाले कर को परिभाषित किया गया है और कोई भी उपभोक्ता अपने बिजली बिल में इसकी जांच कर सकता है। यह ध्यान दिया जाय की विद्युत् कर गस्त के द्वारा में नहीं है इस लिए हर राज्य इस कर का स्वं निर्धारण करता है। यदि आप अपने राज्य का घरेलु बिजली बिल पर लगने वाले शुल्क की जानकार चाहते है तो इस लिंक पर क्लिक करें।
विभिन्न श्रेणी के उपभोक्ताओं के लिए राजस्थान में लागू बिजली शुल्क उदाहरण के लिए नीचे दिए गए हैं:
Industrial including mining
5 p/unit
Agriculture
(i) In the case of metered supply
(ii) In the case of non-metered supply
1 p/unit
5% of the flat rate
Commercial, domestic and others
6 p/unit
Consumption under temporary connection
15 p/unit
Consumption of self-generated energy of any purpose
6 p/unit
ऊपर उल्लिखित बिजली बिल के तत्वों को समझने से आपको अपने बिजली बिल को समझने में मदद मिल सकती है और इससे आपको बिजली की खपत कम करने की परियोजना की योजना बनाने में भी मदद मिलेगी। जिन दो चीजों को लक्षित किया जाना चाहिए वे हैं यूनिट्स का खर्चा और स्वीकृत लोड को काम करना। स्वीकृत लोड जिसपर फिक्स्ड चार्जेज लगता है औरर वास्तविक लोड आपके बिल पर लिखा होता है। यदि वास्तविक लोड स्वीकृत लोड से काफी काम हो और इस बात की आशा है भविष्य में है बढ़ेगा तो आप इसे काम करने का निवदेन करें जिससे आपके मासिक बिल में कमी आएगी। इससे करों और ईंधन अधिभार के प्रभाव में भी कमी आएगी। Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
“हम विद्युत् शक्ति के इस्तेमाल के इतने आदि हो चुके है की उसके साथ जुडी अपनी जिम्मेदारियों के प्रति क्या हम पूरी तरह से अशक्त है? एक और जहाँ बिजली का इस्तेमाल हमारे लिए वरदान साबित हुआ है साथ ही यदि सुरक्षित इस्तेमाल नहीं किया गया तो एक अभिशाप भी बन सकता है। इसी लिया बिजली का काम कानूनन तौर पर एक लाइसेंस प्राप्त इलेक्ट्रीशियन द्वारा ही किया जा सकता है लकिन हमारे देश में
प्राह्य पाया गया है की अधिकतर काम देख देख कर सीख के शुरू कर देते है और हम भी विश्वास करके उसकी पूरी जिम्मेदारी से काम करा लेते हैं। यह भी एक कारण है जिसके कारण बहुत बार आग के दुर्घटनाओं के कारण शार्ट सर्किट पाया जाता है और इलेक्ट्रिक शॉक के संभावनाओं को भी जन्म देता है।
ऐसी स्थिति मे यह आवश्यक है की हम समय समय पर प्रश्न कर विश्वास प्राप्त कर सकते है कि जो काम किया गया है वह पूरी तरह से विश्वसनीय और सुरक्षित है। इसी लक्ष्य को ध्यान में रखते हुआ हम यह पोस्ट लिख रहे जिससे आप सुरक्षित बिजली की जरूरते को आसानी से समझ सकें।
ऐसी चीजें जो आपको इलेक्ट्रिक सेफ्टी के बारे में पता होनी चाहिए
विद्युत सुरक्षा के पीछे मुख्य उद्देश्य यह सुनिश्चित करना है कि इलेक्ट्रिक करंट अपने लक्षित पथ से किसी और पथ पर रिसाव न करे जैसे आप पानी के पाइप से जल रिसाव बहुत बार देखते है । अंतर केवल इतना ही की यह जल रिसाव तुरंत कोई दुर्घटना को जन्म नहीं देगा और दूसरी और इलेक्ट्रिक करंट का रिसाव दुर्घटना को जन्म दे सकता है। इलेक्ट्रिक करंट को देखा नहीं जा सकता और इंस्ट्रूमेंट के इस्तेमाल से ही इसे पता लगाया जा सकता है।
ऐसे दो तरीके हैं जिनसे करंट लीक हो सकता है: डायरेक्ट (प्रत्यक्ष) या इनडायरेक्ट (अप्रत्यक्ष) कांटेक्ट के द्वारा। आइए समझे कि ये दोनों क्या है और कैसे इसे रोका जा सकता है।
डायरेक्ट (प्रत्यक्ष) कांटेक्ट
लाइव वायर के साथ कोई भी संपर्क खतरनाक हो सकता है। लाइव पार्ट्स को उचित इन्सुलेशन प्रदान करना आवश्यक है और यह सुनिश्चित करना है कि ये किसी एनक्लोसूरे में है और खुले तरीके से लटके तो नहीं है। इस बात की बहुत आवश्यकता है किसी भी परिस्थिति मे गलती से कोई भी नंगे तार के संपर्क में न आये । अपने घर को बनाते हुए या बिजली का कोई नया काम करने के समय इन बातो को ध्यान रखना आवश्यक है:
केबल्स और तार
केबल्स की खरीद करते समय, आपको यह सुनिश्चित करना चाहिए कि आप एक तांबे के कंडक्टर से बना ही तार ख़रीदे और उस पर इन्सुलेशन IS 8130 specification के अनुसार बना होना चाहिए । एल्यूमीनियम से बने तारों से बचें। दो प्रकार के तार उपलब्ध हैं: सिंगल-कोर और मल्टी-कोर, जैसा कि नीचे दी गई छवि में दिखाया गया है।
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आमतौर पर, सिंगल-कोर स्ट्रेन्डेड तारों को घर की वायरिंग के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है। मल्टी-कोर तारों का उपयोग प्लग के साथ एक उपकरण के कनेक्शन के लिए किया जाता है। जैसा कि ऊपर की छवि में दिखाया गया है, सिंगल-कोर स्ट्रेन्डेड वायर में उपलब्ध कोई सुरक्षा शीथिंग (या ऊपर की छवि में काला कवर) नहीं है जोकि मल्टी-कोर तारों मे दिया जाता है जिससे सभी तारो को एक साथ रखा जा सके । लेकिन हर स्थिति में तांबा कंडक्टर पर पीवीसी इन्सुलेशन के साथ कवर किया गया है जिससे करंट का रिसाव न हो । कॉपर के तार पर लगाया गया पीवीसी इन्सुलेशन भारतीय मानक IS 694 के अनुसार होना चाहिए । पीवीसी इन्सुलेशन दो श्रेणी के होते है जैसे यदि यह अग्निरोधी है तो C1 और यदि अगर अग्निरोधी के साथ साथ कम धुआं है तो श्रेणी C2 का है। केबल खरीदते समय इन श्रेणियों की जाँच करें।
तार के अंदर तांबा कंडक्टर को मल्टी स्ट्रैंडिंग आईएस 8130 – 1984 के खंड 5 के अनुसार होना चाहिए (जैसा कि छवि में दिखाया गया है)। मल्टी स्ट्रैंडिंग लचीलापन प्रदान करने के लिए किया जाता है। एक स्ट्रैंड का इंसुलेटेड केबल पैनल आदि की वायरिंग के लिए इस्तमाल किया जाता हैं जहाँ पर केबल को पूर्व से निर्धारित पथ पर स्थाई आवश्यकता के अनुसार लगाया जाता है ।
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तार के size sq.mm. के संदर्भ में परिभाषित किए गए हैं। क्रॉस-सेक्शन और साइजिंग कितनी करंट ले जाने की आवश्यकता है पर निर्धारित किया जाता है जिससे तार इस्तेमाल के समय गर्म न हो और insulation को ख़राब न करे । घर के वायरिंग के लिए तार का आकार आमतौर पर 1 से 6 sq.mm. तक होता है, जिसमें करंट की क्षमता IS 3961 (भाग V) -1968 के अनुसार निर्धारित होती है:
Size (in sq.mm.)
Current carrying capacity in Amp.
DC Resistance in ohms/km at 20 degree
Outer diameter including insulation in mm
1
12
19.50
2.44
1.5
16
13.50
2.66
2.5
22
7.98
3.27
4
29
4.95
3.99
6
37
3.3
4.52
एक सामान्य सिद्धांत के अनुसार सभी लाइट / पंखे सर्किट 1.5 sq.mm के साथ वायर्ड होते हैं। और 6/16 A के पावर प्लग 4 sq.mm. केबल के साथ । जब एक केबल या तार वायर किया जाता है, तो सुनिश्चित करें कि आपका इलेक्ट्रीशियन एक रंग कोड का अनुसरण करे जैसे की लाल, नीला, पीला फेज के लिए , ब्लैक न्यूट्रल और ग्रीन अर्थिंग के लिए । इस कोड के अनुसार वायरिंग करने से जब कभी मॉडिफिकेटों करने की जरूरत मे न्यूट्रल और अर्थ वायरिंग मे कोई गलती न हो।
कुछ ब्रांडों का अपनी केबल / तार के बारे मे यह कहना है की ‘यह तार बिजली बचाते हैं‘। एक केबल में बिजली का नुकसान तार के प्रतिरोध पर निर्भर करता है और एक तार का प्रतिरोध तार के क्रॉस सेक्शन पर निर्भर करता है। तो आदर्श रूप से, बिजली का लोस्स एक ही क्रॉस-सेक्शन वाले सभी तांबे के तारों के लिए समान होना चाहिए और जिसके अनुसार IS मे भी लिखा गया है । इसलिए हम ‘bijli bachao’ इस प्रकार के क्लेम का समर्थन नहीं करते हैं और यह कहना चाहैंगे की ऐसे विज्ञापन से आप अपने खरीद निर्णय को प्रभावित न करें ।
यहाँ कुछ अच्छे तार (1.5 वर्ग मिमी) जो अमेज़न पर उपलब्ध हैं इस प्रकार से है:
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स्विच या सॉकेट किसी भी वायरिंग सिस्टम में एक और महत्वपूर्ण लेकिन कमजोर कड़ी है । नियमित रूप से स्विच को ‘ऑन’ और ‘ऑफ’ किए जाने के कारण विफल होने की सम्भावना अधिक होती है , विशेष रूप से कांटेक्ट एरिया कमजोर हो जाने पर वहां हीटिंग होकर इन्सुलेशन फ़ैल हो सकता है और करंट लीक कर सकती है । भारत में सॉकेट और स्विच भारतीय मानक IS 3854: 1997 के अनुसार निर्मित होते हैं, इसलिए जब आप एक खरीदते हैं, तो सुनिश्चित करें कि यह मानक बॉक्स पर उल्लिखित है।
स्विच और सॉकेट के बहुत अधिक निर्माता भारतवर्ष मे हैं और सभी पर आईएस मार्क प्रिंटिंग का निशान मिलेगा इसलिए इस अकेले मापदंड पर पूरी तरह से भरोसा नहीं किया जा सकता है। यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए कि निर्माता ने मानकों का पालन करना है एक परीक्षण आप स्वं कर सकते हैं। इसे प्रज्वलित करने की कोशिश करें और देखें कि यह बहुत कम लौ के साथ ही जलना चाहिए और बहुत तेजी से नहीं फैलना चाहिए । दूसरी जो खुद आप परख कर सकते है वह उसकी कारीगरी है जिसे हासिल करने के लिए बड़े निवेश की आवश्यकता होती है और कारीगरी किसी एक ब्रांडेड प्रोडक्ट के साथ मिलकर आप देख सकते है । हमारी राय है की इन प्रोड्कट को आप लोकप्रिय और ब्रांडेड मेक के ही ख़रीदे।
आपने यह देखा होगा कि एअर्थ (earth) पिन मोटा और लंबा होता है और यह सुनिश्चित करनइ के लिए है कि उपकरण को छुए हुए व्यक्ति को तुरंत बिजली का झटका न लगे यदि उसमे कोई खराबी है। इसी प्रकार यह एअर्थ पिन शटर पहले खुलता है और उसके बाद अन्य शटर खुलते हैं। एअर्थ पिन शटर को धक्का दिए बिना, दूसरे पिन हूटर नहीं खुलेंगे।आप प्लग और सॉकेट की सेफ्टी के लिए कुछ टिप्स इस लिंक पर पढ़ सकते हैं: इलेक्ट्रिकल सुरक्षा के लिए 3-पिन प्लग का उपयोग क्यों करें?
सॉकेट्स का चयन करते समय, सुनिश्चित करें कि इसे आप शटर के साथ लें ताकि बच्चे गलती से अपनी उंगलियों को इसके अंदर न डालें। यह फर्श के सॉकेट नजदीक लगाए सॉकेट के लिए अति आवश्यक है।
यहाँ अमेज़न पर कुछ अच्छे सॉकेट हैं:
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भारतीय मानकों में धारा 5133 है जो घर के स्विच और सॉकेट पैनल बॉक्स के लिए मानक निर्देश प्रदान करने के लिए है। कृपया सुनिश्चित करें कि आप एक स्टील या जीआई इलेक्ट्रिकल बॉक्स ही ख़रीदे । इस मामले में यदि कोई आपको किसी अलग प्रकार के बॉक्स का उपयोग करने की सलाह देता है तो ध्यान रखें की विद्युत सुरक्षा के लिए स्टील / जीआई बॉक्स का उपयोग ही करें क्योंकि यदि पैनल में कोई फाल्ट होता है तो अर्थिंग हो जाएगी और एमसीबी के ट्रिपिंग हो जायेगी।
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Conduit
मैकेनिकल सुरक्षा के लिए तारों को खुले में नहीं लगाना चाहिए । खुले में तार बिछाने के लिए रिजिड पाइप या फ्लेक्सिबल / गैर-फ्लेक्सिबल धातु पाइप का उपयोग करें। कन्सॉलिड वायरिंग के लिए किसी मैकेनिकल क्षति की संभावना नहीं होती और साथ में अगर कोई धुआं निकले तो ऑक्सीजन के न होने के कारण आग खुद ही भुज जाएगी । इसके साथ कन्सॉलिड वायरिंग देखने में सूंदर लगती है। आपको ऐसा करने के लिए एक conduit की आवश्यकता होगी। हमेशा एक conduit के लिए भारतीय मानकों के अनुसार ही खरीद करें हो इस प्रकार से है
Non-Metallic: Rigid: IS 2509-1974 and 3419-1989; Flexible: IS 9537 (Part 5) 2000
केबल जॉइंट
भारत में इलेक्ट्रीशियन के साथ एक आम प्रथा है कि जिसमे केबल्स के स्ट्रैंड के एक दुसरे के ऊपर चढ़ाकर घुमाकर इनसुअलटेड टेप चढ़ा देते हैं।यह तरीका लम्बे समय की आवश्यकता के लिए एक जोखिम और खतरों से ग्रस्त प्रक्रिया है। इन दिनों आपको बाजार में केबल कनेक्टर मिल सकते हैं जिनका उपयोग सुरक्षित रूप से केबल के जुड़ने के लिए किया जा सकता है। सुरक्षित बनाने के लिए अतिरिक्त इन्सुलेशन प्रदान करने के लिए आप सोल्डर के साथ हीट-shrinkable स्लीव या केवल हीट-shrinkable स्लीव का भी उपयोग कर सकते हैं। अमेज़न पर उन उत्पादों में से कुछ नीचे सूचीबद्ध हैं:
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इन सभी उत्पादों का उद्देश्य यह सुनिश्चित करना है कि समय के साथ एडहेसिव टेप कमजोर होने से उतर सकता है और जॉइंट नग्न हो जाएगा और कोई भी बिजली के सीधे संपर्क में आ सकता है।
इनडायरेक्ट (अप्रत्यक्ष) कांटेक्ट
सभी उपाय करने के बाद भी, कोई व्यक्ति गलती से एक जीवित तार या सिस्टम में कहीं करंट के रिसाव के माध्यम से बिजली के संपर्क में आ सकता है । इन कारणों से बचाने के लिए, किसी भी विद्युत इंस्टालेशन में सुरक्षा प्रणाली की कुछ आवश्यकताएं निम्नलिखित हैं।
फ्यूज
एक फ्यूज शॉर्ट और ओवरलोड करंट से सुरक्षा प्रदान करने के लिए होता है। यदि आप सही रेटिंग (जुड़े उपकरण और उनके वर्तमान उपयोग के आधार पर) इस्तेमाल करते हैं तो यह सुरक्षा का सबसे अच्छा और विश्वसनीय तरीका है। हालांकि, एक फ्यूज जब उड़ जाता है तो दुबारा लगने मे असुविधा होती है इसलिए प्राथमिक सुरक्षा के लिए डिस्ट्रीब्यूशन बोर्ड पर मकब का इस्तेमाल करना चाहिए ।
ऊर्जा मीटर के बाद, सेकेंडरी प्रोटेकिटों के लिए, फ्यूज का उपयोग करना हमेशा अच्छा होता है (खुदरा बाजार में लगभग कोई भी उपलब्ध नहीं है क्योंकि नई स्थापना में उपयोग नहीं किया जाता है) या एमसीबी के बजाय सही रेटिंग का कारतूस फ्यूज क्योंकि संरक्षण की विश्वसनीयता सबसे अच्छा फ्यूज द्वारा हासिल की जाती है । यहाँ अमेज़न पर उपलब्ध कारतूस फ्यूज का एक उदाहरण है:
MCB या मिनिएचर सर्किट ब्रेकर शॉर्ट और ओवरलोड करंट से प्रोटेक्ट करने का एक बहुत अच्छा साधन है। MCBs इन दिनों बहुत लोकप्रिय हैं, और इसके बिना एक घर की कल्पना करना मुश्किल है। MCBs का निर्माण IS 13032: 1991 के अनुसार किया जाता है। वितरण और उप-वितरण बोर्ड में MCB प्रदान किए जाते हैं। लोड बनाम रेटिंग के लिए एमसीबी के मानक आकार 1-4A/6A, 6A/10A, 16A/20A, 20A/25A, 25A/32A, 32A/40A (यानि 6A के लिए 10A का MCB इस्तेमाल करें) आदि हैं। आपको अपनी आवश्यकताओं के अनुसार सही आकार खोजने में मदद करने के लिए हाउस वायरिंग विशेषज्ञ की सहायता लेनी चाहिए। वे दो प्रकारों में उपलब्ध हैं: टाइप बी और टाइप सी। यदि आपके पास एक मोटर है और आप इसके लिए एमसीबी का उपयोग करना चाहते हैं, तो आपको टाइप सी का उपयोग करना चाहिए। अन्य सभी प्रतिरोधक (resistive) load (जैसे रोशनी, पंखे, टीवी इत्यादि) के लिए आपको टाइप बी का उपयोग करना चाहिए। यहाँ अमेज़न पर कुछ 10 A एमसीबी उपलब्ध हैं:
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ABB is a pack of four and Schneider is a pack of two.
RCCB या रेसिडुअल करंट सर्किट ब्रेकर/RCBO
RCCB या रेसिडुअल करंट सर्किट ब्रेकर करंट रिसाव होने के कारण होने वाले बिजली के झटके से आपके घर के लिए सबसे अच्छा संरक्षण है। MCB शॉर्ट सर्किट या ओवरलोड का पता लगता है तो RCCB करंट के रिसाव का पता लगाता है। इसलिए किसी भी घर या संस्थान में आरसीसीबी होना आवश्यक है। जब भी यह एक निश्चित सीमा से अधिक करंट रिसाव का पता लगाता है तो आरसीसीबी बिजली की आपूर्ति क़ो काट देता है। आरसीसीबी निर्माता घरेलू आवश्यकता के लिए 30 एमए संवेदनशीलता की सिफारिश करते हैं।
इस तरह की संवेदनशीलता तब परेशानी का सबब बन जाती है जब रात्रि के समय बिना किसी स्पष्ट के कारण RCCB ट्रिप कर जाता है। इससे बचने के लिए अधिकांश उपयोगकर्ता के इलेक्ट्रीशियन आरसीसीबी को दरकिनार कर देते हैं। RCCB के ट्रिप होने के कारण क़ो पता लगाना बहुत मेहनत का काम है और दक्ष इलेक्ट्रीशियन ही इसे कर पते हैं। यदि आप ट्रिपिंग के कारणों क़ो पहचान करने मे कठिनता महसूस करते हैं तो बाईपास करने या बिल्कुल ही नहीं लगाने के बजाय 60 mA के लिए जाना बेहतर होता है। इस वजह से, हम आमतौर पर आरसीसीबी के लिए 60 mA संवेदनशीलता तक का सुझाव देते हैं।
अब नवीनतम विकास आरसीबीओ है जो आरसीसीबी और एमसीबी का एक संयोजन है जो शॉर्ट सर्किट के साथ-साथ करंट रिसाव दोने के लिए सुरक्षा प्रदान करता है।
63 Amp रेटिंग और 100 mA संवेदनशीलता के साथ अमेज़न पर कुछ RCCB इस प्रकार से हैं:
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अर्थिंग (यूएस में ग्राउंडिंग के रूप में भी जाना जाता है) किसी भी घर या संस्थान की विद्यतीकरण की एक अनिवार्य जरूरत है। आम आदमी के शब्दों में, अर्थिंग करंट लीक करने पर पृथ्वी के माध्यम से उसके सप्लाई सोर्स पर वापिस पहुँच जाती है । सभी उपकरणों में उचित अर्थिंग होनी चाहिए। यह उपकरण के धातु वाले हिस्से में एक तार को जोड़कर किया जाता है और यह तार तीन-पिन प्लग के शीर्ष (मोटे) पिन से जोड़ा जाता है । बिजली की वायरिंग करते समय इस बात का ध्यान देना चाहिए कि पूरे घर में एअर्थ तार हर जगह उपलब्ध होना चाहिए ।
यहाँ कुछ और लेख हैं जिन्हें आप अर्थिंग, इलेक्ट्रिकल प्रोटेक्शन और फायर सेफ्टी पर पढ़ सकते हैं:
Setting up your house and you are looking to buy the best tube lights or bulbs for it? With lots of options available, it can be a difficult task to buy one and decide which one is good. In the past, we mostly used to get normal bulbs or fluorescent tube lights which eventually graduated to CFLs and energy-efficient fluorescent tube lights. But the current times are that of LED tube lights or bulbs. There are many more energy-efficient options available in India today and at Bijli Bachao our efforts are always to help make consumers aware about them. The modern energy-efficient LED Tubelights or bulbs may be slightly more expensive as compared to old options but they do provide a lot of value. In this post, we will discuss the costs or prices of these options, their wattage and the benefit that you can get from them. We will also provide a buying guide and some products that you can buy to help you save electricity. We will also discuss how much lighting is good for your room and how to decide on the amount of lighting.
First, let’s take a look at all the old and new options:
Incandescent Bulbs
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The traditional yellow light bulbs, invented by Thomas Edison at the beginning of 20th century had illuminated our houses till the end of 20th century and were available in various variants: 40W, 60W and 100W, are the most inefficient in terms of energy consumption. 90% of the energy they consume is lost as heat and only 10% is converted into useful light.
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Although they are still quite inexpensive (Rs 10/-) and only a few of the households still use it, but they are energy guzzlers. Many countries in the world have stopped producing them. Even if they are still there in working condition in your household, it makes a lot of sense to replace them with energy-efficient options just from a cost-saving perspective. Do not forget that the incandescent lamp increases the heat load of the room for airconditioning.
Fluorescent lamps
The fluorescent lamps are better than Incandescent bulbs (50-70% better in providing the same amount of light) and they have been there in the market since quite some time. It started coming in the form of tube lights (something which most of us have known since our childhood) and later graduated to come in the form of CFLs so that it can be retrofitted in the holder of the incandescent lamp.
Fluorescent Tubes
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A typical fluorescent lamp has a ballast (to first provide high voltage to strike an arc and then stabilize the current through the lamp) and a tube. In past tube lights used to come with electromagnetic ballast which caused the lights to flicker on start. Later on, developed electronic ballast which prevents the fluorescent lamps to flicker. Electromagnetic ballast ( an now only for historical study) consumes a significant amount of electricity than an electronic ballast. Most tube lights today have electronic ballast.
With time, tube lights were d in various developed in various variants: T12, T8 and T5. These numbers represent the diameter of the tube (i..e T12 is 3.81 cm 12/8″, T8 is 2.54 cm or 1 inch and T5 is 1.69cm or 5/8″) of the tube light.The smaller the number, the higher the efficiency. A T12 tube light with an electromagnetic ballast typically consumes 55W of electricity but a T5 with electronic ballast will consume only 28W of electricity (comparison is for a 4 feet tube light). Thus a T5 provided about 50% electricity saving over a regular T12 tube light. T8s are typically 38W tube lights and are better than T12s. Even though T5s were a little expensive during their heydays but still a payback was within a year if T8 or T12 is replaced. Also, their life was quite good and they last for 3-4 years at least. Many companies give 1-2 year replacement warranty on T5s. Thus the payback happens within the warranty period. However, Fluorescent Tubelights are becoming obsolete these days and are getting replaced by LED Tubelights.
CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp)
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CFLs have been regarded as the best energy saving option in our country for quite some time. CFL is a variant of fluorescent lamps (or tube lights) but developed with a purpose of the retro fitment of the incandescent lamp. CFLs act as a point source of light (light originating from one point) whereas tube lights are line source (tube lights have bigger lengths) and thus the area covered by tube lights is a lot more than that of CFLs. This is the reason why a lot of people feel that CFLs produce lesser lights than tube lights. Even with equal wattage (2x14W CFLs) the amount of light is felt lesser than a T5 tube light (of 28W) because of CFL being point source. CFLs being compact in size provide options to create smaller (lower wattage) bulbs that can cater to locations where tube lights provide extra brightness (more than required). CFLs provide up to 70% energy savings over a typical incandescent bulb. Although a little more expensive than an incandescent, payback happens within a year. But the CFL heydays are over and replaced by retrofitted LED lamps.
Incandescent (beginning of 20th century) and Fluorescent (beginning of mid 20th century) Lamps are now left only for engineering studies with limited use in a specific area and the field of illumination engineering is now completely taken over by LED lights (beginning of 21st century) till such time more energy-efficient source is discovered.
LED (Light Emitting Diode)
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LEDs are the latest and most efficient lighting option which is available in the market. Their electricity consumption is less than that of CFLs and fluorescent lamps for the same amount of light. LEDs also are long-lasting with a life of about 10-25 years and their performance remains the same throughout their lifetime (Tubelights and CFLs get dim with time). Although a little expensive during the period of first launched and up to 2015, a major shift has taken when Government of India directed Energy Efficiency Servies Ltd to undertake large scale production and rates dropped to Rs. 38 per 9 W LED Lamp and production skyrocketed to the level of 4 Cr. per month as compared to just 10 lakhs earlier. Ideally, they are a long-lasting option as the life of LEDs is about 10 years. But local drivers installed in a luminaire may fail earlier. If you encounter a failed LED luminaire, try to see if your electrician can change the driver and get it working again.
LED Tubelights
LED Tubelights are replacements for regular tubelights. They are a line source of light and thus they cover a larger area. These days several options of LED Tubelights are available in the market: 18 Watt, 20 Watts, 22 Watts, etc. In terms of light output (or lumens output), a 20 Watt LED Tubelight is similar to an old 40 Watt T-8 or 27 Watt T-5 tubelight.
LED Bulbs
LED Bulbs are replacements for CFLs and incandescent bulbs. When planning for replacement, look at the base B 22 pin type, E27 screw type and E15 screw type used for decorative lighting. They are a point source of light and thus cover a smaller area. If you are looking to replace your existing CFL, then you can look at the table below to get a comparison:
Light Output
LEDs
CFLs
Lumens
Watts
Watts
450-600
4-5
8-12
750-900
6-8
13-18
1100-1300
9-13
18-22
1600-1800
16-20
23-30
2600-2800
25-28
30-55
Best Lamp in the year 2019
From the above, it is evident that using LED lamp is the best option while selecting the lamp for your house. The major advantage of LED as compared to any other source of light is:
The high energy efficiency of 100-120 lumen/watt and going up to 200 lumen/Watt as per the research in progress.
No warm-up delay and starts instantaneously with no flickering which is very commonly observed in fluorescent lights.
Frequent switching on and off does not reduce life.
Retro fitment fixtures develop to replace using the mounting of the existing fitting.
LED chips and fixtures developed to overcome the disadvantage of beam angle.
Adaptability for long-range of voltage fluctuation from 160 to 280 V.
Decorative lights developed with many options of using LED in any combination, shape etc.
Buying guide for a Lamp
The wattage of the bulb or tube light has been traditionally used as the measure of the amount of light produced by it, but watts does not represent the actual amount of light produced. The amount of light produced is represented by a term called lumen. So to compare two lights, one should compare the lumen output of the lamp.
Lumen Output
Lumen output defines the efficiency of the lamp. Lumen is the output and watt is the input and lumen/watt defines the efficiency of the lamp. Wattage just helps one estimate power consumption.
The angle of delivery of light
The angle of delivery of light is the beam angle produced by the light source. LED is a point source but it is the lense and the luminary which makes it usable for large applications requiring spotlight, floodlight, wide floodlight and very wide floodlight.
Colour rendering index (CRI)
This is the factor that measures to what extent the light illuminated is close to real light. CRI is measured between 0-100. If the CRI is high the quality of the light is high. If the CRI is low, the quality of the light is low.
Colour temperature in Kelvin
Color temperature is a way to describe the light appearance provided by a light bulb. It is measured in degrees of Kelvin (K) on a scale from 1,000 to 10,000. Typically, Kelvin temperatures for commercial and residential lighting applications fall somewhere on a scale from 2000K to 6500K. The table given below describes the quality of colour temperature towards the light
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Color Temperature
Quality of Light
2700K-3500K
Yellowish Light
4000K-4500 K
Less Yellowish Light
5000K-6500K
White light
The higher we go on to the Kelvin scale, we will progress to yellow lights, white light, and blue lights. Incandescent and Halogen lights range between 2500K – 3000K. Direct sunlight has the equivalent of 4800K. Daylight is found around 5600K. A cloudy sky or cool white can be found between 6000K-7500K. A clear blue sky can be found at 10,000K.
How much light is required for your room?
Amount of lighting required for a room depends on the size of the room and the purpose of the room. Intricate tasks require more lighting and just moving around the room requires much less light. The amount of light required in an area is defined as “LUX” (also a popular brand of soap) level that is equal to lumens/area (lm/m2). Below table gives a good idea of LUX level for various tasks:
So if you have a room that is 10 ft x 10 ft (which is 9.29 m2) and you want to do easy office work in the room, then the amount of light required in the room is 250 x 9.29 which is about 2400 lumens. one single tube light can achieve this. The lumen of every lamp is given on the rating plate of the lamp for your you do your own calculation.
If you have a small area of a square meter and you use it for computer work, then a 12-watt CFLor 8 Watt LED is good for it.
Activity
Illumination
(in Lux i.e. Lumen/m2
Public areas with dark surroundings
20-50
Simple orientation for short visits
50-100
Working areas where visual tasks are only occasionally performed
100-150
Warehouses, Homes, Theaters, Archives
150
Easy Office Work, Classes
250
Normal Office Work, PC Work, Study Library
500
Task-based lighting can be done in a room accordingly.
When do you waste electricity?
When you use more lumens in a room than required then you are wasting electricity for extra lighting. There are multiple cases when this happens:
More lights are put in a room than desired.
Lights are hidden on concealed. Many times this is done with false ceilings to decorate the room.
At times there is some obstruction for the lights and extra lights have to be put to accommodate for the less light.
If you want to save electricity, make sure that any of the above is not happening.
Does brightness of bulb remain the same throughout its life?
No. It decreases with time for most types of bulbs. Lights become less bright as they age. LEDs are known to have similar levels of light throughout their life and in fact, they have long lives. The typical life of:
Type
Life
Incandescent Bulb
750-1000 hours
CFL
6000-10000 hours
Tube-lights
7000-24000 hours
LEDs
25000-50000 hours
The range above is for an average quality bulb to a good quality bulb.
LED is the greenest option available in all forms of lighting. And that is because:
It does not contain any mercury, which is harmful to the environment, unlike the fluorescent bulbs and lights.
It lasts much longer (about 10-20 years) and thus their disposal is less of a concern.
Fluorescent lights, on the other hand, contain mercury that is harmful to the environment and their disposal is a concern. And this is a problem with both CFLs and fluorescent tube lights.
10 best brands of LED lamp manufacturer in India
The 10 best brands of LED lamps we have identified are 1. Phillips 2. Osram 3. Havells 4. Wipro 5. Bajaj 6. Syska 7. Surya 8. Crompton 9. Moser Baer & 10. Oreva. It may be difficult to identify the best out of the lot, and therefore, consumers generally compare based on the price and the one which meets its basic requirement. There is a good discount available on Amazon/Flipkart when one order for higher quantity and can be seen on online link. The household requirement of LED lamps are generally covered under the requirement of (a) LED bulb (b) LED tube light (c) downlight/spotlight (d) panel light (square or circular) (e) mirror light and (f) decorative lights. The requirement from (a) to (d) are general purpose and easy to choose based on the price and many models of various manufacturers available in the market.
BEE Star Labelling of LED Lamps
Checking the BEE star labelling is one of the best options for a consumer to bank upon. As of now, the lumen efficiency in lumen/watt for 3-star between 90-105, 4-star between 105 to 120 and 5-star above 120. As of now, the LED lamps are available which qualify 3-star or few make with 4-star and the day is not far off when 4 and 5 stars rated LED lamps will be available with ease. As per the claims made by few of the make in their product specification on amazon, lumen/watt of 140 has been claimed but without any five-star rating as per BEE. Few of the makes particularly Wipro claims UL(Underwriters Laboratories) testing to LM 79 or 80 which is an indication of complete testing by an independent agency with repeat testing for quality assurance at intervals.
Chose LED Lights for your house on Amazon
20W Tubelight
Popular brand and efficiency of between 90 and 105 lumen/watt or 3-star rating
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LED bulb is designed to replace the traditional design of incandescent or CFL lamp. There are traditional three types namely (a) B22-Pin type with lamp base diameter of 22 mm and used for traditional lighting; (b) E13-screw type with lamp base diameter of 13 mm and used for decorative lighting (c) E27-screw type with lamp base diameter of 27 mm and used for traditional wall/ceiling lighting. Now the manufacturers (e.g. Phillips) have also come out of mounting of tube light in these holders. Here are few of the commonly used sold at the amazon e-commerce website.
Panel lighting is generally mounted on the ceiling with uniform distribution to avoid direct lighting. Available in round and square shape of different wattage and dimensions.
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बिजली का बिल किसी भी घर के बजट में एक महत्वपूर्ण स्थान रखता है और टैरिफ को जानकार एंड समझकर ही कम करने की रणनीति बनाई जा सकती है। बिजली दरों में हर साल परिवर्तन होता रहता है, और इसलिए हमने ‘bijli bachao’ (बिजली बचाओ) में सोचा है कि हमारे पाठकों के लिए in 2019 में उनके राज्य पर लागू नवीनतम फिक्स्ड चार्ज और इकाई दरों के बारे में जानना बहुत आवश्यक है और इस विषय मे उनके प्रश्नो का भी उत्तर दे सके। इसलिए हमने भारत के सभी राज्यों के टैरिफ का नियमित रूप से अपनी शोध करते रहते हैं और एक तालिका प्रकाशित करते हैं जो ग्रामीण और शहरी एलटी (Low Tension) घरेलू ग्राहकों के लिए लागू नवीनतम टैरिफ स्लैब फिक्स्ड और यूनिट दरों को सूचीबद्ध करती है।कृपया ध्यान दें कि ये वाणिज्यिक और HT कनेक्शन पर लागू नहीं होते हैं। यह भी ध्यान दें कि बिजली के बिल मे फिक्स्ड चार्ज और यूनिट चार्ज के आलावा और कई अन्य घटक हैं जैसे कि बिजली शुल्क, बिजली खरीद लागत समायोजन, अधिभार, ईंधन अधिभार, आदि और जो राज्य के अनुसार बिल का 10-25 प्रतिशत तक हो जाता है । यह आपके ऊर्जा बिल में देखा जा सकता है। एलटी घरेलू उपभोक्ता के लिए अपने बिजली बिल की गणना और मूल्यांकन करने के लिए आप हमारे कैलकुलेटर का उपयोग कर सकते हैं।
यूनिट खपत का स्व-मूल्यांकन
हमारे अधिकांश पाठक हमेशा संदेह में रहते हैं कि उनका ऊर्जा मीटर सही ढंग से रिकॉर्ड कर रहा है या नहीं। इसके लिए, कोई भी अपने घर में एक चेक-मीटर स्थापित कर सकता है और मीटर द्वारा दर्ज की गई रीडिंग की तुलना कर सकता है और यदि कोई महत्वपूर्ण अंतर है, तो बिजली कंपनी के साथ शिकायत दर्ज की जा सकती है। संभावित ऊर्जा (इकाइयों में) के आकलन का एक और तरीका यह भी है। इसके लिए, नेमप्लेट पर ‘वाट ’में प्रत्येक उपकरण के लिए उल्लिखित वाट क्षमता पर ध्यान दें और उस महीने के दौरान प्रति दिन घंटों में उस उपकरण के उपयोग का आकलन करें और नोट कर ले। आप इस जानकारी के साथ UPPCL वेबसाइट से एक कैलकुलेटर का उपयोग कर सकते हैं जो संभावित खपत की जानकार दे सकता है।
ऊर्जा बिल
ऊर्जा बिल मे मूल रूप से दो इकाइयाँ होती हैं, प्रथम केडब्ल्यू जिसे कनेक्टेड / मंजूरी लोड कहा जाता है और दूसरा ऊर्जा की खपत यानी kWh (या जिसे यूनिट भी कहा जाता है) जो बिजली के इस्तेमाल पर काम ज्यादा होता रहता है । इसके अलावा कुछ अन्य शुल्क हैं जो आप अपने बिल में पाएंगे जैसे (i) विद्युत शुल्क (ii) ईंधन अधिभार (iii) विद्युत खरीद समायोजन लागत (iv) अधिभार आदि और यह आपके राज्य / डिस्कॉम के आधार पर एक बड़ी राशि भी हो सकता है।
विभिन्न राज्यों की टैरिफ संरचना
कनेक्टेड लोड के नए कनेक्शन या परिवर्तन के लिए नियम और शर्तें, मीटर की शिकायत, कनेक्शन के प्रकार या तो टैरिफ ऑर्डर में दिए गए हैं या अपने राज्य के ‘आपूर्ति कोड’ को सर्च कर उसमे पा सकते है । निर्धारित और परिवर्तनीय शुल्कों के संबंध में आप पाने राज्य की टैरिफ संरचना टैरिफ ऑर्डर के लिंक और टैरिफ पाने के लिए पृष्ठ संख्या पर जाकर व्यापक और विस्तृत जानकार प्राप्त कर सकते है (नीचे सभी राज्यों के टैरिफ तालिका दी गयी है):
5-किलोवाट लोड तक सिंगल-फेज कनेक्शन और इसके ऊपर तीन-फेज
500 से अधिक यूनिट वाले उपभोक्ता 10 बजे से दोपहर 12 बजे के दौरान Re.1 / – की छूट वाले स्मार्ट मीटर का विकल्प चुन सकता है
टैरिफ तीन समूहों में है जैसे ग्रुप ए (900 यूनिट तक), बी (900-2700 यूनिट के बीच) और सी (2700 यूनिट से ऊपर)
7-kW तक सिंगल-फेज और 5 kW से ऊपर के तीन-फेज, 5 से 7 kW के बीच के उपभोक्ता को दोनों मे से कोई भी विक्लप चुन सकते है
कुटीर ज्योति/बप्ल ग्रामीण और शहरी 250W के लोड और ५० यूनिट प्रति माह खपत के लिए है। यदी खपत उससे ज्यादा होती है तो DS-I या DS-II लागू होगी।
DS-1 or DS-II मे यदि कुछ हिस्सा कमर्शियल सर्विस के लिए इस्तेमाल होता है तो कंस्यूमर को NDS-1 कनेक्शन लेना होगा
समूह हाउसिंग सोसायटी एकल बिंदु मीटरिंग लेने की इच्छा रखते है तो डीएस- III (वैकल्पिक) कनेक्शन ले सकती है। स्लैब का लाभ उपलब्ध नहीं होने से यह उपभोक्ता के लिए किफायती नहीं हो सकता है।
DS-II कंस्यूमर के लिए, महीने के दौरान दर्ज की गई मांग या अनुबंध की 85% मांग मे जो भी अधिक हो उस ही के अनुसार बिलिंग होगी । यदि किसी महीने में रिकॉर्ड की गई अधिकतम मांग अनुबंध की मांग के 110% से अधिक हो जाती है, तो अतिरिक्त मांग को सामान्य शुल्क से दोगुने पर बिल किया जाएगा।
आपूर्ति की शर्तों को जानने के लिए आपको बिहार का आपूर्ति कोड देखना होगा।
Fixed Charges
Unit Charges
Kutir Jyoti
Unmetered: Rs.350/connection/month
Metered: Rs.10/connection/Month; first 50 units 6.15/unit and remaining as per DS-I or DS-II
DS-I (Rural)
Unmetered: Rs.500/connection/month
Metered: Rs.20 /connection /month
0-50
6.15
51-100
6.4
101-200
6.7
>200
7.05
DS-II Demand-based
Rs.40 /connection /month up to 70 kW
0-100
6.15
101-200
6.95
201-300
7.8
>300
8.6
DS-III (Demand-based up to 74 kW): Fixed Charge of RS. 40/kW and at a flat rate of Rs. 7.50/unit.
फिक्स्ड और एनर्जी कॉस्ट पर पावर परचेज कॉस्ट एडजस्टमेंट (PPAC) @ 11।55%, सरचार्ज @ 8% और इलेक्ट्रिसिटी ड्यूटी @ 5% और लगेंगी
दिल्ली राज्य ने 400 यूनिट तक की खपत के लिए 200 यूनिट तक शुन्य और 200-400 इकाइयों पर आधा यूनिट चार्ज की सब्सिडी देने का निर्णय लिया है। यह फिक्स्ड कॉस्ट पर लागू नहीं है और शुल्क आदि पूरा लगेगा । “सब्सिडी के कारण ऊर्जा बिल में बचत की गणना कैसे करें” के लिए डिस्कॉम का यह वेबपेज देखें।
आपूर्ति की शर्तों को जानने के लिए आपको दिल्ली राज्य का आपूर्ति कोड देखना होगा।
सभी वितरण कंपनी DGVCL, MGVCL, PGVCL और UGVCL के लिए यह टैरिफ लागू होगा । टोरेंट पावर के पास गाँधीनगर, अहमदाबाद और सूरत में बिजली वितरण का लाइसेंस है और उनका टैरिफ थोड़ा अलग है और नीचे दिया गया है ।
निर्दिष्ट शुल्क मासिक आधार पर है लकिन वितरण लाइसेंसधारक अवधि को तय कर सकता है तथा बिलिंग उसके अनुसार टैरिफ दर समायोजित करके करें।
उन मामलों को छोड़कर जहां आपूर्ति का उपयोग उन उद्देश्यों के लिए किया जाता है जिनके लिए टैरिफ अनुसूची में कम टैरिफ प्रदान किया जाता है, किसी भी उपभोक्ता को आपूर्ति किया गया टैरिफ का उपयोग केवल उसी उद्देश्य के लिए किया जाएगा जिसके लिए आपूर्ति की जाती है ।
टैरिफ में 2.11 रुपये की ईधन बिजली खरीद मूल्य समायोजन (FPPPA) / यूनिट और 15% की बिजली ड्यूटी शामिल नहीं है जो ऊर्जा बिल पर महत्वपूर्ण प्रभाव डाल रही है।
आपूर्ति संहिता और टोरेंट पावर लिंक में नियम और शर्त प्रदान किए जाते हैं ।
RGP: 1-phase 6 kW 3-phase above 6kW
Load
Fixed Charge
Units Slab
Energy Charge
2kW
15/month
0-50
Rs. 3.05
2-4 kW
25/month
51-100
Rs. 3.5
4-6 kW
45/month
101-250
Rs. 4.15
>6 kW
70/month
>250
Rs. 5.2
BPL (incl.Rural)
5/month
0-30
Rs. 1.5
balance
As RGP
RGP: (Rural) 1-phase up to 6 kW & 3- phase above 6kW
Load
Fixed Charge
Units
Energy Charge
2kW
15/month
0-50
Rs. 2.65
2-4 kW
25/month
51-100
Rs. 3.1
4-6 kW
45/month
101-250
Rs. 3.75
>6 kW
70/month
>350
Rs. 4.9
टोरेंट पावर: अहमदाबाद, सूरत और दहेज को बिजली आपूर्ति के लिए
टैरिफ में 2.11 रुपये की ईधन बिजली खरीद मूल्य समायोजन (FPPPA) / यूनिट और 15% की बिजली ड्यूटी शामिल नहीं है जो ऊर्जा बिल पर महत्वपूर्ण प्रभाव डाल रही है।
घरेलू उपभोक्ताओं के मामले में ऊर्जा शुल्क 800 यूनिट / महीने की खपत तक टेलीस्कोपिक है। 800 यूनिट / माह से अधिक खपत के मामले में, कोई स्लैब लाभ स्वीकार्य नहीं होगा और इस अवधि के दौरान कुल खपत के लिए टैरिफ रु 7.10 होगा।
घरेलू थोक आपूर्ति के लिए निर्धारित शुल्क रु/kW से दर्ज माँग के अनुसार नीचे दिया गया हैं।
बिजली आपूर्ति की शर्तों के लिए, हरियाणा बिजली आपूर्ति कोड का देंखे ।
क्रेडिट / डेबिट कार्ड या नेट बैंकिंग द्वारा डिस्कॉम की वेबसाइट पर भुगतान गेटवे के माध्यम से भुगतान के लिए लेनदेन शुल्क (एमडीआर) का भुगतान डिस्कॉम द्वारा किया जाएगा, जो पहले के आदेश के अनुसार ही है ।
Category
Fixed Charges
Unit Charges
Category I: Total consumption up to 100 units
Rs.115 up to 2kW Rs. 75 above 2kW
0-50
Rs. 2.7
51-100
Rs. 4.5
Category II: Total consumption from 100 to 800 units
लाइफलाइन उपभोक्ता के लिए अधिकतम यूनिट की खपत सीमा 60 यूनिट है और यदि खपत अधिक होती है तो सामान्य टैरिफ लागू होगा।
GoHP द्वारा दूसरे स्लैब यानी 126-300 kWh के लिए दी गई सब्सिडी प्रीपेड मीटर उपभोक्ताओं के लिए भी लागू होगी।
प्रीपेड मीटर उपभोक्ता को बिना किसी निर्धारित शुल्क, मीटर किराए और सेवा शुल्क के साथ ऊर्जा charge लिया जाएगा
Category/Fixed Charges
Unit Charges
Lifeline Consumer Fixed Charges Rs.40/month
Up to 60 units
Rs. 3.3
Other Consumer Fixed Charges Rs. 70/month
0-125
Rs. 3.95
126-300
Rs. 4.85
Above 300
Rs. 5.45
Prepaid Energy meter
Entire Consumption
Rs. 4.85
झारखंड
विस्तृत टैरिफ ऑर्डर के लिए इस लिंक का पेज नं 127 को देंखे ।
ग्रामीण और शहरी के लिए टैरिफ इस प्रकार से है: निश्चित शुल्क रु 75/ कनेक्शन / माह और unit चार्ज रुपये 4.25 / unit
कर्नाटक
विस्तृत टैरिफ के लिए इस लिंक का अनुसूची 7 (पृष्ठ संख्या 108) और आपूर्ति की शर्तें के लिए पृष्ठ संख्या 7 देखें।
पांच वितरण कंपनी अर्थात् BESCOM, GESCOM, MESCOM, HESCOM और CESC हैं और सभी कंपनियों के लिए टैरिफ ऑर्डर समान है।
BJ/ KJ उपभोक्ता के लिए टैरिफ को पूरी तरह से GOK द्वारा सब्सिडी दी जाती है। यदि GOK द्वारा सब्सिडी जारी नहीं की जाती है, तो लागू टैरिफ रु 7.02/ यूनिट और मासिक न्यूनतम शुल्क 45 प्रति माह लिया जायेगा ।
BPL के लिए स्वीकृत लोड 100 वॉट और खपत 30 यूनिट / माह से अधिक नहीं होनी चाहिए । BPL के लिए फिक्स्ड चार्ज शून्य और यूनिट चार्ज रु 3.25 / यूनिट है लेकिन कनेक्शन का रु 45 प्रति माह न्यूनतम शुल्क देना होगा ।
महीने के दौरान उपभोग की जाने वाली इकाई के आधार पर निश्चित प्रभार की गणना की जाती है यानी प्रत्येक 15 इकाइयों या खपत किए गए भाग के लिए 0.1 किलोवाट के हिसाब से फिक्स्ड चार्ज का मूल्याङ्कन होगा।। समझने के लिए 125 इकाइयों की खपत के लिए मूल्यांकन भार 0.9 किलोवाट होगा और शहरी क्षेत्र के लिए निर्धारित शुल्क के अनुसार फिक्स्ड चार्ज रु 9×23 = 207 होगा
Rs. 70 का न्यूनतम ऊर्जा शुल्क प्रति कनेक्शन निम्न श्रेणी के लिए लागू है।
Slab
Unit (in Rs.)
Monthly fixed charge
Urban
Rural
01- 50
Rs. 4.05
Rs. 60/con
Rs. 45/con
51-100
Rs. 4.95
Rs. 100/con
Rs. 80/con
151-300
Rs. 6.3
Rs. 23/0.1kW
Rs. 20/0.1kW
300-above
Rs. 6.5
Rs. 25/0.1kW
Rs. 23/0.1kW
महाराष्ट्र
MSEDCL का टैरिफ इस लिंक के टेबल नंबर 9.27 और पेज न 475 पर दिया गया है। जबकि पावर डिस्ट्रीब्यूशन लाईसेंसी TATA, Adani और BEST उनकी वेबसाइट से लिया गया है। TATA, ADANI और BEST के लिए निर्धारित शुल्क एक ही है जबकि MSEDCL मे अलग है जैसा कि नीचे दी गई तालिका में दिखाया गया है।
विस्तृत नियम और शर्त MSEDCL के टैरिफ ऑर्डर और मुंबई क्षेत्र के लाइसेंसधारी की संबंधित वेबसाइट में हैं ।
विलंबित भुगतान पर बकाया मूल राशि पर पर देय तिथि के बाद साधारण ब्याज पर अधिभार @ 2% से लगाया जायेगा ।
अनमीटर्ड कुटिरज्योति / बीपीएल के लिए, बिल 5।1 खंड में दिए गए नियम के अनुसार लिया जायेगा ।
Category/Fixed Charge
Energy Charge
Kutirjyoti/BPL Fixed : Rs. 20/con/M
Rs.1.70
Domestic: Fixed: Rs.60/kW/M
0-100:
Rs. 3.60
101-200:
Rs. 4.35
>200:
Rs. 5.60
मेघालय
टैरिफ आर्डर के लिए इस लिंक के प्रष्ट संख्या 125 पर जाएँ ।
बिना मीटर के बिल के कुटीर ज्योति कनेक्शन पर 170 रुपया / कनेक्शन लिया जायेगा ।
मीटर वाले कुटीर ज्योति कनेक्शन के लिए 30 इकाइयाँ तक रु ३।65 तक और अधिक के लिए घरेलू टैरिफ लागू होगा ।
सिंगल पॉइंट मीटरिंग ग्रामीण और शहर का यूनिट चार्ज क्रमशः रु 3.60 और रु. 4.65 है।
सार्वजनिक प्रकाश व्यवस्था के लिए उपभोक्ताओं से रु 10 / कनेक्शन / माह वसूले जाएंगे ।
Slab
Rate
0-30
Rs 3.65
31-100
Rs 4.85
101-250
Rs 5.95
Above 250
Rs 6.85
ओडिशा
1 अप्रैल 2018 से रिटेल टैरिफ अधिसूचना जो 22 मार्च, 2018 को जारी हुई है प्रभावी होगी ।
घरेलू कुटीर ज्योति 30 यूनिट / माह खपत पर निश्चित राशि रु 80 है ।
टैरिफ आर्डर मे दिए गए नोट के अनुसार मीटर रेकनेक्शन चार्ज और मीटर रेंट दिए गएँ है। मीटर किराया साठ महीने की अवधि के लिए एकत्र किया गया ही और एक बार पूरी राशि एकत्रित करने के बाद यह रुकनी चाहिए।
नियम और शर्तें टैरिफ के बाद के पृष्ठों में विस्तृत हैं।
Slab
Energy Charges
Fixed Charges
0-50
Rs. 2.5
Rs. 20/kW for the first and additional kW per month
51-200
Rs. 4.3
201-400
Rs. 5.3
Above 400
Rs. 5.7
पंजाब
टैरिफ आर्डर के लिए इस लिंक का प्रष्ट संख्या 218 और पेज नं 198 टैरिफ के नियम और शर्तों के लिए देंखे ।
जहाँ व्यवसाय के संचालन के लिए आवासीय परिसर के एक हिस्से का नियमित रूप से उपयोग किया जाता है, उस हिस्से में आपूर्ति अलग कनेक्शन के तहत की जाएगी और अनुसूची एनआरएस के तहत बिल भेजा जाएगा।
घरेलू शुल्क SVI.3 है और SVI 3.1 से SVI 3.5 में वर्गीकृत किया गया है
Slab
Unit Charge
Fixed Charge
0-100
Rs. 4.99
Rs. 35/kW up to 2 kW
Rs. 45/kW 2 to 7 kW
Rs. 50/kW 7 to 50 kW
101-300
Rs. 6.59
301-500
Rs. 7.2
Above 500
Rs. 7.41
For load exceeding 50 kW/kVA up to 100 kVA, flat rate of Rs 6.31 and fixed charge of Rs.80 shall apply
For load exceeding above 100 kVA, flat rate of Rs 6.52 and fixed charge of Rs.80 shall apply
राजस्थान
टैरिफ के लिए लिंक का पेज नंबर 6 देखें।
सिंगल फेज 5 किलोवाट तक और इसके ऊपर थ्री फेज 100 केवीए के लोड तक।
जहां आवास का कोई हिस्सा मिश्रित लोड उद्देश्यों के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है, कनेक्शन उस उद्देश्य के लिए बिल किया जाएगा जिसके लिए टैरिफ अधिक है।
पिछले वित्तीय वर्ष की औसत मासिक खपत के आधार पर निश्चित शुल्क लगाया जाएगा।
जयपुर डिस्कॉम द्वारा अनुमोदन के बाद यदि उपभोक्ता “सोलर वाटर हीटिंग सिस्टम” स्थापित करता है और उसका उपयोग करता है तो “एनर्जी चार्ज” में 25 पैसे प्रति यूनिट की छूट दी जायगे जो अधिकतम 5 साल के लिए 300 प्रति माह से अधिक नहीं होनी चाहये ।
यदि उपभोक्ता प्रीपेड मीटरिंग प्रणाली का विकल्प चुनते हैं तो प्रति यूनिट 10 पैसे की छूट दी जाएगी ।
विलंबित भुगतान अधिभार (DPS) पर बकाया भुगतान पर 2% (दो प्रतिशत) लगाया जाएगा
ऊर्जा चार्ज और फिक्स्ड चार्ज में 0.15% की प्रोत्साहन राशि दी जायेगी यदि उपभोक्ता बिल का भुगतान देय तिधि से 7 दिन पहले कर देता है।
तमिल नायडू ने 100 यूनिट खपत तक की शून्य टैरिफ की सब्सिडी दी है।
Slab-bimonthly
Fixed Charge
Unit Charge
up to 100 units
Nil
Nil
101-200
Rs. 20/service
0-100 – Nil
101-200 – Rs. 1.50
201-500
Rs. 30/service
0-100 –Nil
101-200 – Rs. 2.0
201-500 – Rs. 3.0
501 above
Rs. 50/service
0-100 –Nil
101-200 – Rs. 3.5
201-500 – Rs. 4.6
>501 –Rs. 6.60
तेलंगाना
टैरिफ के लिए लिंक पेज नं 3 पर जाएँ ।
घरेलू उपभोक्ता के लिए कोई निश्चित (फिक्स्ड) शुल्क नहीं।
Up to 100 units
101-200 units
Above 200 units
0-50
Rs. 1.45
0-100
Rs. 3.3
0-200
Rs. 5
51-100
Rs. 2.6
101-200
Rs. 4.3
201-300
Rs. 7.2
301-400
Rs. 8.5
401-800
Rs. 9
>800
Rs. 9.5
त्रिपुरा
टैरिफ के लिए पृष्ठ सं 192 पर जाये जो आखिरी बार 2014 में जारी किया गया।
कुल बिलिंग राशि पर 2% की छूट उपभोक्ता को नियत तारीख पर या उससे पहले शीघ्र भुगतान के लिए दी जाएगी।
यदि देय तिथि के बाद भुगतान किया जाता है तो सरचार्ज @ 2% प्रति माह साधारण ब्याज पर लगाया जाएगा।
Slab
Unit charge
Fixed Charge/month
0-50
Rs. 4.84
Rs.25/conn
51-150
Rs. 5.98
Rs.45/conn
151-300
Rs. 6.16
Rs.50/conn
301 above
Rs. 7.20
Rs. 50/conn
Three Phase
Rs. 7.2
Rs.50/kW
केंद्र शासित प्रदेश
केंद्र शासित प्रदेश अंडमान और निकोबार द्वीप समूह, चंडीगढ़, दादरा और नगर हवेली, दमन और दीव, जम्मू और कश्मीर, लक्षद्वीप, लद्दाख और पुदुचेरीके लिए विद्युत अधिनियम 2003 द्वारा प्रदत्त शक्तियों के प्रयोग में, केंद्र सरकार ने दिल्ली को छोड़कर सभी केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों के लिए एक संयुक्त विद्युत नियामक आयोग का गठन किया, जिसे “केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों के लिए संयुक्त विद्युत नियामक आयोग” के रूप में जाना जाता है नोटिफिकेशन संख्या 23/52/2003-R&R dated May 2, 2005 के अनुसार । बाद में जब गोवा राज्य में शामिल हुआ तब इस आयोग को “गोवा और केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों के लिए संयुक्त विद्युत नियामक आयोग” के रूप में जाना जाने लगा। विभिन्न केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों का टैरिफ ऑर्डर इस पोस्ट में विस्तृत नहीं है। यदि कोई दिलचस्पी रखता है, तो वह उस केन्द्र शासित प्रदेश के जेईआरसी टैरिफ आदेश को खोज करे और टैरिफ और अन्य संबंधित नियमों और शर्तों के लिए अध्याय 10.1 पर जा कर पूरी जानकारी प्राप्त कर सकता है।
विलंबित भुगतान के लिए अधिभार और जुर्माना: 1.25% प्रति महीना तीन महीने तक; उसके बाद 2% प्रति महीना
नए कनेक्शन की मांग करते समय लागू सभी शुल्कों के लिए लागत डेटा बुक देखें ।
कनेक्शन / वियोग, बिलिंग, मीटर दोष, गलत बिलिंग आदि से संबंधित सभी मुद्दों के लिए आपूर्ति कोड देखें।
एकल बिंदु आपूर्ति को बहु-बिंदु आपूर्ति में बदलने के लिए आपूर्ति कोड के संशोधन संख्या 13 देखें ।
Rural Schedule
Life Line Consumer 1kW and 100 units/month
Fixed Charges: Rs. 50/kW/month and unit Rs. 3/unit and for unmetered fixed charges RS. 500 kW/month
Metered
Rural
Urban
0-100
Rs. 3.35
0-150
Rs. 5.5
101-150
Rs. 3.85
151-300
Rs. 5
151-300
Rs. 6
301-500
Rs. 5.5
301-500
Rs. 6.5
>500
Rs. 6
>500
Rs. 7
Fixed Charges
Rs. 90/kW/month
Rs. 110kW/month
Supply at single point for bulk loads 50 kW any volt
Rs. 110kW/month Rs 7/kWh
Rs. 110kW/month Rs 7/kWh
पश्चिम बंगाल
लिंक पर टैरिफ शेड्यूल दिया गया है जो विभिन्न उपभोक्ताओं के लिए लागू नियमों और शर्तों का वर्णन भी करता है।
स्लैब तिमाही खपत के लिए हैं।
लाइफलाइन के लिए फिक्स्ड चार्ज रु 5 / केवीए / माह है और अन्य घरेलू उपभोक्ताओं के लिए WBSEDC और CESC दोनों में रुपये 15 / केवीए / माह होंगे।
उपभोक्ता ध्यान देगा कि फिक्स्ड चार्ज केवीए पर है, और इसलिए, कम पावर फैक्टर डिमांड चार्ज में वृद्धि करेगा।
WBSEDC
CESC
Slab (Qtrly.)
Domestic (Rural)
Domestic(urban)
Slab (Monthly)
Unit Rate
0-102
5.26
5.37
First 25
4.89
103-180
5.86
5.97
Next 35
5.40
181-300
6.73
6.97
Next 40
6.41
301-600
7.23
7.31
Next 50
7.16
601-900
7.32
7.58
Next 50
7.33
Above 900
8.99
8.99
Next 100
7.33
Next 300
8.92
For prepaid energy meter flat rate of Rs. 6.64 will be applicable
For prepaid energy meter flat rate of Rs. 7.22/unit will be applicable
बिजली बिल का ऑनलाइन भुगतान
यदि आप अपने बिजली के बिलों का भुगतान ऑनलाइन करना चाहते हैं, तो आप पावर डिस्ट्रीब्यूशन कंपनी की वेबसाइट पर या अमेज़न की सेवाओं का उपयोग भी कर सकते हैं जो इस लिंक पर उपलब्ध है: https://amzn.to/2OtTHVS
अपने घर के बनाते या नवीनीकरण के समय आप इसके लिए सबसे अच्छा ट्यूबलाइट्स या बल्ब खरीदना चाह रहे होते है जिससे आप अपने घर को अच्छी तरह से प्रकाशित कर सके। आज ट्यूबलाइट्स और बल्ब ऐतिहासिक चर्चा का विषय हो गया है हमारे सामने इतने अधिक विकल्प उपलब्ध हो गए है की किसी को भी खरीदना और अपने घर के लिए क्या अच्छा है, तय करना काफी मुश्किल काम हो गया है। अतीत में, हम ज्यादातर सामान्य बल्ब या फ्लोरोसेंट ट्यूबलाइट प्राप्त करते थे जो इस सदी के प्रारम्भ में सीएफएल और ऊर्जा-कुशल फ्लोरोसेंट ट्यूबलाइट्स ने इनका स्थान ले लिया । लेकिन वर्तमान समय में एलईडी ट्यूबलाइट या बल्ब ही आपके लिए सबसे अच्छा विकल्प है ।
आज भारत में बहुतेरे ऊर्जा-कुशल विकल्प उपलब्ध हैं और बिजली बचाओ में हमारा प्रयास हमेशा उपभोक्ताओं को उनके सभी विकल्पों के बारे में जागरूक करने में मदद करना है। पुराने विकल्पों की तुलना में आधुनिक ऊर्जा-कुशल एलईडी ट्यूबलाइट्स या बल्ब शायद कुछ थोड़े महंगे हो सकते हैं लेकिन वे बहुत अधिक मूल्य प्रदान करते हैं। इस पोस्ट में, हम इन विकल्पों की लागत या कीमतों, उनके वाट क्षमता और उनसे मिलने वाले लाभ के बारे में चर्चा करेंगे। हम एलईडी ट्यूबलाइट्स या बल्ब खरीदारी के लिए गाइड और कुछ उत्पाद के विषय में भी चर्चा करेंगे जो बिजली बचाने मे ही नहीं अपितु अच्छी प्रकाश व्यवस्था बनाने मे भी आपकी मदद करेगी। हम यह भी चर्चा करेंगे कि आपके कमरे के लिए प्रकाश व्यवस्था कितनी अच्छी है और प्रकाश की मात्रा कैसे तय करें।
सबसे पहले, सभी पुराने और नए विकल्पों पर एक नज़र डालते हैं:
इंकंडेसेंट (Incandescent) बल्ब
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
यह बल्ब पारंपरिक पीले प्रकाश को प्रदान करते है और जबसे थॉमस एडिशन ने इसका आविष्कार किया था तबसे इसी बल्ब ने हमारे घरो को प्रकाशित किया है और विभिन्न रेटिंग्स में उपलब्ध थे: 40W, 60W और 100W, लकिन आज ऊर्जा की खपत के मामले में सबसे अक्षम सिद्ध हुए हैं। यह बॉल्ब ऊर्जा का 90% गर्मी के रूप में खो देते हैं और केवल 10% उपयोगी प्रकाश में परिवर्तित होते हैं।
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
हालांकि वे अभी भी काफी सस्ती हैं (10 / – रु) और अभी भी कुछ घरों में इसका उपयोग किया जाता है, लेकिन वे ऊर्जा -खाऊ ही कह लायेंगे। दुनिया के कई देशों ने इनका उत्पादन बंद कर दिया है। यदि वे अभी भी आपके घर में काम करने की स्थिति में हैं, तो उन्हें लागत-बचत के दृष्टिकोण से ऊर्जा-कुशल विकल्पों के साथ बदलने के लिए निर्णय लेना जरूरी है। यह भी ध्यान रखना जरूरी है के इस बल्ब मे 90% ऊर्जा गर्मी मे परिवर्तित हो जाती है तो कमरे का एयरकंडीशनिंग के लिए गर्मी लोड (heat load) भी बहुत अधिक बढ़ जाता है।
फ्लोरोसेंट लैंप
फ्लोरोसेंट लैंप, इंकंडेसेंट बल्बों (प्रकाश की समान मात्रा प्रदान करने में 50-70% बेहतर) से बेहतर हैं और वे काफी समय से बाजार में हैं। यह ट्यूब लाइट के रूप में आना शुरू हुए थे (कुछ ऐसा जिसे हम में से ज्यादातर लोग बचपन से जानते हैं) और बाद में सीएफएल के रूप में आने लगे जिससे इंकंडेसेंट लैंप के होल्डर मे ही रेट्रोफिटमेंट किया जा सके।
फ्लोरोसेंट ट्यूब लाइट
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हर एक फ्लोरोसेंट लैंप में एक बलास्ट होती है (जिसकी आवश्यकता शुरू मे हाई वाल्ट पैदा करके आर्क स्ट्राइक करने की है और बाद मे करंट को स्थिर करने के लिए) और एक ट्यूब। अतीत में ट्यूब लाइट्स इलेक्ट्रोमैग्नेटिक बलास्ट के साथ आती थीं जिससे रोशनी शुरू में फ्लिकर करती थी। उसके बाद इलेक्ट्रॉनिक बलास्ट ने उसका स्थान ले लिया जो फ्लोरोसेंट लैंप को फ्लिकर से बचाता है। इलेक्ट्रोमैग्नेटिक बलास्ट (अब केवल ऐतिहासिक अध्ययन के लिए) एक इलेक्ट्रॉनिक बलास्ट की तुलना में बहुत कम बिजली की खपत करती है। अधिकांश ट्यूब लाइटों में आज इलेक्ट्रॉनिक बलास्ट है।
समय के साथ ट्यूबलाइट विभिन्न प्रकारों में विकसित किये गए: T12, T8 और T5। ये संख्या ट्यूब के व्यास का प्रतिनिधित्व करती है (T12-3.81 सेमी or 12/8 “, T8 2.54 सेमी या 1 इंच है और T5 1.69 सेमी या 5/8” है)। संख्या जितनी कम होगी, दक्षता उतनी ही अधिक होगी। इलेक्ट्रोमैग्नेटिक बलास्ट के साथ एक T12 ट्यूब लाइट आमतौर पर 55W बिजली की खपत करती है, लेकिन इलेक्ट्रॉनिक बलास्ट वाली एक T5 केवल 28W बिजली की खपत करती है (तुलना 4 फीट ट्यूबलाइट के लिए है)। इस प्रकार एक T5 के मुकाबले T12 ट्यूब लाइट पर लगभग 50% बिजली की बचत प्रदान होती है । T8s आमतौर पर 38W ट्यूबलाइट हैं और T12s से बेहतर हैं। भले ही T5s अपने स्वर्णिम समय थोड़े महंगे थे लेकिन फिर भी T8 या T12 को बदल देने पर एक साल के भीतर पेबैक हो जाता था। साथ ही, उनकी लाइफ काफी अच्छी थी और वे कम से कम 3-4 साल तक काम करती थी । कई कंपनियां T5 पर 1-2 साल की रिप्लेसमेंट वारंटी भी देती रही हैं । इस प्रकार पेबैक वारंटी अवधि के भीतर होता है। हालांकि, फ्लोरोसेंट ट्यूबलाइट्स इन दिनों अप्रचलित हो रहे हैं और एलईडी ट्यूबलाइट्स द्वारा प्रतिस्थापित हो रहे हैं।
सीएफएल (कॉम्पैक्ट फ्लोरोसेंट लैंप)
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सीएफएल को काफी समय से ऊर्जा बचत सबसे अच्छा विकल्प माना जाता रहा है। सीएफएल फ्लोरोसेंट लैंप (या ट्यूब लाइट) का एक प्रकार है, लेकिन इंकंडेसेंट लैंप के रेट्रो फिटमेंट के उद्देश्य से विकसित किया गया है। सीएफएल प्रकाश के एक बिंदु स्रोत के रूप में कार्य करते हैं (एक बिंदु से उत्पन्न होने वाली प्रकाश) जबकि ट्यूब लाइट लाइन स्रोत हैं (ट्यूब लाइट की लंबाई बड़ी होती है) और इस प्रकार ट्यूब लाइट द्वारा कवर किया गया क्षेत्र सीएफएल की तुलना में बहुत अधिक है। यही कारण है कि बहुत से लोगों को लगता है कि सीएफएल ट्यूब लाइट की तुलना में कम रोशनी का उत्पादन करते हैं। समान वाट क्षमता (2x14W सीएफएल) के साथ भी प्रकाश की मात्रा सीएफएल के बिंदु स्रोत होने के कारण टी 28 ट्यूबलाइट (28W की) की तुलना में कम महसूस होती है। आकार में कॉम्पैक्ट होने वाले सीएफएल कम वॉटेज के बल्ब बनाने के विकल्प मे भी विकसित किये गए जो छोटे स्थानों को आवश्यकता को पूरा कर सकते हैं जहां ट्यूबलाइट अतिरिक्त रोशनी (आवश्यकता से अधिक) प्रदान करती हैं। सीएफएल एक सामान्य इंकंडेसेंट लैंप के मुकाबले 70% तक ऊर्जा बचत प्रदान करती रही है। हालांकि एक इंकंडेसेंट लैंप की तुलना में थोड़ा अधिक महंगा रहा, लकिन पेबैक एक वर्ष के भीतर होता था और बहुत लोकप्रिय रही । लकिन आज एलईडी लैंप के विकसित होने के बाद सीएफएल का स्वर्णिम समय पूरा हो रहा है और उसे एलईडी लैंप से बदला जा रहा है ।
इंकंडेसेंट (20 वीं सदी की शुरुआत) और फ्लोरोसेंट (20 वीं शताब्दी के मध्य की शुरुआत) लैंप अब केवल एक विशिष्ट क्षेत्र में सीमित उपयोग के साथ इंजीनियरिंग अध्ययन के लिए ही महत्त्व रह गया हैं और रोशनी इंजीनियरिंग का क्षेत्र अब पूरी तरह से एलईडी रोशनी (21 वीं सदी की शुरुआत) द्वारा ले लिया गया है) जब तक अधिक ऊर्जा-कुशल स्रोत की खोज नहीं हो जाती है।
एलईडी (प्रकाश एमिटिंग डायोड)
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एल ई डी नवीनतम और सबसे कुशल प्रकाश विकल्प हैं जो बाजार में उपलब्ध हैं। बिजली की खपत के लिए सीएफएल और फ्लोरोसेंट लैंप की तुलना में उनकी बिजली की खपत कम है। एल ई डी लगभग 10-25 वर्षों के समय तक चलने वाले होते हैं और उनका प्रदर्शन पूरे जीवनकाल के दौरान समान रहता है (ट्यूबलाइट्स और सीएफएल समय के साथ मंद हो जाते हैं)। हालांकि पहले लॉन्च और 2015 तक की अवधि के दौरान थोड़ा महंगा था, लेकिन भारत सरकार के प्रोत्साहन से बड़े स्तर पर उत्पादन और दरों को घटाकर रु। 38 प्रति 9 डब्ल्यू एलईडी लैंप और उत्पादन 4 करोड़ के स्तर तक पहुंच गया जो पहले केवल 10 लाख ही था। LED आदर्श रूप से लंबे समय तक चलने वाले विकल्प हैं क्योंकि एलईड की लाइफ लगभग 10 वर्ष है। लेकिन एलईडी में स्थापित ड्राइवर के विफल होने की सम्भावना बनी रहती है । यदि आप एक असफल एलईडी का सामना करते हैं, तो यह देखने की कोशिश करें कि क्या आपका इलेक्ट्रीशियन ड्राइवर को बदल सकता है और इसे फिर से काम करा सकता है तो काम खर्च करके आप उसे दुरस्त करा सकते है।
एलईडी ट्यूबलाइट्स
एलईडी ट्यूबलाइट्स नियमित ट्यूबलाइट्स के एक अच्छा विकल्प हैं। वे प्रकाश का एक लाइन स्रोत हैं और इस प्रकार वे एक बड़े क्षेत्र को कवर करते हैं। इन दिनों बाजार में एलईडी ट्यूबलाइट्स के कई विकल्प उपलब्ध हैं: 18 वाट, 20 वाट, 22 वाट, आदि। प्रकाश उत्पादन (या ल्यूमन्स आउटपुट) के संदर्भ में 20 वाट का एलईडी ट्यूबलाइट एक पुराने 40 वाट टी -8 और 27 वाट टी -5 ट्यूबलाइट के समान है।।
एलईडी बल्ब
एलईडी बल्ब सीएफएल बल्ब का रेट्रोफिटमेंट यानी प्रतिस्थापन का बहुत अच्छा विकल्प है। प्रतिस्थापन के विषय मे सोचने के समय ध्यान दे की लेद लैंप के प्रकार कौन से है। B 22 पिन टाइप , E27 स्क्रू टाइप E15 स्क्रू टाइप और सजावटी प्रकाश व्यवस्था के लिए उपयोग होता है। ये प्रकाश का एक बिंदु स्रोत हैं और इस प्रकार एक छोटे से क्षेत्र को कवर करते हैं। यदि आप अपने मौजूदा सीएफएल को बदलना चाहते हैं, तो आप तुलना पाने के लिए नीचे दी गई तालिका को देख सकते हैं:
Light Output
LEDs
CFLs
Lumens
Watts
Watts
450-600
4-5
8-12
750-900
6-8
13-18
1100-1300
9-13
18-22
1600-1800
16-20
23-30
2600-2800
25-28
30-55
वर्ष 2019 में सर्वश्रेष्ठ लैंप
ऊपर से यह स्पष्ट है कि आपके घर के लिए लैंप के चयन करते समय एलईडी लैंप का उपयोग करना सबसे अच्छा विकल्प है। प्रकाश के किसी अन्य स्रोत की तुलना में एलईडी का मुख्य लाभ यह है:
कोई वार्म-अप देरी नहीं करता है और बिना किसी फ़्लिकेरिंग के तुरंत शुरू होता है जो फ्लोरोसेंट लैंप में प्रायः पाया जाता है।
बार-बार स्विच के इस्तेम्मल से लाइफ पर कोई प्रभाव नहीं पड़ता है।
रेट्रो फिटमेंट विकल्प विकसित किये गए है जिससे वर्तमान में लगे हुए लैंप के बदलाव करने मे कोई कठिनाई न हो।
बीम के कोण के बढ़ने के लिए एलईडी चिप्स जिसमे एक से अधिक एलईडी लगाई जा सके और रिफ्लेक्टर को विकसित किया गया है ।
160 से 280 वाल्ट तक के वोल्टेज उतार-चढ़ाव की सहन करने की क्षमता रखता है।
किसी भी आवश्यकता, आकार, साइज आदि की जरूरत को पूरा करने के साथ साथ एलईडी का उपयोग ने कई सजावटी रोशनी विकल्पों का जन्म दिया है ।
लैंप के खरीदारी के लिए गाइड
बल्ब या ट्यूब लाइट क्षमता परंपरागत रूप से ‘वाट’ के द्वारा निर्देशित किया गया है। लेकिन वाट उत्पादित प्रकाश की वास्तविक मात्रा का प्रतिनिधित्व नहीं करत है। उत्पादित प्रकाश की मात्रा को ‘लुमेन’ से दर्शाया जाता है। इसलिए दो लैंप की तुलना करने के लिए लैंप के लुमेन आउटपुट की ही तुलना करनी चाहिए।
लुमेन आउटपुट
लुमेन आउटपुट लैंप की दक्षता को परिभाषित करता है। यदि इनपुट वाट है तो लुमेन आउटपुट है और लुमेन / वाट दीपक की दक्षता को परिभाषित करता है।
प्रकाश के वितरण का कोण
प्रकाश के वितरण का कोण प्रकाश स्रोत द्वारा उत्पादित बीम कोण है। एलईडी एक बिंदु स्रोत है, लेकिन यह सघन और चमकदार है, जो स्पॉटलाइट, फ्लडलाइट, वाइड फ्लडलाइट और बहुत व्यापक फ्लडलाइट की आवश्यकता वाले बड़े अनुप्रयोगों के लिए उपयोग करने योग्य बनाया जा सकता है।
रंग प्रतिपादन सूचकांक (CRI)
यह वह सूचकांक है जो प्रकाश को रंग को मापता है यह बताता है की वह वास्तविक प्रकाश के कितने करीब है। सीआरआई 0-100 के बीच मापा जाता है। यदि CRI उच्च है तो प्रकाश की गुणवत्ता अधिक है। यदि CRI कम है, तो प्रकाश की गुणवत्ता कम है।
केल्विन स्केल पर रंग का तापमान
रंग तापमान एक प्रकाश बल्ब द्वारा प्रदान की गई प्रकाश रंग का वर्णन करने का एक तरीका है। इसे केल्विन (K) की डिग्री में 1,000 से 10,000 तक के पैमाने पर मापा जाता है। आमतौर पर, वाणिज्यिक और आवासीय प्रकाश अनुप्रयोगों के लिए केल्विन तापमान 2000K से 6500K के पैमाने पर बीच मे रहता है । नीचे दी गई तालिका में प्रकाश की ओर रंग तापमान की गुणवत्ता का वर्णन किया गया है।
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Color Temperature
Quality of Light
2700K-3500K
Yellowish Light
4000K-4500 K
Less Yellowish Light
5000K-6500K
White light
केल्विन पैमाने पर जितना अधिक आगे बढ़ते हैं तो सबसे पहले पीली रोशनी, सफेद रोशनी, और नीली रोशनी में प्रगति करेंगे। इंकंडेंसेंट और हलोजन रोशनी 2500K – 3000K के बीच होती है। प्रत्यक्ष सूर्य के प्रकाश 4800K के बराबर है। 5600K के आसपास डे लाइट पाई जाती है। एक बदली आकाश या कूल सफेद 6000K-7500K के बीच पाया जा सकता है। एक साफ नीला आकाश 10,000K पर पाया जा सकता है।
आपके कमरे के लिए कितना प्रकाश आवश्यक है?
एक कमरे के लिए आवश्यक प्रकाश की मात्रा कमरे के आकार और कमरे के उद्देश्य पर निर्भर करती है। जटिल कार्यों जैसा की इलेक्ट्रॉनिक सामान की रिपेयर, आदि के लिए अधिक प्रकाश की आवश्यकता होती है और कमरे मे केवल घूमने के लिए कम रोशनी की आवश्यकता होती है। पार्किंग मे काम प्रकाश की आवश्यकता होती है।एक क्षेत्र में आवश्यक प्रकाश की मात्रा को “लक्स” (साबुन का एक लोकप्रिय ब्रांड) के स्तर के रूप में परिभाषित किया गया है जो लुमेन / क्षेत्रफल (lumen / m2) के बराबर है। नीचे दी गई तालिका विभिन्न कार्यों के लिए लक्स स्तर का एक मापदंड कैलकुलेशन मे किया जा सकता है:
इसलिए यदि आपके पास एक कमरा है जो 10 फीट x 10 फीट (जो 9.29 m2 है) और आप कमरे में आसान कार्य करना चाहते हैं, तो कमरे में आवश्यक प्रकाश की मात्रा 250 x 9.29 = लगभग 2400 लुमेन है। एक सिंगल ट्यूब लाइट से इसे प्राप्त कर सकते हैं। हर लैंप के रेटिंग प्लेट पर उसकी लुमेन आउटपुट दिया जाता है और आप अपनी आवश्यकता से कैलकुलेशन कर सकते है।
यदि आपके पास एक वर्ग मीटर का एक छोटा क्षेत्र है और आप इसे कंप्यूटर के काम के लिए उपयोग करते हैं, तो 12-वाट का सीएफएल या 8 वाट के LED इसके लिए अच्छा है।
Activity
Illumination
(in Lux i.e. Lumen/m2
Public areas with dark surroundings
20-50
Simple orientation for short visits
50-100
Working areas where visual tasks are only occasionally performed
100-150
Warehouses, Homes, Theaters, Archives
150
Easy Office Work, Classes
250
Normal Office Work, PC Work, Study Library
500
टास्क-आधारित प्रकाश व्यवस्था के अनुसार आप खुद से अपने कमरे मे लाइट सिस्टम डिज़ाइन कर सकते है।
आप बिजली कब बर्बाद करते हैं?
जब आप आवश्यकता से अधिक ल्यूमन्स का उपयोग किसी कमरे में करते हैं तो आप अतिरिक्त प्रकाश व्यवस्था के लिए बिजली बर्बाद कर रहे हैं। ऐसा होने पर कई मामले सामने आते हैं:
एक कमरे में वांछित से अधिक रोशनी डाली जाती है।
इंदिरेक्ट लाइट का अधिक इस्तेमाल करना।
कई बार रोशनी के रस्ते मे कुछ रुकावट होती है और कम रोशनी के लिए अतिरिक्त रोशनी का इंतजाम करना पड़ता है।
यदि आप बिजली बचाना चाहते हैं, तो सुनिश्चित करें कि उपरोक्त में से कोई भी बाधा तो पैदा नहीं कर रहा है।
क्या जीवन भर बल्ब की चमक एक समान रहती है?
नहीं। यह अधिकांश बल्बों के प्रकार पर निर्भर करता है और इंकंडेसेंट और फ्लोरोसेंट लैंप मे समय के साथ घटता है। लकिन एल ई डी को अपने पूरे जीवन में प्रकाश के समान स्तर के लिए जाना जाता है और वास्तव इस प्रकार की परफॉरमेंस भी प्रदान कर रहे है।
Type
Life
Incandescent Bulb
750-1000 hrs
CFL
6000-10000 hrs
Tube-lights
7000-24000 hrs
LED
25000-50000 hrs
ऊपर की रेंज औसत गुणवत्ता वाले बल्ब से अच्छी गुणवत्ता के बल्ब के लिए है। इस विषय मे और अधिक के लिए लिंक 1 और लिंक 2 पर क्लिक करें।
पर्यावरण के अनुकूल
एलईडी प्रकाश व्यवस्था सभी उपलब्ध प्रकाश व्यवस्थाओं मे सबसे अधिक पर्यावरण के अनुकूल है। ये इसलिए है क्योंकि:
इसमें पारा के इस्तेमाल नहीं होता है जबकि फ्लोरोसेंट बल्ब मे पारा इस्तेमाल होता है जो पर्यावरण के लिए हानिकारक है। इस लैंप का निपटारा करने के लिए बहुत अधिक नियम बने गए जिन्हे कार्यावरण करने मे भी बहुत परेशानी होती थी।
यह लंबे समय तक कार्य करता रहता है (लगभग 10-20 वर्ष) और इस प्रकार इसका निपटारा करने की कोई चिंता नहीं है।
भारत में एलईडी लैंप निर्माता के 10 सर्वश्रेष्ठ ब्रांड
हमने उपभोक्ता के हित को ध्यान मे रखकर एलईडी लैंप के 10 सर्वश्रेष्ठ ब्रांड की पहचान की जो निम्नलिखित हैं 1. फिलिप्स 2. ओसराम 3. हैवेल्स 4. विप्रो 5. बजाज 6. साइस्का 7. सूर्या 8. क्रॉम्पटन 9. मोजर बेयर और 10. ओरेवा। इन सब में से किसी एक को चुनना काफी मुश्किल काम है इसलिए उपभोक्ता आम तौर पर कीमत और अपनी मूल आवश्यकता को पूरा करने के आधार पर तुलना करते हैं। अमेजन / फ्लिपकार्ट पर अधिक मात्रा के ऑर्डर पर काफी छूट मिलती और ऑनलाइन लिंक पर देखा जा सकता है और निर्णय लिया जा सकता है । एलईडी लैंप की घरेलू आवश्यकता आमतौर पर (ए) एलईडी बल्ब (बी) एलईडी ट्यूब लाइट (सी) डाउनलाइट / स्पॉटलाइट (डी) पैनल लाइट (स्क्वायर या गोल) (ई) दर्पण प्रकाश और (एफ) सजावटी की आवश्यकता के तहत कवर की जाती है। (ए) से (डी) की आवश्यकता सामान्य उद्देश्य है और बाजार में उपलब्ध विभिन्न निर्माताओं के मूल्य और कई मॉडलों के आधार पर चुनना आसान है।
बीईई द्वारा एलईडी लैंप की स्टार लेबलिंग
बीईई स्टार लेबलिंग की जाँच कर उपभोक्ता के लिए सबसे अच्छे विकल्पों में से चुनाव करने मे आसानी हो जाती है । एक और दो स्टार रेटिंग देना बंद हो गया है।आज के समय लुमेन / वाट में 90-105 के बीच 3-स्टार, 105 से 120 के बीच 4-स्टार और 120 से ऊपर 5-स्टार की रेटिंग दे जाती है । वर्तमान मे एलईडी लैंप उपलब्ध हैं वो 3-स्टार है या कुछ ब्रांड 4-स्टार रेटिंग को भी क्लेम करती है। लकिन वह दिन दूर नहीं जब 4 और 5 स्टार रेटेड एलईडी लैंप आसानी से उपलब्ध होंगे। अमेज़ॅन पर उनके उत्पाद विनिर्देश में कुछ के द्वारा किए गए दावों के अनुसार, 140 लुमेन / वाट का दावा भी किया गया है, लेकिन बीईई के अनुसार किसी ब्रांड ने पांच स्टार रेटिंग के लिए आवदेन नहीं किया है। कुछ ब्रांड जैसे की विप्रो दावा करता है कि उनके लैंप एलएम 79 या 80 के अनुसार यूएल (अंडरराइटर लेबोरेटरीज) परीक्षण किये गए है। UL एक स्वतंत्र एजेंसी है और उसके द्वारा दिए गए गुणवत्ता आश्वासन और समय समय पर परीक्षण पुनरावृत्ति एक अच्छे उत्पाद की और इशारा करती है।
अमेज़ॅन पर अपने घर के लिए एलईडी लाइट्स चुनें
20W ट्यूबलाइट
3-स्टार रेटिंग या 90 और 105 लुमेन / वाट के बीच लोकप्रिय ब्रांड और दक्षता
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एलईडी बल्ब को इंकंडेसेंट या सीएफएल लैंप के पारंपरिक डिजाइन को बदलने के लिए डिज़ाइन किया गया है। यह बल्ब पारंपरिक रूप से तीन प्रकार हैं (ए) बी 22-पिन साइज 22 मिमी बल्ब आधार व्यास के अनुसार और पारंपरिक प्रकाश व्यवस्था के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है; (बी) ई 13-स्क्रू साइज 13 मिमी के बल्ब आधार व्यास के साथ और सजावटी प्रकाश व्यवस्था के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है (सी) ई 27–स्क्रू साइज 27-मिमी के बल्ब आधार व्यास के साथ और पारंपरिक दीवार / छत प्रकाश व्यवस्था के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है। अब निर्माताओं (जैसे फिलिप्स) पिन या स्क्रू होल्डर में ट्यूबलाइट के साथ निर्माण करने शुरू कर दिया है । यहां अमेजन ई-कॉमर्स वेबसाइट पर आम तौर पर उपयोग किए जाने वाले कुछ विकल्प दिए गए हैं।
पैनल लाइटिंग को आम तौर पर सीधे प्रकाश से बचने के लिए समान वितरण के साथ छत पर लगाया जाता है। विभिन्न वाट क्षमता और आयामों के गोल और चौकोर आकार में उपलब्ध है।
वे दिन गए जब एलसीडी और एलईडी के बीच प्रतिद्वंद्विता हुआ करती थी। आज वर्ष 2019 है और टेक्नोलॉजी काफी आगे बढ़ गयी है। आज OLED और QLED जैसी प्रीमियम टेक्नोलॉजी का ज़माना है। इन्हे खरीदने से पहले आपका ये जानना ज़रूरी है की वास्तव में OLED और QLED क्या हैं? इनमे से कौन बेहतर है? खैर, हम इस लेख में आपके लिए सभी प्रश्नों का उत्तर आम आदमी की समझ मे आने वाली भाषा मे देंगे। आशा है इस लेख को पढ़ने के बाद, आप आश्वस्त हो जाएंगे और विक्रेता के द्वारा इस्तेमाल किये जाने वाली शब्दावली को समझ कर वापिस प्रश्न कर सकते है और एक अच्छे और आपकी आवश्यकता के अनुसार ही आप अपना टेलीविजन खरीद रहें है। OLED बनाम QLED की लड़ाई दो कोरियाई दिग्गजों की प्रतिद्वंद्विता को दर्शाती है जिन्होंने अपने टीवी का वर्णन करने के लिए इस बहुत से शब्दजाल का इस्तेमाल किया। लेकिन QLED और OLED तकनीकी रूप से भिन्न हैं- यह केवल सेब और संतरे की तुलना करने जैसा है।
कुछ दशक पहले जब आप टीवी या पीसी खरीदते थे, तो स्क्रीन का आकार बड़ा हुआ करता था और तब के उपकरण, समकालीन CRT तकनीक के उपयोग के कारण काफी भारी होता था। एलसीडी स्क्रीन के आने के उपरान्त स्क्रीन की मोटाई को कम करने में काफी मदद मिली। फिर एलसीडी की तकनीक में सुधार और एलईडी स्क्रीन आए जो स्लिमर और अधिक ऊर्जा-कुशल थे। दिलचस्प है, एल ई डी मौलिक रूप से एलसीडी से अलग नहीं हैं, वे एलसीडी पैनल का उपयोग करते हैं लेकिन कैथोड बैकलाइटिंग के बजाय एक एलईडी बैकलाइटिंग प्रयोग की जाती है।
लेकिन पिछले कुछ वर्षों में, दो नई प्रौद्योगिकियांएलईडी टीवी की प्रासंगिकता को चुनौती दे रही हैं, विशेष रूप से प्रीमियम खंड बड़े आकार के टेलीविजन में। तो, आइए एक-एक करके इन दो तकनीकों पर गौर करें और फिर गहराई से तुलना करें।
QLED क्या है?
QLED का अर्थ है क्वांटम-डॉट एलईडी (Quantaum – Dot LED )। क्वांटम डॉट्स सूक्ष्म कण होते हैं। साधारण प्रकाश के पड़ने पर ये सूक्ष्म कण, अलग-अलग रंग के होते हुए भी, अपने स्वयं के प्रकाश का उत्सर्जन करते हैं। QLED तकनीक के साथ आने वाले टीवी में, क्वांटम डॉट्स को एक फिल्म में समाहित किया गया है और जो प्रकाश उन्हें हिट करता है, वह एलईडी बैकलाइट की शीट द्वारा उत्पन्न होता है। यह उत्पन्न प्रकाश, अंतिम एलसीडी परत पर चित्र / दृश्य प्रदर्शित करने के लिए, टेलीविज़न के अंदर कुछ अन्य परतों से होकर गुजरता है। एलईडी बैकलाइट से प्रकाश को अलग-अलग परतों के माध्यम से अंततः स्क्रीन की सतह पर प्रेषित किया जाता है और इसीलिए QLED को ट्रांस्मिसिव टाइप डिस्प्ले कहा जाता है।
सैमसंग क्वांटम डॉट डिसप्ले तकनीक का अग्रणी है और वर्ष 2015 से इस टेक्नोलॉजी के द्वारा अपनी टीवी के दुनिया मे अपना वर्चस्व स्थापित करने की लिए क्वांटम डॉट्स तकनिकी का उपयोग कर रहा है। इसे शुरू मे SUHD कहते थे। लेकिन 2017 के बाद सैमसंग ने इस तकनीक को वर्तमान में लोकप्रिय बनाने हेतु “QLED” के रूप में प्रस्तुत किया है।
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जैसा कि कई टेक जानकारों ने ठीक ही कहा है कि यह नाम ओएलईडी के समान है- जो कि प्रतिस्पर्धित कंपनी एलजी द्वारा पेश की गई तकनीक है। सैमसंग का दावा है कि ये क्वांटम डॉट्स समय के साथ काफी विकसित हुए हैं। वे मानते हैं कि नए क्वांटम डॉट्स के कारण टेलीविजन से रंग का सही इस्तेमाल और सामान्य उत्पादन में जबरदस्त सुधार हुआ है। लेकिन हमारे शोध और परीक्षण में, हमने पाया कि QLED डिस्प्ले के परिणाम में सुधार, एक साधारण जानकार उपयोगकर्ता के लिए कुछ विशिष्ट नहीं हैं, लेकिन इससे निश्चित रूप से छवि गुणवत्ता में सुधार हुआ है। और अगर आप साधारण एलईडी टीवी से QLED में जाते हैं तो आप निश्चित रूप से प्रसन्न होंगे।
सैमसंग के अलावा, TCL और विज़िओ अन्य दो ब्रांड हैं जो QLED तकनीक प्रदान करते हैं। लेकिन यह सैमसंग ही है जो QLED डिस्प्ले पैनल और दूसरी कंपनी को आपूर्ती करता है। एलजी के पास नैनो सेल डिस्प्ले तकनीक है जो सैमसंग के QLED से काफी मिलती-जुलती है।
OLED क्या है?
OLED यानि आर्गेनिक प्रकाश उत्सर्जक डायोड (और Organic Light Emitting Diode) कहा जाता है जिसे एलजी द्वारा मार्किट की गई एक तकनीक है जिसमें विशेष पैनल का इस्तेमाल किया गया है जो विद्युत के प्रवाह से अपनी स्वयं की रोशनी उत्सर्जित करने में सक्षम है।
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वास्तव में, OLED और QLED के बीच अंतर को संक्षेप में इस प्रकार से प्रस्तुत किया जा सकता है:
QLED मौजूदा टीवी डिस्प्ले प्रौद्योगिकी का एक संशोधित और उन्नत संस्करण है जबकि OLED मौलिक रूप से नयी तकनीक है। ऐसा इसलिए क्योंकि OLED मे प्रकाश उत्पन्न करने के लिए कोई भी एलईडी या अलग से बैकलाइट का उपयोग नहीं होता है। इसकी जगह प्रकाश लाखों अलग-अलग OLED सबपिक्सल द्वारा निर्मित होता है। छवि बनाने वाले पिक्सेल एलईडी बैकलाइटिंग पर निर्भर होने के बजाय स्वयं प्रकाश उत्सर्जित करने में सक्षम हैं।
OLED तकनीक को प्रेषणशील प्रौद्योगिकी (emissive technology) के रूप में संदर्भित किया जाता है और QLED संचारित प्रौद्योगिकी (transmissive technology) कह लाती है। स्व-प्रकाश पुनरुत्पादन क्षमता व्यापक रूप से सुधरी हुई तस्वीर की गुणवत्ता, विस्तृत रंग सरगम (Wide Color Gamut-WCG), Deep Color Saturation और व्यापक देखने के कोण में तब्दील प्रदान करता है।
एलजी, सोनी, पैनासोनिक और फिलिप्स के अलावा कुछ अन्य लोकप्रिय टीवी ब्रांड हैं जो OLED टेलीविजन बेचते हैं। लेकिन जैसे सैमसंग अन्य ब्रांडों के लिए भी QLED पैनल बनाती है, वैसे ही यह LG भी अन्य टीवी निर्माताओं को OLED Display की आपूर्ति करता है।
OLED बनाम QLED: तुलनात्मक अध्ययन
हमारे व्यापक शोध के आधार पर, हमने दो प्रौद्योगिकियों के बीच महत्वपूर्ण अंतर को उनके गुन और अवगुण के साथ सूचीबद्ध किया है।
OLED लगातार अच्छी तस्वीर पेश करता है
तस्वीर की गुणवत्ता अलग-अलग QLED मॉडल में व्यापक रूप से भिन्न होती है। सैमसंग अकेले 20 से अधिक मॉडलों में QLED प्रदान करता है। बहुत अधिक महंगा सबसे सस्ता की तुलना में बेहतर प्रदर्शन करते हैं। और अंतर्ज्ञान के विपरीत, केवल क्वांटम डॉट तकनीक में सुधार के कारण तस्वीर की गुणवत्ता में ये सुधार नहीं होते हैं। इसमें फुल-एरे लोकल डिमिंग का उपयोग के कारण अधिक है, जिसके परिणामस्वरूप ग्राहक को ब्राइट हाइलाइट्स और बेहतर व्यूइंग एंगल प्राप्त होता हैं।
दूसरी ओर ओएलईडी टीवी, उनकी तस्वीर की गुणवत्ता के साथ अधिक सुसंगत हैं – जो कि ग्राहक को अधिक भाता है। मॉडलों के बीच भिन्नता न्यूनतम है और व्यावहारिक रूप से एक साधारण तकनीक जानकारी वाला उपयोगकर्ता को कोई फर्क प्रतीत नहीं होगा ।
OLED में सबसे अच्छा पिक्चर कंट्रास्ट है
सबसे प्रमुख कारकों में से एक जो इमेज की गुणवत्ता का निर्णय करता है वह ब्लैक लेवल है। ओएलईडी में उपयोग किए जाने वाले आर्गेनिक डायोड के उत्सर्जक तकनिकी के फलस्वरूप, वे सैद्धांतिक रूप से अप्रयुक्त पिक्सल को पूरी तरह से बंद कर सकते हैं और सर्व श्रेष्ठ पिक्चर कंट्रास्ट अनंत तक प्रस्तुत करने की क्षमता रखते है। इसके कारण इमेज कंट्रास्ट OLED से मिल सकता है वह QLED से वर्तमान में उपलब्ध टेक्नोलॉजी से संभव नहीं है।
QLED अधिक ब्राइट है
QLED के सबसे बड़े लाभों में से एक यह है कि वे उज्जवल इमेज प्रदर्शित कर सकते हैं। यह उस कमरे में बहुत फायदेमंद हो जाता है जहां टीवी सेटअप ऐसा है कि सीधे सूर्य की रोशनी टीवी पर आती है और टीवी देखने के अनुभव को खराब कर देती है। चमकीले QLED टीवी के साथ HDR प्रोग्राम को देखने पर अधिक अच्छे अनुभव की अनुभूति होती है । हालांकि ओएलईडी एलईडी टीवी की तुलना में शानदार हैं लेकिन QLED टीवी के ब्राइटनेस स्तर से मेल नहीं खा सकते हैं।
QLED के साथ अधिक स्क्रीन आकार विकल्प उपलब्ध हैं
जब ओएलईडी तकनीक की बात आती है, तो आप अधिकतर 55″ या 65″ स्क्रीन के आकार वाले टीवी पाते हैं। OLED टीवी का खरीदने के लिए आपको कुछ लाख खर्च करने होंगे। OLED पैनल डिस्प्ले का LG ही का एकमात्र निर्माता है। OLED पैनल का उत्पादन कम दाम पर उत्पादन करने के लिए अधिक मांग का होना आवश्यक है जो वर्तमान डिमांड के अनुसार LG के लिए काफी नहीं है। यही कारण है कि OLEDs वर्तमान में बहुत महंगे हैं और केवल बड़े स्क्रीन आकार के साथ आते हैं। दूसरी ओर, QLEDs अपेक्षाकृत 43″ ‘स्क्रीन साइज से लेकर बहुत बड़े 98″ तक सभी तरह की साइज में उपलब्ध हैं। इसका अपेक्षाकृत QLED, OLED की तुलना में, छोटे आकार के टीवी का उत्पादन उचित दाम पर करने मे सक्षम है।
OLED स्क्रीन बर्न-इन के लिए अतिसंवेदनशील होते हैं
स्क्रीन बर्न-इन, जिसे घोस्टिंग भी कहा जाता है, आमतौर पर एक ही पिक्सेल के लगातार उपयोग के कारण टीवी डिस्प्ले पर कुछ क्षेत्रों को स्थाई करने को संदर्भित करता है। यह आमतौर पर तब होता है जब छवि का कोई हिस्सा जैसे कि चैनल लोगो, समाचार टिकर स्क्रीन पर कुछ दिनों तक बिना ब्रेक के रहता है। उदाहरण के लिए यदि आप टीवी पर स्टार स्पोर्ट्स चलाते हैं और इसे कुछ दिनों तक बिना चैनल बदले रखते हैं या टीवी बंद करते हैं, तो स्टार स्पोर्ट्स का लोगो स्क्रीन पर अंकित हो सकता है, जो चैनल स्विच करने या बंद करने पर भी टेलीविज़न पर दिखाई देगा। यदि आपका टीवी एक ही चैनल पर नहीं लगा रहता है और लम्बे समय के लिए चौबीसों घंटे नहीं चलता है तो बर्न-इन के समस्या आपको परेशान नहीं करेगी। सैद्धांतिक रूप से, सभी टीवी स्क्रीन स्क्रीन बर्न से पीड़ित हो सकते हैं, लेकिन OLED इस घटना के लिए अतिसंवेदनशील होते हैं।
माइक्रोएलईडी: द फ्यूचर ऑफ ओएलईडी एंड क्यूएलईडी
यदि आप सबसे अच्छी तस्वीर की गुणवत्ता चाहते हैं, तो एलजी द्वारा निर्मित OLED टीवी निश्चित रूप से एक बेहतर विकल्प होगा। लेकिन धेर्ये रखें, सैमसंग भविष्य में OLED को हराने के लिए विभिन्न प्रकार के वैकल्पिक QLED पर काम कर रहा है। यह QLED के नए संस्करण पर काम कर रहा है जिसमें प्लाज्मा और ओएलईडी की तरह “एमिसिव टेक्नोलॉजी” है। तकनीकी रूप से इसे डायरेक्ट-व्यू क्वांटम डॉट कहा जाता है, यह लिक्विड क्रिस्टल लेयर्स के साथ फैलता है और प्रकाश के स्रोत के रूप में क्वांटम डॉट्स का उपयोग करता है। यह QLED, OLED की तरह पूर्ण अश्वेतों को पकड़ने और इनफिनिट कंट्रास्ट को भी प्राप्त करने में सक्षम होंगे । लेकिन अगर सूत्रों की मानें तो आम उपभोक्ताओं के लिए इसमें कुछ साल लगेंगे। हो सकता है कि हमारे पास शायद तब तक EQLEDs जैसा एक और संक्षिप्त नाम इस टीवी तकनिकी की पहचान देने की लिए आ जाये।
सैमसंग की ओर से एक और इमिजेबल डिस्प्ले तकनीक पर काम किया जा रहा है, जिसे माइक्रोएलईडी कहा जाता है, जिसे संभवतः “EQLED” से पहले बाजार में उतार दिया जाएगा। माइक्रोएलईडी पिक्सल के रूप में लाखों छोटे एल ई डी का उपयोग कर रहा होगा। MicroLED बर्न-इन के जोखिम के साथ सही अश्वेतों को वितरित करने में सक्षम होगा। तो समय बताएगा ये दोनों प्रौद्योगिकियां OLED और QLED के समकालीन प्रीमियम प्रदर्शन तकनीक के सन्दर्भ मे कैसा प्रदर्शन करेंगी।
निष्कर्ष-आप कैसे निर्णय ले
अभी कुछ समय लगेगा जब हम मौलिक रूप से नई डिस्प्ले तकनीक प्राप्त करें जिस पर सैमसंग काम कर रहा है। वर्तमान में हमारे पास OLEDs और QLEDs हैं जो अपने टीवी तकनिकी के शिखर पर हैंऔर निश्चित रूप से, उन्हें भविष्य मे नई तकनीक द्वारा चुनौती दी जाएगी, लेकिन यदि आपको निर्णय आज ही लेना है तो यह लेख आपकी अपनी आवश्यकता के अनुसार टीवी तकनिकी के चुनाव करने मे अवश्य मदद करेगा।
यदि आपके पास बजट की कोई कमी नहीं है, टीवी के अपर सूर्य की रौशनी सीधे नहीं पड़ती है और बर्न-इन समस्या को संभल लेंगे तो OLED के लिए लाएं नहीं तो QLED आपके लिए अच्छा रहेगा।
Government Of India, on 19th Feb. 2019, has approved phase II of Grid Connected Rooftop and Small Solar Power Plants Programme”. The program aims to achieve a cumulative capacity of 40 GW ( or 4,00,00,000 kW) RTS plants by 2022 of which 4000MW in the residential sector with Central Financial Assistance and balance in other sectors such as social, Govt. educational, PSUs, etc. UP has been given a target of 60 MW for the residential sector, a very ambitious project requiring a rooftop space of 600 million sq.m. In order to motivate house dwellers, a generous user-friendly subsidy has also been announced. We at Bijli Bachao have studied the policy and would like to bring out the facts for the knowledge of all and how the installation of the rooftop solar panel is a long term benefit for the household dwellers who have a rooftop to spare for installation of the solar panel.
Why GOI is providing subsidy?
A question that may crop up in your mind would be: why the GOI is providing a subsidy and how the investment is going to benefit the GOI. The long term vision of GOI to provide subsidy are as under:
As part of Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDCs), India has committed to increasing the share of installed capacity of electric power for a non-fossil-fuel source to 40% by 2030 with major contribution coming from Solar power plants;
RTS (Roof Top Solar) plants help in reducing transmission and distribution losses as the generation and consumption point is co-located;
It helps in tackling day time peak load as the solar generation will help in matching peak load demand;
Most of the states residential sector enjoys subsidized electricity tariff and to motivate the consumer to install RTS plant. Central Financial Assistance is necessary;
Long term target to achieve dependence on fossil fuel.
How much of Financial Assistance is available from Central and UP Govt for your RTS project?
GOI has restructured a higher CFA in Phase II and the eligibility is for RTS plant from 1 kWp up to 10 kWp capacity. It is applicable for the consumer under the category LMV1 only. The subsidy is as under:
40% up to RTS plant of 3 kWp capacity;
20% up to RTS plant above 3 kWp and up to 10 kWp
The residential sector may install RTS plant above 10 kWp but the CFA will be applicable up to 10kWp only.
In order to tap the potential of the rooftop of group housing society the same is included in the phase II program for the installation of RTS plant for common area. In this case, the CFA will be limited to 20% for the installation of RTS plant for the supply of power to common facilities. As per GOI guidelines, the capacity eligible for CFA for GHS/ RWA will be limited to 10 kWp per house and total not more than 500 kWp, inclusive of RTS already installed on individual houses in that GHS/ RWA at the time of installation of RTS for common activity. But as per UP guidelines, it is limited to 100 kWp.
Approved rates of UPNEDA: UPNEDA have approved the benchmark cost of RTS plants of 1 to 10 kWp at Rs. 38,000/kWp and Rs. 32000/- for RTS of 10 kWp to 100 kWp. This benchmark cost has been determined based on the tendering system. One can find a difference in the benchmark cost of Rs. 54/Wp on MNRE website as compared to Rs. 38/Wp. Every state has to determine its own benchmark cost and the subsidy applicable from GOI is limited to the mentioned on their website. The CFA will be given based on the benchmark cost determined by the respective State. The actual cost charged by the approved vendor may not be exactly the same any vary depending on the site condition, and the consumer may be required to negotiate the price based on the services and quality of the product offered.
CFA in rupees worked out for various capacity is as under:
1kWp
2kWp
3kWp
4kWp
5kWp
6kWp
7kWp
8kWp
9kWp
10kWp
15200
30400
45600
53200
60800
68400
76000
83600
91200
98800
Beside GOI subsidy, an additional subsidy of Rs. 15000/kW up to a maximum of Rs. 30000/- is being given by UP State Govt. Refer page no. 15 of UP Solar Policy 2017, detailing the financial assistance by UP Govt. In view of this, the capital cost to be paid by the individual for the RTS plant of 10 kW is as under:
Watt-peak rating
1kWp
2kWp
3kWp
4kWp
5kWp
Capital Cost (in Rs.)
38000-15200-15000=7800
76000-30400-30000=15600
114000-45600-30000=38400
152000-53200-30000=68800
190000-60800-30000=99200
Units generated/year
1679 units/year
3358 units/year
5037 units/year
6714 units/year
8395 units/year
Watt-peak rating
6kWp
7kWp
8kWp
9kWp
10kWp
Capital Cost
(in Rs)
228000-68400-30000=129600
266000-6000-30000=160000
304000-83600-30000=190400
342000-91200-30000=220800
380000-8800-30000=251200
Units generated/year
10074units/year
11753units/year
13432units/year
15111units/year
16790units/year
From the above, you can look at your annual consumption and it is likely that the annual consumption may match with the units generated by the RTS plant. The energy bill will only be towards the fixed charges on your sanctioned load and the electricity duty on the total energy consumed irrespective of the source of generation.
How to apply
The UPNEDA has simplified the system of applying online in its objective of providing a userfriendly platform for the said purpose.
As a user-friendly pro-active facility, one can apply online and all the issues related to sanction, net-metering, technical specification, approved venders (one can select from the list), billing of capital cost after deduction of subsidy etc. Click here for submitting an online application.
List of Firms for installation of Rooftop Solar Power Plant under Capax Mode- (MNRE Phase 2 Program)
MNRE has approved a list of firms that have the capacity and capability to manufacture and install RTS plants up to 10 kWp and the second list of above 10 kWp. One may visit UPNEDA website for the list of firms. The scope of work and technical specifications is also provided by MNRE and the approved firms are bound to supply and install the plants accordingly. The only thing a customer has to make sure is that the firm ensures compliance with the standard specifications and scope of work and shall involve in the work at each stage of execution and enter into a contract accordingly.
Annual Maintenance Contract
The benchmark cost includes the cost of annual maintenance for five years. The annual maintenance most likely is on-demand basis and replacement/repair of the defective component and preventive maintenance like cleaning of the panel will have to be done by the consumer. After five years, the consumer shall enter into a contract for the remaining years of the life of the plant. In view of this, while selecting the vendor, one should be careful to select such vendors who are likely to survive the economic ups and downs and do not default in its maintenance obligation.
The components which can give trouble are not the major ones but the small ones like hardware, cable, securing ties, layout, rat menace, etc. This can be prevented by taking due care during installation and selecting the layout.
Solar Policy
One has to read the RTS plant installation policy along with the Solar policy as the net metering directives are issued in this policy. UP Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued UPERC (Roof Solar PV Grid Interactive System Gross/Net Metering) Regulation, 2019 (RSPV Regulation, 2019) bringing out details of the rules and regulations governing the installation of the rooftop solar system. Anyone who is planning to install a solar system should go through these regulations properly so that he gets the return on investment as planned. Some of the important features to understand are as under:
RTS Plant Capacity
The maximum peak capacity of the grid-connected rooftop solar PV system to be installed by any eligible consumer shall not exceed 100% of the sanctioned load/connected load / contracted demand of the consumer. For example, if you have a sanctioned load of 5 kW, you can go for the plant of max 5 kWp.
Please note that the actual output of RTS plan is about 20% lower (as the rated number is in laboratory conditions), so if you install a 5 kWp plant, you will get an output of 4 kWp.
Metering Arrangement
There are two types of metering arrangement namely
Gross Metering (clause 10.3) in which the entire power generated is supplied to the grid. Such a system is worth trying when one is planning for Solar Park of higher capacity to have a regular rate of return on his/her vacant land, hospital, educational institute, Govt. installation etc. This is not suitable for a domestic consumer using the rooftop for the purpose of reducing electricity bills.
Net Metering (Clause 10.4) in which the units imported (plus) and exported (minus) are accounted for in any billing period. The net plus energy consumed is billed as per the prevailing tariff applicable for that slab. If the net is minus, the same is carried forward to the next billing cycle and the process continues up to the settlement period i.e. from first April to next March. Net minus on settlement day i.e. 31st March is compensated at Rs. 2/kWh.
Now following interpretation of the policy is important to consider:
The policy benefits the consumer in his/her energy bill as the slab applicable for a tariff is at the net energy consumed during any billing cycle meaning thereby billing at the lower slab and benefit at the higher slab; and
However, the settlement period defined is not favoring to the consumer because of the trend of consumption one can observe in UP i.e. high during April to Sept and low from Oct to Mar, and therefore, may not permit full use of solar power for self-consumption and may have to settle for a surplus solar power during lean months at Ra. 2/kWh as compared to tariff of about Rs. 5/unit.
Retail Tariff LMV-1
In order to provide all related information, we have added information about the electric tariff, supply code and cost data book here it self.
Rate Schedule LMV-1 (visit page number 483 of the tariff given at the link above) is applicable for Domestic Light, fan and power and is applicable for residential purpose and consisting exclusive domestic and mixed load (50 kW and above) for registered society/residential colonies/township getting supply at single point with the condition that at least 70% of the total connected load shall be exclusively used for the purpose of domestic load and balance can be towards commercial purpose. In case, the commercial load ceiling exceeds 30%, the tariff will be charged as per HV-1, a huge increase in the electricity bill of the residential load.
The rates are further categorized as per clause 3 of the Tariff order as detailed in the table below:
Tariff Clause
Category
Rate
Fixed charges
Unit consumed/month
Unit Charge
(a)
Rural Schedule
(a)1
Lifeline Consumer (Metered) Load less of 1 kW and unit consumption less than 100 units (kWh)
50/kW/month
Less than 100 units
3.00/unit
(a)2
Other than Lifeline
90/kW/month
For the first 100 units
3.35/unit
101-150 units
3.85/unit
151-300 units
5.00/unit
301-500 units
5.50/unit
Above 501 units
6.00/unit
(b)
Single Point Bulk supply (more than 50 kW)
110/kW/month
For any unit
7.00/unit
Electric vehicle Charging with the applicability of Time of the Day tariff.
Nil
NA
5.90/kWh
For the township, registered societies, residential colonies, multi-storied residential complexes with the restriction that at least 70% of the total contracted demand is used exclusively for domestic use.
Violation will result in shifting of the tariff to HV-1 as given below, and not only this, the tariff will shifts from kWh (active power) to kVAh (total power) and likely to be 5% more on account if pF maintained at 0.95.
One should read carefully the responsibility of the franchise (or builder/RWA) to arrange for the audit and provide all relevant information to the consumer to whom the power supply is distributed. Otherwise, the society may get a shock one day of the tariff shifted to HV-1
HV-1 (1 e)
Supply at 11 kV
430/kVA/month
Up to 2500 kVAH/month
8.32/kVAh
Above 2500 kVAh
8.68/kVAh
Supply above 11 kW
400/kVA/month
Up to 2500 kVAH/month
8.12/kVAh
Above 2500 kVAh
8.48/kVAh
One can calculate the implication of the change of tariff if resorted by the Power Supply Company
(c)
Other Metered Domestic Consumer
110/kW/month
For the first 150 units
5.50/unit
For a connected load of 10 kW and above. the unit for billing will be kVAh
151-300 units
6.00/unit
301-500 units
6.50/unit
Above 501 units
7.00/unit
Tax and duties
The applicable tax and duty is 5% on the total bill.
General Provisions of Rate Schedule 2019-20
It is important for the consumer to understand the general provisions to avoid increased energy bill as detailed in the table below. One should visit the page number to get more details of the content as mentioned in the Table.
Clause No of Tariff
Page No. of Tariff
Content
5
476
kVAh billing applicability when the Contract demand exceeds 10 KW
7(i)
478
Surcharge and Penalty for delayed payment
1.25%/month up to three months; 2%/month thereafter
7(ii)a
478
Contract demand exceeding sanction demand for domestic consumer
17
481
On-Line payment:
No transaction for internet banking but transaction charge will be applicable for debit/credit card payment
Cost Data Book
You will find Cost Date Book issued with the approval of the Regulatory Commission which covers all charges included in the estimate while seeking new connections.
Clause 7 Page 3 of the book reads as follows: ” The total charges payable by the Applicant shall comprise of Processing Fee, Security, Line Charges. All three components shall be clearly and separately mention in the Estimate and receipt issued b the Licensee to the Applicant.” (It is important to note for you that the power supply company pay interest on the security deposit at the end of the financial year)
Clause 11 of the Book also states that connection charges for new connection up to 5 kW may be paid in 18 equal instalments.
You may check the various charges on this document as under:
Processing Fee: Refer page no. 5 of Chapter 2 for all details
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Security: Refer page no. 6 of Chapter 3
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Line Charges: Refer page no. 8 Chapter 4
Line Charges including the cost of meter as provided by the Licensee
Category
Fixed charges for lines up to 40 meters (in Rs)
Variable line charges beyond 40 meters (in Rs)
In the village and having load up to 2kw for domestic and non-domestic light and fan
1022
Rs. 340/meter
Load below 5 kW but not covered in a category above
1270
a. 740/meter for Dist. H.Q.
b. 240/meter for other than Dist.HQ
From 5kW and up to 25 kW
2036
a. 970/meter for Dist H.Q.
b. 570/meter for other than Dist.HQ
Note: The fixed charges are different if the connection is drawn underground and refer Page 8 of the Cost Date Book
Energy Conservation
As the name of our website suggests, it is our endeavor to make efforts and awareness campaigns to save energy (Bijli Bachao). Here are a few of our tips and posts to conserve energy and contain your monthly energy bill in your comfort zone:
The supply code 2005 (including up to 12th amendment) of UP state provides all information in connection with any issue related to connection/disconnection, billing, meter defects, wrong billing, etc. One should read the relevant clause of this code and should address any relevant issue to the applicable Power Supply Company Paschim, madhyanchal, purvanchal, etc. in accordance with the Formats given in the table
Annexure to Supply Code
The annexure providing a format for addressing any issue related to a power supply to any of the Power Supply Company of UP state with reference clause of the Supply Code and Page number provided for understanding the method and address the grievance.
Annexure to Supply Code
Description
Reference clause of Supply Code
Page No.
3.1
Existing Consumer Categories and Billing Cycle
3.7 & 6.1(a)
74
4.1
Application Form for Requisition of Supply of Energy
4.4
74
4.2
Indemnity Bond
4.4
77
4.3
Owner Consent letter for getting New Supply
4.4
78
4.4
Format for Work Completion Certificate and Test Results
79
4.5
Application Form For Requisition of Temporary Supply of Energy
4.10
83
4.6
Procedure for Determination of Connected Load
4.12 and 4.9
85
4.7
Format for Disconnection
4.14 (g)
86
4.8
Format for Intimation to Consumer after Termination of Agreement
4.14 (i)
87
4.9
Format for Intimation to Consumer after Temporary Disconnection of Supply
4.37
88
4.10
Application Form for Enhancement/Reduction of Contract Demand
4.41(a) & 4.43 (a)
89
4.11
Format for Transfer of Connection/Mutation of Name
4.44 (b)
90
5.1
Meter Related Complaints or Testing Meter
5.6 (b)
91
6.1
Format for Application of Advance Payment
6.4 (b)
92
6.2
Procedure for Filing of Appeal before the Appellate Authority
6.8 (c) & 7.11
93
6.3
Assessment in case of unauthorized use of electricity
6.8 (c)
96
6.4
Inspection Form
98
7.1
Guaranteed Standards of performance and level of compensation to the consumer for default in each case
6.5 (c), 7.9 (a & b)
101
7.2
Proforma for Complaints
7.7.6
103
7.3
Assessment officer under sec 126(6)(a) and Appellate Authority constituted under Electricity Act 2003
This is a very important amendment which is applicable to all the bulk consumer as per LMV -1(b) i.e. single point for bulk loads (50 KW and above, supplied at any Voltage) and distributed to many households in the premises by the franchise. The amendment now provides that all future connections in this category shall be a multi-point connection to each apartment in the housing society and also the existing single-point connections to be converted to the multi-point connection if more than 50% of the RWA members opt for a change of tariff from single to multi-point connection.
Now it becomes very important for the members of the RWA to discover the benefit if they prefer to opt for a change. For example, if you consume 1000 units/month with sanctioned load of 7 kW, your bill would have been around 7700/- (excluding 5% towards distribution loss and 8 % towards taxes) whereas, in the revised system as per amendment, it will be 6155/- (excluding tax), a saving of around 20%. The initial cost which will be charged for conversion had to be borne by the consumer, and it looks prudent to opt for a change. But the very pertinent question is the feasibility and how to have a sustainable plan when everyone has become habitual and comfortable with the prevailing system. The important issues that come to everyone mind are:
(a) what is the likely cost?
(2) where the energy meters will be installed for the company person to the readings conveniently?
(3) how the DG supply will be given?
and these issues are the main reason for its non-implementation in any of society even after the passage of one year.
Nokia is a brand that has a rich brand heritage in India. If you are a millennial belonging to a conventional family like me, you can relate to the feeling of getting nostalgic about the “Nokia” phone. It used to be the go-to brand before the advent of Android and Apple. When Nokia decided to launch its first-ever TV in India, we were excessively excited. So, does the Nokia TV live on its legacy of producing quality with durability? Well, let’s find out in this review.
Now, Nokia launched Android smart TV 55CAUHDN in December 2019, and it’s exclusively available on Flipkart. At the time of the launch, the company is offering three years of full-protection commitment at a nominal charge of Rs. 999. Presently, Nokia has launched TV in only 55′ screen size, but the company plans to come up with smart TVs in more size variants shortly.
Let’s now look at the latest features and technologies that Nokia TV comes with and then we’ll look into the pros and cons of this TV.
Beautiful Bezel-Less Design:
Nokia 55′ smart TV boast of sleek design which is almost bezel-free, giving you a distraction-free TV viewing experience. The TV comes in a shiny metallic frame. At the bottom, there is a front-firing powerful JBL speaker that provides stimulating aural experience. The TV uses ADS (advanced plane to line switching) panel, which is a variant of the IPS (in panel switching) technology and has similar characteristics. This type of panel gives better viewing angles than VA panels.
What we like about the appearance was the compact unique metallic base stand. Due to slim width—this TV can be mounted even on a 2.5 feet table—which is otherwise impossible for 55′ TVs which usually comes with a wide TV stand. Box also contains additional accessories for wall mount if you wish to mount it on the wall.
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Stunning 4k resolution
Nokia smart 55′ TV offers stunning 4K entertainment by hosting a high 3840×2160 resolution. Visuals on the TV are bright, beautiful and lifelike, making TV viewing a palatial experience. Image clarity offered owing to its high resolution is exceedingly good with no apparent pixelization. So, when the user plays an adrenaline-charged action game or watches a sci-fi thriller, UHD 4K Nokia TV will allow them to see and enjoy the extraordinary depth and detailing of the pictures. It also offers a wide viewing angle of 178 degrees, so watching TV from sides or in a tilted position wouldn’t be an issue. The peak brightness of Nokia TV is 400 nits making visuals on TV reasonably bright.
Latest Android 9 TV OS
Nokia TV comes with the latest Android 9 and supports the host of apps. As it is Android TV, you can also sideload apps (i.e., way to install apps using APK files from an external drive or USB). A quad-core processor powers this TV with 2.25 GB of RAM. It comes with a dedicated Mali 450 processor that makes the gaming experience on the TV much more fluent. It comes with a couple of preinstalled apps like Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon Prime, SonyLiv, Voot and other usual Google apps like Youtube, Google Movies, Music and of course the Play Store. It has a built-in Chromecast which means you can cast your videos and other content from your app to the magnificent 55′ screen.
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A host of Connectivity Options
When it comes to connectivity, there is no compromise on Nokia TV. The smart TV comes with three HDMI ports and two USB ports of which one is high-speed USB 3.0 port for faster playback of high-resolution content. Though the TV has built-in WiFi, there’s even an Ethernet port (RJ45) in case you prefer the wired option (LAN connectivity for the internet). Though the TV comes with JBL speakers with DTS decoding, still, if you want to connect to an external soundbar, you can do that using the audio component input. When it comes to wireless connectivity, the Nokia TV comes with the latest Bluetooth 5.0 and 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi running at 2.4 GHz frequency.
Function-Rich Remote
As opposed to compact minimal button remotes offered by brands like Xiaomi and TCL, Nokia has decided to provide very detailed remote and thus remote length seems protracted. This extended remote is more suitable for those who are accustomed to the traditional TV remote and want numeric keypad for channels. Nokia TV remote also has a dedicated button for the launching of crucial TV apps like Netflix, Youtube, Google Play—and of course, Google Assistant for controlling TV using voice commands. This remote like other smart TV remotes work on Bluetooth technology and therefore do not require precise pointing of remote towards TV for its functioning.
JBL Speakers with Dolby and DTS
One of the features that stands out in Nokia TV is the JBL speaker. It is the first time JBL has tied up with a TV manufacturer, and audio quality of the TV is euphonious. Besides two 12W JBL speakers, there is also Dolby Audio and DTS Surround Sound on the software side. Dolby Audio uses psychoacoustic principles (how our ears interact with sound in an enclosed space) to deliver correct discernible sound. DTS decoding, on the other hand, improves the bass and moderates high-frequency sounds for the proper hearing of audio. Combination of JBL, Dolby and DTS is certainly an audiophile’s delight.
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MEMC Technology For Viewing Fast-Paced Scenes Without Blur
Nokia smart TV comes with MEMC (motion estimation and motion compensation) technology which is a motion smoothening technology. What it does is it adds more artificial frames in the video to reduce motion blur and make the movement appear smoother in general. It improves viewing sports content wherein it becomes difficult to spot and track moving ball. Similarly, MEMC also enhances watching experience while seeing the movie scene, which is action-packed and fast motion.
Dolby Vision HDR and WCG
One prominent factor that has helped the push of 4K TVs is the advent of HDR. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, and it significantly expands the range of two crucial factors—contrast ratio and colour accuracy. Thus, the bright parts of the image get much more vivid, so it seems the image possesses more depth. The colour range expands to show more gorgeous blues, greens, reds and everything in between. Combining this with the mesmerizingly powerful 4k resolution, movies look nothing less than stunning.
Nokia TVs come with Dolby Vision HDR which is superior to HDR10 a generic HDR version found in other models. Dolby Vision HDR is preferred by movie and TV producers to render an amazing cinematic experience. So, watching movies like Daredevil in Netflix on a 4K TV with Dolby Vision support is a completely enthralling experience. Dolby Vision is a proprietary HDR format, which essentially is the video counterpart of Dolby’s Atmos sound systems. The processing and rendering capability of Dolby Vision are superior to HDR10 format because it supports 12 bits colour depth vs 10 bit in HDR10. It results in 68 billion colours as opposed to 1 billion in HDR10. Watching Netflix and other HDR content on this Nokia TV is a delightful experience.
To compliment HDR technology, Nokia TV also comes with WCG (wide colour gamut) technology which brings out even more realistic colours on the giant screen. WCG expands the colour spectrum in the TV, intensifies the shades and provides subtle tones in every picture frame. WCG technology results in a broader range of colours, giving life to the memorable scenes in the way that ordinary TVs can’t.
Intelligent Dimming For Clearer Viewing
Nokia Smart TV also comes with a feature called intelligent dimming. What this feature does is that it comprehends the picture played on screen and based on the understanding, optimizes the contrast to visually enhanced the scene. The best part is that this intelligent dimming works in real-time to process the image and improve the contrast. It results in darker blacks and whiter whites which makes the picture more vibrant.
Now that we covered vital features and technologies in the Nokia, let’s introspect its advantages and shortcomings.
Pros and Cons of Nokia TV
Starting with the things which we liked the most about Nokia TV was its design. With a bezel-free design, distinct glossy Nokia branding at bottom and a compact metal base stand would surely embellish the aesthetics of your house if you decide to place the TV on a table or shelf. Nokia TV offers the latest version of Android and thanks to Dolby Vision, and WCG technologies, colours on the TV appear vivid and lively. Watching Netflix and 4k movies would manifest the true potential of this TV. Also, at the time of the launch company is offering a 3-years warranty at just 999 Rs which is a steal deal as you will get official support for three years as opposed to the standard one year found in an ordinary smart TV. The company has tied up with Jeeves to provide customer support and service.
Talking about the cons, some people have reported screen bleeding on the edges of the TV. Although we didn’t face it, there are such complaints from other users. Bear in mind that Nokia is a new brand in the TV category. So, it would take some time to build a strong service network and provide robust customer support for quick resolution of customer’s complains and queries. Although the sound quality from JBL 24 watts speaker was excellent, we did feel some distortion on full volume. Now as the speakers are quite loud, we assume that you wouldn’t need to run TV at full volume often and thus wouldn’t quite notice this distortion. Finally, we didn’t quite like the location of connectivity ports. Once you wall mount the TV, it becomes quite challenging to access the ports.
Conclusion
After seeing smartphone behemoths like OnePlus and Motorola launching TV last year, Nokia too decided to foray into the smart TV market in India which is growing at a rapid pace. TVs have come the long way since its invention and have now transition itself from an idiot box to a ‘smart’ device.
Nokia has tried hard to get all the bases covered by proving 4k resolution with Dolby Vision HDR and WCG, enhancing sound by roping in the renowned sound specialist JBL and offering the latest version of Android. Pricing is also quite competitive, and Nokia TVs would probably ride on the brand value and recognition which it enjoys in India. We recommend you buy this TV if you are on a tight budget (around 40k) and feel that the company would stand to its reputation of the brand ‘Nokia’. Also, it is better that you table mount the TV if you repeatedly need to access HDMI or USB ports.
The mere thought of having to bath in cold water during winters sends shivers down the spine. Not just bathing, but also doing other household chores like washing dishes and clothes from the supplied water can be an ordeal. Its nothing more comforting than owning a geyser at your disposal during these numbing winters. Geyser or water heaters in a way are a must for households experiencing chilly winters.
Now, the geyser is a low involvement product extensively used during winters. Many consumers want to opt for a familiar and long-established brand when it comes to geysers. One of such reliable brands in the geyser category is Orient Electric. It is a part of the respected CK Birla Group. Orient Electric is more than a six-decade-old brand, with fully functional manufacturing plants spread across key locations in India like Noida, Faridabad, Guwahati and Kolkata. Moreover, Orient Electric exports its products in more than 40 countries across the globe.
For residential consumers, Orient Electric offers a diverse portfolio of water heaters. From rudimentary immersion type heaters to large 35 litres storage water heaters, Orient Electric has all types of geysers to match the different needs of Indian households. In this article, we will give you a gist of each class of these geysers, their new technologies, and prominent features so that you can make an informed decision when you plan to buy or upgrade your water heater.
Key Technologies in Orient Geyser
Immersion Water Heater
Immersion type water heaters are for those looking for a portable and pocket-friendly method of water heating. It consists of a metallic heating element connected to the mains supply for its operation. It does not contain tank of any sort for heating and storing water; the user needs to insert it in a bucket filled with water to heat it.
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Smart Bucket Clip and Neon Indicator
Orient Electric is one of the few reputed brands to offer this type of water heater, and they are ISI certified. Orient immersion heaters come with additional useful features like brass bucket clip for easy hanging, sturdy shockproof bakelite handle, and neon indicator for an indication of immersion usage.
Instant Water Heaters
Today’s fast-paced life demands a quick solution. Time spent waiting is considered as ‘time wasted’. Orient’s instant water heater offers a quick water heating solution. Orient water heaters like Aquapro and Aura Plus lets you enjoy the convenience of on-demand hot water at any time. These water heaters come with a minimal tank capacity of 1 to 3 litres (depending upon the model) and heat the water in a couple of minutes. Orient instant water heaters are best suited for kitchens, office pantries and small bathroom sizes.
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Powerful Heating Element and Robust Outer Body
Orient instant water heater comes with an efficient nickel-coated copper heating element which heats the water in no time. The outer body of the Orient instant heater is high-grade ABS plastic which prevents any leakages from the tank. Owing to the robust frame, instant water heating models like Aura Plus can withstand high pressure up to 8 bars making them suitable for high rise buildings.
Storage Water Heaters
Orient offers robust and capacious storage water heaters suitable for the big household having a joint family. Because large families need a proportionally large volume of warm water for bathing, especially during crunch morning time. Storage water heaters are also the right choice for those who reside in the regions experiencing prolonged winter.
Orient storage water heaters generally come with two years of warranty with up to 7 years of warranty on the inner tank.
Ultra-Diamond Glassline Technology and IPX Waterproof Body
Due to the increasing urbanisation, metro cities in India are facing the space crunch. It has led to the rise of multi-story buildings which are a solution to providing shelter to the residents utilising vertical space. But these high-rise apartments lead to another set of challenges. One of them is high water pressure from the supply. Bathroom appliances like water heater become susceptible to this high pressure. Inconsistent quality of water supply from the municipalities further adds to the misery. Many time supplied water is hard, which has high salt contents. High salt in stored water often leads to corrosion of the water tank. Considering these challenges of new urban society, Orient has come up with a unique set of glassline storage water heaters which safeguard against these nuisances.
Glassline storage water heaters come with advanced ultra-diamond glassline technology owing to which geysers can withstand high water pressure of up to 8 bars. It makes water heaters coming with glassline technology ideal for families residing in sky-kissing multi-storey apartments.
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The heating element in glassline heaters comes with a special chemical coating that protects from corrosion and prevents scale deposition. The tank is fortified with a new Japanese Antibacterial technology that deters the breeding of bacteria inside the tank. You can rest assured of the high level of hygiene with the glassline water heaters. The outer body of the geyser is IPX4 waterproof body. That means you do not have to worry about water splashes damaging your geyser.
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IoT-enabled Smart Water Heaters That Can Be Controlled By An App
One of the toughest things to do in chilly winters is to get off the bed and have a shower in cold mornings. But that’s a part of daily devoir, and you cannot skip it. You need to hop out of the cosy bed to the bathroom and turn on the heater—something which becomes indispensable in the cold climate. Now, wouldn’t it be more convenient if you could switch on the geyser minutes before the bathroom visit so that when you go, you don’t have to wait for the water to get heated? Well, that’s where the new smart range of IoT (internet of things) water heater from Orient comes to the rescue.
After connecting appliances like fans and coolers to the internet through IoT technology, Orient Electric is enabling water heaters with smart features. Orient IoT storage heaters have a dedicated mobile app available on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store through which users can control and monitor the geyser from anywhere using the internet.
Just imagine after a hectic day of work you are on your way back home and plan to take a cosy warm shower to rejuvenate. All you need to do is schedule your hot bath from your smartphone, and when you are home, your geyser is ready to swash you with the warm water for a refreshing ablution! The best part about these smart water heaters is they are compatible with booming smart appliances like Amazon Alexa and Google Home. It takes convenience notch even higher.
Talking about the mobile app of the geyser, it allows you to set the temperature, schedule bath time and monitor energy consumption. It also gives a real-time working status of the geyser and notifies in case there is a problem with the heater.
Gas Water Heaters
Though the conventional water heaters operate on electricity, manufacturers like Orient Electric also offer a new class of geysers called gas water heaters. They use compressed gas to heat the water. These gas water heaters are fuelled either by PNG (piped natural gas) or LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) connections from home.
Although most parts of India get regular electricity, many areas still experience power cuts or inconsistent electricity supply. It is where gas water heaters would be a more reliable solution for heating water. Gas water heaters are much more cost-effective than electric water heaters. Also, all gas heaters are instant water heaters with lesser storage capacity but quicker heating. A gas water heater heats up the water quicker than electric instant geysers and is a truer specimen of instant heating.
There is one caveat, though. You should not use gas geysers in bathrooms where there is no proper ventilation as it may lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Appealing Design with Knobs to Adjust Temperature and Water Flow
Orient gas geysers have a beautiful design and come in a well-crafted and sleek looking body. It comes with three knobs. First is a temperature knob which allows you to adjust the heating temperature for water as per the need. Second is for water flow knob. Using this knob, you can control the speed of the water flowing from the geyser. The third knob is for setting summer or winter mode. The idea behind this mode is that the hotness of water required during winter is different from those needed during summer. So, using this knob, you can optimise your water heating even further by selecting summer mode in summers and winter mode in winters for optimised climate heating.
Advanced Copper Tubes with Variable Pressure Compatibility
Orient gas water heaters come with advanced copper tubes with three-row burners for superior heating. It has variable pressure compatibility that can handle different water pressure starting with 0.1 bar up to 8 bar.
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All-round Safety
One of the key reasons why consumers are cynical about going for the gas geysers is the safety of the appliance. Orient Electric has taken cognisance of this concern and has designed their geyser with all the safety standards in mind. Like it comes with a 20-minute auto-off timer which shuts the geyser if there is non-usage of the geyser for over 20 minutes. There is also thermal cut off and flame failure protection in case if water temperature crosses over permissible limits.
Conclusion
When it comes to selecting a geyser for home, people generally rely upon recommendations from friends, relatives or even electricians or plumbers. But there are key essential factors you must look by yourself to make the correct buying decision. These factors are energy efficiency star rating, standing loss, reheating time, pressure handling capacity, and safety features. Orient is one of the trusted brands, innovating products from the past 60 years, and you can surely consider them. Modern orient water heaters are thoughtfully designed for today’s lifestyle and offer a host of features that a user would look for when using the water heater.
Orient water heaters have been astutely designed by testing heaters in a variety of test conditions and thus models out in the market are robust and reliable. They can withstand a high-pressure problem faced in multi-story buildings. Then the smart IoT geysers completely revolutionise the way you bath. You can organise and schedule your bath, set the desired temperature and monitor the energy consumed by the appliance. Integration with Alexa and Google means you have to say to do it!
Other salient features like diamond glassline coating on tank and usage of magnesium anode rod to prevent corrosion and scale deposition, IPX4 water-resistant and shockproof body for longevity, and PUF insulation to minimise standing loss makes Orient water heaters a robust choice. What we found missing in Orient Electric geysers was the availability of solar heaters. Besides the unavailability of solar variants, there is not much to complain about Orient water heaters.
When it comes to saving energy, most of us generally overlook ceiling fans. We see big appliances like air conditioners or heaters with suspicion for surreptitiously piling up the electricity bill. What we fail to understand though is that the ceiling fans are all-weather appliance—which keeps running all through the day (and even night)—thus cumulatively consume more electricity than we assume it to be.
For years, ceiling fans used to come with the same hardware of induction motor which typically consumed 70-80 watts for a standard ceiling fan. But in the last few years, a new technology called BLDC is being used to make fans consume a lesser amount of energy, without compromising much on the air delivery. BLDC stands for brush-less direct-current motor, a special type of motor which has permanent magnet instead of electromagnets found in a conventional induction motor. BLDC motor has important advantages over induction motor like low electricity consumption, lesser noise generation and better lifespan. You can read more about BLDC technology here.
Super-Efficient Equipment Program (SEEP) and The Rise of BLDC Fans
Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is the government agency that promotes, develops and monitors various programs for improving energy efficiency. They are the ones who give energy star ratings which you typically see on electronic appliances like ACs, refrigerators, washing machines etc. BEE has started a program called Super-Efficient Equipment Program (SEEP) in February 2012 with the intent to rate appliance on its energy consumption parameter and promote energy-efficient consumer appliances. Ceiling fans were the first target of this program. Since the launch of this program, many startups have come with the idea of ‘BLDC fans’ which are usually 5-star rated and thus are highly energy efficient.
Efficiency is all about achieving the same results while using lesser electricity. Typical ceiling fans made with the conventional design are made of single-phase induction electric motor. Most of the prevailing fan manufacturers used aluminium than copper in the fan, as it is cheaper. But aluminium is less energy efficient. The end result is that most of the traditional technology fans consumed about 70-80 watts of electricity. The air delivery of these fan ranges between 210 to 250 m3/min
After the BEE launched the SEEP program, these manufacturers had to increase copper content and also improved blade designs in a bid to enhance energy efficiency. The result was BEE 5 star rated fans that would consume about 25-40 watts of electricity which were also called super-efficient fans.
The super-efficient 5-star rated BLDC fans that are available in the market generally use a different type of motor (BLDC motor) which further facilitates efficient blade designs, making ceiling fans far more efficient. Most of the BLDC ceiling fans are 5-star rated consuming 25-40 watts of energy, which is about 40-70% less than the regular old fans. Also, BLDC fans do not require installation of an additional regulator which saves 200-500 rupees upfront. Instead, they are controlled wirelessly with the help of remote just like air conditioners.
When BLDC fans were newly launched the air delivery used to be 210-230 m3/min but with the advancement in the technology, manufacturers have able to amp up the air delivery and you can now find BLDC model air delivery between 230-270 m3/min from reputed brands like Atomberg and Versa Drives.
BLDC Technology
BLDC technology, in general, has been in the market for a couple of decades and it is widely implemented in industries needing high torque motors. What was missing so long is its application in the ceiling fans. That start was done by startups like Versa Drives who offer Superfan and Atomberg which offers Gorilla fans. They are the pioneers of using BLDC motor in the ceiling fans in India. The traditional fan uses an induction motor and typically consumes 70-90 watts. But BLDC fan, on the other hand, can reduce power consumption by up to 65%. The latest line up of Gorilla fans consumes just 28 watts of energy.
Advantages of BLDC Motor Used in BLDC Fan
Prominent advantages of BLDC motor over induction motor is summarized as:
Lower Electricity Consumption (65% savings)
Longer backup on Inverters (even on Solar)
Improved reliability
Noise reduction
Longer lifetime
Energy Consumption: Ordinary Fans Vs BLDC Fans
Now let us mathematically calculate how much electricity would be consumed, how much money would be saved using BLDC technology and how long it would take to recover the price of a BLDC fan through the energy-saving it gives over time.
The typical induction-based fan would consume around 75 watts whereas a BLDC fan would consume about 30 watts. Unlike lights which are only used during nights, a fan is an appliance which runs most of the time if the ambient temperature is high with no regular airflow of cool air. So, assuming they run regularly for 15 hours for 365 days calculation would be:
Wattage
Hourly Electricity Consumption
Daily Electricity Consumption
Yearly Electricity Consumption
Yearly Costs (assuming Rs 6 per unit)
Regular Fan
75 Watts
0.075 units
1.125 units
410.625 units
Rs. 2463.75
BLDC Fan
30 Watts
0.030 units
0.45 units
164.25 units
Rs. 985.5
Typical price per unit of electricity in India is assumed to be around 6 Rs for residential users. Though the pricing per unit varies greatly between regions, power companies, slab it is in, and whether the usage is commercial or residential. For metros, it is better to assume tariffs around 10 Rs/unit but for India as a whole 6 Rs is more practical.
With BLDC fans you can save approximately 1500 rupees per year. 1500 rupees is usually the price differential when buying a BLDC fan i.e BLDC fans starts with the pricing of around 3,000 Rs while ordinary fans are rough prices around 1,500 Rs. So, in short, if you run your fans for more than 15 hours daily and per unit electricity cost exceeds 6 Rs you can expect to recover the complete cost of the fan in less than 2 years in the form of energy savings which BLDC fans give.
Now lets us look into the BLDC fan market based on the manufacturers and take a detailed look into the features they come with.
BLDC Fan Market Analysis: BLDC Ceiling Top Fans Brands and Their Features
Superfan by Versa Drives
Versa Drives is the pioneer of BLDC fans in India. They launched the first BLDC fan in 2012 under the brand name ‘Superfan’. That marked the beginning of an era of energy-efficient BLDC fans in India.
Versa Drives is a company based in Coimbatore that has been in existence since 2010. Versa Drives offers a variety of BLDC fans in blade sizes ranging from 900mm to 1400mm. Superfan comes in attractive 10 colours. It comes with a 5-years warranty which is higher than 2-3 years warranty typically offered in other fans.
They have 4 main models (with few subvariants) whose technical specifications are given below:
The key thing which differentiates Versa Drives from other BLDC fan brands is the variety. They offer BLDC fan in various sizes ranging from 900 mm up to 1400 mm. Also, you can choose between 10 different colour combinations. Another good thing is that they offer good protection against voltage variations. Due to the fluctuations in the supplied voltage speed of ordinary fans generally varies too. But Superfans are able to run at a constant RPM even if the supplied voltage fluctuates between 160V-260V.
Atomberg Gorilla BLDC Fans
Atomberg Technologies is another BLDC fan start-up company, emerged in 2013 right after the launch of Superfans by a group of young enthusiastic IIT’ians. Atomberg offers ceiling fans under the brand name of Gorilla fans.
Gorilla is the most popular BLDC fan brand in the online space with their products receiving 4+ star rating consistently. In the BLDC fan segment, Atomberg has one of the most reliable service networks, ready to troubleshoot customer’s problems related to the fan promptly. Gorilla fans come with 3 years of warranty.
Gorilla fans typically come in 2 main variants: Renesa, and Efficio. There is also Renesa+ and Efficio+ subvariant which have aesthetically more pleasing designs. Renesa comes in only 1200 mm blade size whereas Efficio models come with blade size between 900 mm to 1400 mm. Renesa also comes in a SMART variant which can be operated using an app or using smart home devices like Alexa or Google Home.
The technical specifications for different Gorilla fan variants are summarised in the table below:
Atomberg has won awards from WWF and the United Nations for its innovation. Founders of Atomberg have garnered accolades from Forbes and Government of India. After receiving a tremendous response on ceiling fans, they have recently launched energy-efficient wall and pedestal fans as well.
Jupiter Tricopter and Quadcopter BLDC Fans
Jupiter is another BLDC-only fan manufacturer like Atomberg and Superfan. They launched BLDC fans in 2015. They offer BLDC fans in four flavours: Tricopter, Quadcopter, Kaira and Maharaja.
Tricopter is 1200 mm usual 3-blade BLDC fan. Quadcopter, on the other hand, is a 4-blade 1200 mm BLDC fan. Jupiter is the only established known BLDC fan brand offering 4-blade fans. Also, they are one of the rare ceiling fan brands which offer BLDC fans that can change its revolving direction. Reversing the direction of the fan provides warmer air during winters. Wondering how? Let’s try to understand the science behind it.
Warm air is lighter while the cold air is heavier. So, usually warm air flows upwards and remains closer to the ceiling. Cold air being heavy generally stays near the floor. Now, when the fan moves in the opposite direction it starts pulling colder air from the bottom and pushes the warmer air towards the wall and floor. So, in a way when it runs in the reverse direction, it does not create usual air draft on you (which is what when it runs normally) but rather pushes hot air away from the ceiling (towards the floor). This way it creates a warmer feel of air useful for winters or cold weather. This method would work best when there is direct sunlight on the fan.
Tricopter model coming with 1200 mm blade span consumes just 25 watts which are lowest for this size. Thus, it effectively consumes three times lesser energy than ordinary fans. Also, Jupiter models are designed to handle voltage fluctuations between 140V-300V and can work without hassles in this voltage range. But on the downside air delivery is 210 m3/min for the 3-blade model. Jupiter BLDC fans generally come with a 3-year warranty.
Technical specification of Tricopter and Quadcopter models by Jupiter are as follows:
After seeing the success of Gorillafans and Superfans, Orient Electric was one of the first conventional ceiling fan behemoths to offer BLDC fans besides the usual portfolio of induction motor based ceiling fans. They launched their first BLDC fan in 2015.
It presently offers BLDC fans only in 1200 mm blade size with power consumption between 32 watts to 50 watts. We have noticed that air delivery offered by Orient is on the lower side of averaging around 220 m3/min. Most of the BLDC models come with 2 years warranty which we feel is on a lower side. But the good thing about Orient BLDC fans was that they work with full speed even under low voltages of 140 volts. Just for the perspective normal supplied voltage of electricity at our homes is 240 volts.
Orient has launched Eco series of BLDC fans in 2015. Recently they have added a more efficient Aeroquite series of BLDC fans in the market. Their technical specifications are summarized in the table below:
Crompton is another established player in the ceiling fan segment. For a long period, Crompton desisted from venturing into the manufacturing of BLDC fans. But recently it launched the Energion series of BLDC fans (in 2019).
Crompton Energion is a fully packed BLDC fan that comes with a robust 5 years warranty. The thing which we liked most about Crompton BLDC fan is that they can work in the widest range of voltages between 90V-300V. Cons of Crompton BLDC fans are their availability only in the sweep size of 1200 mm and lower air delivery of 220 m3/min.
Technical Specification Energion Crompton BLDC fan is given below:
Havells is a trusted FMEG (fast-moving electrical goods) Indian company. Like Crompton, Havells also had a laggardly attitude towards manufacturing energy-efficient BLDC fans. But finally, in 2019 they launched Efficiencia Neo BLDC fan model in 1200 mm sweep size. Havells consumes the least energy amongst established ceiling fans brand for 1200 mm blade size. It consumes only 25 watts which three times less than ordinary induction motor-based ceiling fans. But air delivery at 220 m3/min is on a lower side. Also, this fan is rated to work in the voltage range of 220V-240V which is quite less compared to what is offered by Superfan or Crompton. Crompton offers 2 years of warranty on BLDC fans.
Technical specification of Havells Efficiencia Neo BLDC fan is summarised below:
Panasonic is the only known international brand that offers BLDC ceiling fans in India. Panasonic is a trusted Japanese electrical manufacturer that launched BLDC fans in 2018. It sells BLDC fan F-12XDA under the sub-brand Anchor—a company it acquired some years ago. The feature which we liked most about the Panasonic Anchor F-12XDA BLDC fan is the ability to handle voltages between 100V-300V. But the warranty offered is on the lower side: just 2 years.
Technical specification Panasonic Anchor ABS F-12XDA BLDC fan is as follows:
So, we have done the market analysis and review of BLDC fans offered by reliable brands in this post. Besides the brands covered in this article, there are other 20+ players offering 5-star rated BLDC fans. These brands include names like Eveready, Luminous, Venus, Surya etc. In our research, we have found that Gorilla and Superfan to come with the best service value rating i.e., the ratio of air delivery to power. Or in other words, they give out maximum air while using minimum power. When it comes to warranty, Superfan and Crompton give 5 years warranty which is best amongst established BLDC manufacturing brands.
Now, the price of the BLDC fans is on a higher side, but if we take into consideration the electricity costs which is bound to increase with time, opting for a super-efficient 5-star rated BLDC fan makes a lot of sense. With the BEE making norms for obtaining 5-star energy rating harder, the models which are newly rated by BEE are extremely energy efficient consuming just around 25-35 watts of power. We at BijliBachao have always advocated for BLDC fans right since its inception and we are happy to know that over the last few years people are increasingly opting for BLDC fans over ordinary fans. We hope that this analysis would help you select a right BLDC fan and you would make a small contribution towards energy saving and conserving the environment by opting for a BLDC fan the next time you decide to purchase a ceiling fan.
Ever wondered if all the gizmos, gadgets and appliances you use could connect to the internet? Not mobiles and phones alone—but everything—lights, fans, air conditioners, speakers, camera, doorbells, and more. And if you control these devices at the tap of a button, or perhaps by giving voice commands? The idea sounds sophisticated and futuristic. But it’s no more a plot of science fiction. It’s becoming a reality—thanks to the advancement of science and technology. And yes, there is a name for technology which is making it possible. It’s called Internet-of-Things (IoT). A key application of IoT technology is in home automation—the science of making our home smart. Through home automation, you can automate and control items in the home by using an app or smart speakers like Amazon Echo or Google Home.
During our engineering studies, we used to be gung-ho about ‘smart’ appliances changing our future lifestyle. Fast forward to the present and adoption of smart devices like smartphones, smart bands, and smart TVs is self-evident. But besides them, there several other types of smart devices and items available in the market that would make our life easy, allowing us to control them with smart speakers, just by instructing them, or using a dedicated app designed for it.
So, let’s look into these smart devices and appliances available in the market which can save your time and energy which you can rather use for more productive work.
Smart Bulbs and Lights
Bulbs are one of the home appliances which have evolved so much over the course of time: from incandescent to halogen, from halogen to CFL, from CFL to LEDs. Enter 2020 and these LEDs are rapidly becoming smarter. You no longer need to traipse towards the switchboard to turn it on (or off). You can do that now with the app or smart hub like Amazon Echo or Google Home. Not only control with app and assistant, you can also tinker with brightness and colour of LED bulbs. So, let us look at the various smart bulbs offered by the companies in the market and the smart features they come with.
Let’s start with Panasonic. Panasonic doesn’t really make a smart bulb but rather a remote-controlled bulb. This bulb offers similar convenience of wireless control. And since it has dedicated remote, this product is more appropriate for old age family members. Panasonic bulbs work with regular B22 sockets and do not need any configuration hassles. Really suited for people who aren’t much tech-savvy. Remote allows choosing between colors like white, yellow, red, green, blue etc. Through remote, you can also change brightness levels. But note that remote works within a distance of 10 feet approximately. So, if you have a bigger room you might find it difficult to control from far off corners.
Companies like TP-Link, Wipro, Syska, Mi, Philips are offering bulbs that are truly smart. They have a dedicated app for controlling the bulb and alternately can be controlled from popular virtual assistants and smart speakers. TP-Link does not come with multiple color customization option in its smart bulb offering like Panasonic. Smart bulbs by Wipro and Syska have a similar app interface for control. They both allow remote color customization using the app and facilitates scheduling. Like if you want the bulb to be turned on Sundays automatically at 7:00 pm and closed at 10:00 pm, you can set a schedule for this action. Wipro smart bulbs require an active internet connection for controlling bulbs whereas Syska can work without the internet. Wipro is presently the only manufacturer amongst the established brands that offer smart tube lights too. Wipro Next 20 watts smart LED batten can be remotely controlled by dedicated Wipro Next app and works with popular voice assistants.
Philips offers even more advanced features than the contemporaries. Besides the usual integration with Google, Amazon, Apple, IFTTT and dedicated app control, it also has a couple of additional cool features. Like you can set an alert reminder in Philips Hue and it will blink at that time to alert you. Another useful feature is that it can turn on slowly in the morning—emulating the natural sunlight progression—which helps to wake you up in a more subtle manner than with regular alarms. Modern Philips Hue bulbs also allow you to mimic the disco feel at home by syncing with the song you cast. It flickers and changes the light based on the streamed song’s music and flow replicating the feel of disco.
Enter 2020 and even fans are increasingly getting smart. Traditionally, ceiling fans use an induction motor for its operation. But a new revolutionary technology called BLDC (brushless direct current) motor is making it possible to significantly reduce energy consumption. BLDC fans also eliminate the need to install a separate regulator to control fan speed. Instead, they are controlled by wireless remote. Atomberg, Versa Drives, Jupiter, Orient, Crompton, and Panasonic are some popular fan brands which offer BLDC fans.
Atomberg Technologies have integrated their new line of Renessa Smart+ BLDC fans with AmazonAlexa, Google assistant, and IFTTT. This means if you have smart speakers like Amazon Echo at your home you can control it using voice commands. You can also use Google assistant from your Android phone for this purpose. For the uninitiated, using voice command to operate smart fans would be by adding/pairing smart fan with Google Home app or adding Alexa skill on Amazon Alexa app. You’ll be able to see the name of the device (which can be changed later) and then use that name to give voice commands. Like for example after adding Atomberg skill on Alexa speakers you can say something like “Hey Alexa, turn off the bedroom fan”. You can refer to the user manual for more information on using Renessa Smart+ fans with a voice assistant. Atomberg has also developed a dedicated app for Renessa Smart+ model so you can control fan speeds, switch between modes and set timer from the app itself. Renessa Smart+ models also come with a separate wireless remote which would be more helpful for the elderly in the house.
Besides smart BLDC fans, Orient Electric and Ottomate are making smart ceiling fans but they work on conventional induction motors. Orient Electric’s Aeroslim model is IoT enabled ceiling fan primarily targeted for elite customers who don’t mind spending thousands of rupees on a premium fan. It comes in a luxurious cylindrical design with LED light in the middle, and aerodynamic blade. It can be voice-controlled using Google assistant and Amazon Alexa. Like Renessa Smart+ it also has a dedicated app that can be downloaded from GooglePlay Store or Apple App Store. Using the app, you can set the fan speed, select different airflow modes, and even schedule the fan to turn on and off for a specific interval. Another good thing is that you can also adjust the brightness of the attached LED using the app. This premium Orient smart fan also comes with external remote useful for veterans in the family.
Ottomate is the first brand to offer smart fan which can be controlled by an app using Bluetooth technology. Ottomate smart fans work on conventional motor and not energy efficient BLDC ones. Hence energy consumption of Ottomate smart fans is on the higher side. But they are cheaper than Orient IoT fans. The best part about Ottomate smart ceiling fans is they come with free professional installation (though you can also opt to install the fan by yourself). They have one of the most professional ceiling fan installation staff who come to your come with all the necessary hardware including an adjustable ladder.
Talking about the features, Smart series Ottomate fans can be controlled by wireless remote or a dedicated app. Ottomate fan app is one of the smoothest fan apps around and there are 3 interesting modes of operation. First is the Otto mode where fans according to the temperature and humidity adjust the fan speed. So, in a way when the temperature is high and air circulation is dry, it would run to the maximum. Similarly, when the temperature is low it would run at a lower speed. Ottomate fans use specialize temperature and humidity sensors for this operation. The second mode is the breeze mode wherein fan intermittently changes fan speed to emulate the feeling of the sea breeze at your home. And finally, there is Turbo mode which makes the fan work with the maximum RPM speed—useful when you want a quick burst of air after a gruelling workout.
If a fan is getting smart why shouldn’t be the big brother—the AC—fall behind? In fact, there is a greater need for ACs to be smart as they are the biggest energy-consuming appliances at our homes. When ACs become smart, we get the convenience of controlling them with the smartphone and smart speakers. Not only this, many AC manufacturers’ apps allow to see the energy used by the AC, so we have a clearer picture of how much electricity is consumed by the AC alone. And then there is also the convenience of turning on the AC minutes prior to reaching home so that when you enter your home you need not wait for the room to be cooled.
When it comes to smart ACs, we like Daikin brand the most. It offers complete smart connectivity without compromising on energy savings. Daikin is one of the rare AC brands to offer AC with Wifi connectivity and integration with Alexa and Google assistant. Wifi connected smart Daikin ACs are 5-star rated and comes in the range of 1 ton to 1.8 ton. As it is voice integrated if you have smart speakers at home like Amazon Alexa or Google Home you can simply command through these speakers to turn on or off the appliance. Alternatively, you can download the Daikin AC app by scanning QR code given in the user manual.
LG is currently the only brand to offer dual inverter smart AC with 5-star rating. The latest smart AC model KS-Q18MWZD works with Alexa. Also, you can download LG’s smart appliance app called ThinQ for smart connectivity. ThinQ is one of the well-designed AC apps, as LG has always been the vanguard of new technologies and offers a wide range of electronic products. This app allows users to not only control temperature and fan speed but also allows them to control horizontal and vertical swing in 5 to 6 different positions.
Voltas, Lloyd, Onida, and Godrej are Indian AC brands that have started offering Wifi-enabled air conditioners. We liked Godrej and Onida AC more as they offer 5-star rated inverter smart ACs as compared to 3-star offered by Voltas and Lloyd. Voltas and Onida have partnered with Amazon and hence ACs offered by these brands can be controlled using Amazon Alexa. In fact, Onida AC can also be integrated with IFTTT wherein you can customize the control of AC even further. For example, when you are within few meters of your home you can set an IFTTT recipe to automatically turn on the AC.
After air conditioners, water heaters are one of the high electricity-consuming home appliances and surely needed a facelift through innovation. Following ubiquitous demand for “smart functionality” from the tech-savvy consumers, geyser manufacturers have come up with IoT geysers which can be controlled by a smartphone app, wireless remote or voice assistants.
Brands like Havells, Venus, Racold, V-Guard, and Orient are offering smart water heaters that can be controlled using a dedicated mobile app. Once the installation and initial setup of the app is done users can seamlessly control their geyser from anywhere in the world without needing to even visit the bathroom. Havells Adonia-i model even comes with WiFi-Direct feature which lets you control geyser even if there is no active Wifi connection at your home.
Most of the smart ACs lets you set the desired temperature and even schedule your bath. Like for example, you can set the geyser to automatically heat water at 50 degrees Celsius for you every day at 7:00 am in the morning. Racold Venus and V-Guard smart water heaters give you detailed analytics about your energy consumption on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
Smart camera is another type of device which is coming handy for the surveillance, monitoring and security. This piece of hardware comes as a boon for working women who want to monitor their baby from the comfort of the smartphone.
The most advanced and premium brand in the smart camera category is Arlo. Arlo smart camera system is loaded with the best of technologies. Arlo Pro series cameras raise the bar for all outdoor cameras. It is the first company to offer 4k recording and is loaded with high-tech features like auto zoom in, color night vision, motion tracking, an integrated spotlight, and siren. Arlo Pro home security cameras can work on batteries and thus operate wirelessly. This allows you to install them anywhere in the home. Cameras offered by Arlo are waterproof, which means you can even install them outdoors. Arlo provides 7 days of free cloud recording option and for more, you need to buy their subscription plans. Arlo camera system are pretty expensive though.
Mi and D-link are other popular brands offering smart cameras at affordable prices. Mi 360o Wifi smart home security camera is the most popular smart camera from Mi. Mi MJSXJ02CM 360° is a dome-shaped surveillance camera. Though it is made of plastic, it feels durable. The good thing about this camera that it can rotate 360 degrees horizontally. But vertical viewing is on a lower side: 96 degrees. It supports SD card and network-attached storage (NAS) for storing recorded videos. It is a Wifi-enabled AI-powered camera that allows you to stream live footage of the room directly on the smartphone using Mi Home app. It has smart sensors built-in which detects the motion and alerts the user over the smartphone when motion detection option in enabled. You can set the camera to record only when there is motion detection. Alternately using the app, you can schedule specific time intervals wherein you want the camera to record the videos for you. It also has infrared night vision so even when lights are off you would be able to monitor using this camera. Night vision is fairly okay and cannot be compared to the quality offered by premium brands like Arlo. Also, Mi smart cameras aren’t integrated with smart speakers like Alexa.
D-Link offers one of the sleekest smart cameras: DCSP6000LH. It is a Wifi-enabled rod-shaped compact camera which is specially designed for intrusion detection and alerts. What we mean is that this camera isn’t really for 24×7 surveillance but for smart motion-based capturing like whenever there is a motion detection or unusual sound, the user will be instantly notified through the app or web notification. DCSP6000LH comes with cloud storage. This means the camera would directly store the video footage on the cloud, which implies it can work without connecting to external storage like SD cards or hard disk. D-Link allows 24 hours of free cloud storage with this smart camera which records videos at 720p resolution. For additional cloud space, users need to take an additional subscription. The main benefit of cloud storage is that even if someone tries to steal the camera and run away, it will not only alert the user of intrusion but would also save the recording on the cloud which can be then retrieved from a computer or smartphone. Generally, cameras record video locally on inserted SD card like in case of Mi, and if the robber runs away with the camera, even recorded clip on SD card (inserted in camera) would be lost. This camera is truly smart as it is integrated with Google, Amazon and IFTTT. So, you can control them using Google Home or Alexa smart speaker or set more customized alerts using IFTTT application.
After reading about all the smart devices and solutions you might be feeling a little low if you don’t have any smart device or appliance at home. What if I tell you that there is a way to make even nonchalant non-smart device vibrant and smart? Well, there are smart plugs which serve this purpose. You can plug in these smart plugs to the normal socket and connect your electronic devices or appliances to this smart plug and voila they become smart! If you are still confused how do connecting the appliance to smart plugs would make them smart, then let me explain. These smart plugs like other smart gizmos are Wifi connected. Once connected to the internet they can be turned on and off using an app or assistant. So, in a way using this plug you can turn on and off the connected devices or set the timer and schedules for working.
Wipro and TP-Link are reputed electronics manufacturers which offer smart plugs. Besides them Oakter, Attune, Homemate, Thrumm and Hoteon are other popular brands in this segment.
When it comes to integration with other apps TP-Link smart plugs are the best as they are integrated with Amazon, Alexa, and IFTTT right out of the box. You can do more personalized automation using IFTTT like for example you can integrate your TP-Link smart plug and Uber account with IFTTT app and whenever Uber drops you home, it will automatically turn on the light connected into the smart plug.
Wipro being an IT giant offers smart plugs with fluid user interface and good app functionality. Using the Wipro Next Smart Home app, you can not only turn on and off the device, but you can also monitor how much power is being consumed by the connected device. It also saves the log of power consumed and you can view historical energy usage data and pattern graphically. Like most of the other smart plugs, you can also set schedules when to turn on and off the plug or set the timer for operation.
Besides smart plugs, other electronic hardware manufacturers also offer smart power extension strips and boards wherein the user can control multiple plugs and appliance connected to it from one app or smart assistant. Some even offer plugs with USB ports which allows to power USB devices and electronic appliance using regular plug socket to the same plug.
As an Electronics Engineer myself, I am happy that smart electronics is revolutionizing our day to day life—making it more convenient, more efficient and more interactive. Hope after reading this article you are now a well-informed consumer who can utilize the best of technology for your home as per your budget and enjoy the convenience of controlling the device from any place in the world. After the rapid adoption of smartphones, smart bands and smart TVs I reckon the other smart devices and gizmos mentioned here would find their way in Indian households. What do you think? Lets us know in the comment section below.
