Fujitsu 36RGLXD phantom load
I just put an energy monitor in my house that measures individual circuits. It’s led to some horrifying discoveries. The worst two are that my induction stove is drawing 300W continuously, and my well pump is drawing about 2x the current it’s supposed to, but those are asides.
My heatpump is drawing 1.4A continuously. I have a Fujitsu 36RGLXD ducted mini-split that heats and cools my entire house. I’ve found that during a sunny, mid-80s summer day, the heatpump only kicks in for a few hours in the afternoon, when the sun starts coming in through my west windows. The rest of the day, the pump is off, but still draws 1.4A (from 240V).
My installer thinks it’s the crankcase heater, but to his credit, he’s checking in with the factory. I think drawing 1.4A continuously is crazy, and judging from my energy bill, I’m paying for it.
What should a 36kbtu Fujitsu heatpump should be drawing when it’s off?
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Replies
The fact that your power meter says your induction stove is drawing 300W is a red flag. I think you have an issue with the meter itself. 300W is a LOT of power, a stove would be quite warm if it was consuming that 24/7.
As for your AC, it does sound like the compressor/pan heater. Compressor heater is usually 80W and pan heater 100W-150W. Some have better control of these, but there is usually no way around it.
I've verified the current draws two different ways. First, the daily energy usage measured by the meter is equal to to my average daily draw from my utility bill. Second, I've measured the current draw of the induction cooktop and the well pump power at their junction boxes using a current clamp, and it matches the energy meter.
It really is terrible, because I have a new house with "efficient" appliances, and I'm burning almost $200/month on electricity every month of the year.
To be clear, I didn't get the power meter out of curiosity. I got it because something was wrong.