just a query...

silly

just wondering if any1 knows, if u have a moblie phone charger plugged in all the time, is it still using electricity, even when phone is not plugged into the charger?

Plunky

I've often wondered about this myself, and I don't think so, cuz without a phone attached, the circuit isn't complete, so why would it be using electricity?

Adam

I think so, though I'm not positive, but usually if you leave it plugged in it will still be warm when you come back to it...

netwhizkid

i'd say it does but i'm not 100% sure, anyway what would it burn maybe €1 for a year the only thing is that it would wear down ur fone charger. Best plug it out imo anyway.

Regards netwhizkid

jezza

of course it does.
I had an alsation puupy when i was fourteen and he chewed through my charger and he died, it also but the fuse thingy in the charger as it isnt designed to be plugged in 24/7. i no i got through 3 chargers in one year(nokia) man in fone shop told me that it was bad to keep em plugged in

muckwarrior

Once it's warm then it has to be using energy. How much exactly I don't know.

Pet

I'd say yes, because they're warm, and they make a very slight noise too.

Djddd1

No for a few reasons well two

1. The circut is not complete so not electricity is being used.
2. It is only and extention on to the origanal wireing from the box.

Pythia

jezza wrote:

i no i got through 3 chargers in one year(nokia) man in fone shop told me that it was bad to keep em plugged in

Well it's certainly bad to keep your phone charging all the time but I don't know about just leaving the charger in on its own.
Leaving things like tvs on standby does use up power I know.

muckwarrior

Djddd1 wrote:

No for a few reasons well two

1. The circut is not complete so not electricity is being used.
2. It is only and extention on to the origanal wireing from the box.

Like I said if its producing heat then it has to be using energy. Simple laws of physics. It may not be connected to anything but remember it's not a simple plug, its a transformer. It's constantly transforming/doing work once its plugged in.

dermot_sheehan

The circuit is complete.

Remember the charger is basically a transformer, it converts 240ac down to about 6volts, then uses diodes to convert to dc.

The transformer consists of 2 loops of wire, the one connected to the mains, and the one where the phone plugs in, they don't electrically connect to each other, but are next to each other, so the changing electrical field in one causes a current in the other. Some current is lost in the transformation and is radiated as heat. This still happens even if no current is being used on the dc side.

Blisterman

It is, look at the little LED. That uses electricity. If you leave it plugged into your car charger for a few weeks, it'll kill the car battery.

LadyJ

Go to www.howstuffworks.com
Should tell ya there

[InsertHandle]

lick it ... you know like a 9V battery ... if u feel a tingly sensation you won't care about the answer to this query cause you'll be dead*






*I accept no liability for serious injury or loss of life due to following my advice

nesf

Short Authoritive answer.

Mobile Phone chargers use about 1W of energy while plugged in (and not plugged into a phone, they use a lot more when they are charging a phone).

Source, Paper on Set Top Box and Telephony Energy Usage, 2001 (Not very complicated but quite long, the answer to the above query is on the top of page 5, if you just want confirmation )

Although, most modern chargers don't get hot when left plugged in. The older ones did though.

Amazing how many people can't bring themselves to use google when they don't know what they are talking about... :rolleyes:

funk-you

they do use power as they are basically just a transformer. fact.......ps i'm an electronic engineer.