For those of us with more money than sense who have installed a fixed car lift just a heads up.
They have for the past 20 years or so been controlled by 24 volt electrics and have a two pole on off switch that all the ones I have come across including my own lift is left on.
I have thought I should check that and now I have with a clamp meter on the main supply into the garage.
These lifts have a transformer and various other electronics included in their controller.
To cut to the chase, the lift I have checked consumed around 0.3 amps at 240 volts, that is 72 watt hours in an hour.
In a week is 12.1 Kw hours, 631 Kw hours in year.
With a unit cost of 32p a unit of electricity, an annual cost of £201.
My lift on / off switch is now only switched on when used and off at all other times.
In saying that installing a car lift in pure economic terms for a private motorist is not sensible to begin with.
