11.12 Should I leave equipment on all of the time or turn it on and off?
Description
This article is from the rec.audio.* FAQ, by with numerous contributions by Bob Neidorff others.
11.12 Should I leave equipment on all of the time or turn it on and off?
Some gear draws significant electricity, so you will waste money
and fossil fuel if you leave it on all of the time. As an
example, a common amplifier consumes 40 watts at idle. High-end
gear uses far more electricity, but ignoring that, 40 watts x
168 hours x 52 weeks x US $0.0001 per watt hour (rough estimate)
is $35/year. Now add a CD player, a preamp, and a tuner, and it
really adds up.
High-end enthusiasts claim that equipment needs to warm up to
sound its best. If you care about the best sound, give your
equipment at least 20 minutes to warm up before serious
listening. Warm up will allow the inside temperature to
stabilize, minimizing offsets, bring bias currents up to their
proper values, and bringing gain up to operating level.
Either way, good gear will last a very long time. Tubes are
known to have a finite life, but good tube designs run tubes
very conservatively, giving them life exceeding 10 years of
continuous service. Some amplifiers run tubes harder to get
more power out, and thereby may be more economical to turn off
between use.
Electrolytic supply capacitors will fail after enough time at
temperature. They will last longer if turned off between use.
However, like tubes, capacitors can last tens of years of
continuous use, as can power transformers, semiconductors, and
the like. Better quality electrolytic capacitors are rated for
operation at 105 degrees C. If you're replacing the
electrolytic capacitor in a power supply, look for capacitors
with this higher temperature rating, rather than 85 degree C
capacitors.
Electrolytic capacitors have a funny problem that justified a
simple break-in or reforming when they are restarted after many
years of rest. It involves bringing up the power line voltage
slowly with a variable transformer. For tips on reforming
capacitors, consult "The Radio Amateur's Handbook", by the
ARRL.
Semiconductors seem to fail more often because of bad surges and
abuse than age. Leaving gear off may be best for semiconductors
and other surge-sensitive gear if you expect power line surges,
as come from an electrical storm or operation of large motors.
Fuses seem to age with temperature and get noisy, but they are
so inexpensive that it should not bias your decision. However,
some are inconvenient to change, and may require opening the
case and even voiding the warranty.
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