Is it OK to turn off Blink if you don't use it?

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Volusiano

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 24, 2011
Messages
1,461
Location
Phoenix, AZ
I got my Blink installed today. However, I'm not taking delivery of my Leaf for another month. Is it OK if I unplug the Blink to avoid wasteful standby power draw if I don't need it? Or does the agreement with Blink requires that I have to keep it on 24/7 no matter what? The installation tech said I should leave it on.
 
If you aren't taking delivery yet it should be fine to turn off the Blink. Once you're using it and they start collecting data they ask that it not be turned off on a regular basis.
 
DarkStar said:
...they start collecting data they ask that it not be turned off on a regular basis.
With all of ecotality's problems in networking and simple things, its going to be a miracle for them to collect data. Even if they collect it, how accurate is it? (See existing thread on kWh inaccuracies).
 
I'm looking, but didn't find info on kWh inaccuracy.

The Blink (via blinknetwork web page) seems to match the SDG&E meter pretty closely. It reads 1.3% low, by my calculation. I'll check again tonight to compare.
 
So Blink reported
5.6686 kWh
for the last charge. SDG&E meter recorded
5.7491

98.6% accurate. :) It could be that the Blink is not including the power that it consumes itself.. closing the relay, lighting the garage, and running the intense software algorithms to compute the date and time..
 
Volusiano said:
I got my Blink installed today. However, I'm not taking delivery of my Leaf for another month. Is it OK if I unplug the Blink to avoid wasteful standby power draw if I don't need it? Or does the agreement with Blink requires that I have to keep it on 24/7 no matter what? The installation tech said I should leave it on.

My Blink tech told me that it was okay to turn off the breaker to the Blink until a few days before the car is delivered and hopefully by then they will have a 'sleep' update.
 
Volusiano said:
I got my Blink installed today. However, I'm not taking delivery of my Leaf for another month. Is it OK if I unplug the Blink to avoid wasteful standby power draw if I don't need it? Or does the agreement with Blink requires that I have to keep it on 24/7 no matter what? The installation tech said I should leave it on.
If you have a 2nd meter there is probably a minimum charge per day (SDG&E is $0.17). If that is the case, it doesn't matter.
 
jcesare said:
If you have a 2nd meter there is probably a minimum charge per day (SDG&E is $0.17). If that is the case, it doesn't matter.
It's still a waste, even if it doesn't have a direct monetary cost.
 
Personally, I would probably switch it off when not using it, at least until Blink gets an efficient "sleep" mode.

If Blink calls you to request it ON for a good reason, like sending a software update, then try to accomodate them, of course.
 
GroundLoop said:
It could be that the Blink is not including the power that it consumes itself.. closing the relay, lighting the garage, and running the intense software algorithms to compute the date and time..
Inside of the Blink, I noticed that the electrical service first runs through the meter, even before going to the Blink PSU (power supply unit). So, they are keeping track of the parasitic use of the Blink electronics... Blink is probably subtracting that before displaying the "use" to the customer and I bet there are some errors in that process (maybe subtracting too much?)...
 
I did the same, my Blink was installed a few weeks ahead of the car so I unplugged it. I received an email from them saying it was important that the charger be on at all times. Not sure if it was related or not, but all well.

Conveniently the outlet they installed worked for my welder in the mean time. :D
 
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