New Life Games Tech Forums

i'm sure this has been asked a few time,

Is it ok to turn off a S+ every night and when you are away for a few days. Will this procedure hurt the machine in any way?

R.

you should always turn off your slot machine at night or when your not playing it just incase it shorts and possibly starts a  fire..... what i did on my s+ was i conected it to a surge protector and just flip the switch on the surge protector off and on when i use the slot this way i dont have to keep openinng and closing the door to turn it on and off...... been doin that for 6 years never had a problem with my s+.......

I totally agree. :89-  You should always turn it (them) off when not at home, or at night. 

Most people I know use a surge protector to turn their game(s) on and off and a surge protector is a very good idea too since this is an electronic device.  I am the only person I know of  (so far) that use remote controls to turn our games on and off. :5-  Either way it saves opening the door all the time and saves allot of nasty comments made when the machine bites you when opening the door. :25-

Thank you all,

It sounds like good advice & a nice way to apply power to the device.
I will get a one as soon as I can.
This is a wonderful site.

R.

well this subject has been debated for yrs on what to do ??


FIRST OFF >>>>YES SURGE PROTECTER NO MATTER WHAT<<<<< --THE SLOT MACHINE IS A COMPUTER !!
unless you have a >>non electric one arm bandit with just decorative lights that serve no player function .

the subject has been debated for yrs to leave on or turn off ??

well my two cents is ??

can you afford the electric cost to be left on ??for 8 hours or so dormant time ??

as far as a >>reel<< spinning reel slot ---vs a video slot !! I would leave on the video slot overnight --as long as the screen saver mode was active ??
if your running a CRT -TUBE == CRT ==CATHODE RAY TUBE not on screen saver will get burn in !!

A LCD UNIT WILL NOT GET BURN IN !!plus run cooler less energy etc .

it depends on the frequency of use ?? if you play them at wake up as i have a few video slots next to my office desk ..
as soon as the home pc goes into gear !! the coin or dbv starts getting action !! so i leave the video's on at time 18 hrs

why bother turning them off ?? most critical failure is on a re-start or power failure ??
so once again can any of us predict a power failure or a power surge ??   >>NO<< unless all your telephone poles were lined up on the race track ??

as far as surge protecters ?? even with the proper surge protector !! I have seen damage on boards on a surge or low power ((BROWN OUT))
if you live in VEGAS or the desert where the outside temps run hot .. many power company's randomly cut down on juice during non critical times of day !! meaning after the morning rush of shower coffee go to work --then again in mid afternoon they may cut down on power so brown outs dont happen .. prime time at 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm at night the power plants are pumping out the most power possible !! to keep people cool in summer with A/C and street lights come on and everyone home cooking dinner taking showers etc ..


this would be the time that a brown out would most likely happen .. does it affect the machine or any applience in your home ??
you bet !!

a friend of mine who is a nuc pwr plant operator told me the united states is 15 yrs behind on most all there electric feedings across the country --that we can expect more power outages in the next 5 years than going back to the late 60's early 70's having power outages across the U.S.A . why ?? because we fail to update what is working !!! that simple .. its a case it works they pull pwr from another plant and re route it in most cases .. but if its all at once we are shit out of luck !!

so back to the endless question do you leave them on or turn them off ?? i would say its preference ??

they were designed to run 24/7 --365 a year .. so as far as was it made for >>COMMERCIAL USE << YES ALL SLOTS WERE DESIGNED FOR COMMERCIAL USE !!

can you afford to leave on 1----3 slotmachines ?? why not ..

myself cant justify leaving on close to 100 slotmachines and countertop video games for a 24 hour period 365 a year . its not cost effective for me to leave them on !! not to mention the >> HEAT THEY GENERATE << WHILE IN IDLE USE OR IN PLAY USE !!  a row of 25 IGT  S-PLUS SLOTS DOES PUT OUT SOME HEAT !!

A ROW OF 10 IGT >I< GAMES THAT ARE IN MOST CASES CRT EQUIPPED !! WITH COOLING FANS ROARING AWAY !! THEY PUMP OUT HEAT !!
NOW IN MY GAME ROOM I HAVE TWO SONY LCD TELEVISIONS  A 46-INCH LCD  & A 32-INCH LCD THOSE ALONE WILL KEEP YOU WARM IN THE WINTER !!

I KEEP THE LCD'S TELEVISIONS IN FRONT OF A 5-X -5 WINDOW THERMOPANE GLASS LOW--E TO KEEP THE COLD WINTER AIR FROM SPREADING INTO THE ROOM FROM GLASS ..

so now summer is on its way !! you have 3 slotmachines with reels or video CRT or lcd ?? leave them on !! if you have a pile of them as some of us members do !! it would take a 5000 --8000  BTU AIR CONDITIONER TO KEEP THE ROOM >GAME ROOM << COOL WHILE ALL THESE MACHINES  ARE RUNNING . so in certain cases yes leave them on other cases turn them off !! if your going away for a few days OFF THEY GO !!

 but if its just a few ?? leave them on you wont hurt them connected properly . from memory on IGT S-PLUS UPRIGHTS ?/ I THINK IT WAS UP TO FIVE MACHINES PER 20 -AMP CIRCUT -- I RUN -3---4 machines S+ TOPS PER 20 -AMP CIRCUT --   >>I<< GAMES VIDEO SLOT PLATFORM REQUIRE MORE CURRENT DRAW I RUN TWO PER 20-AMP CIRCUT . those are loaded with cooling fans -dual power supplies CRT OR LCD MONITOR OR DISPLAY AND HAVE DBV'S ON ALL ..


I AM NOT A ELECTRICAL ENGINEER !! BUT COMMON SENSE DOES APPLY -- >>>>>>IS IT COST AFFECTIVE TO LEAVE MACHINES ON 24/7 ??<<<<<


 WHEN YOU HAVE 20-30 ++ MACHINES ?? i would say no ..  A COUPLE OF MACHINES WHY NOT IF THERE USED AS A NIGHT LIGHT ETC ?

just dont forget -most part failure on electronics is on start up --or pwr surge or low pwr .. you be the judge ??
rocket
 

Rocket,

Thanks for the info. Looks like trying to heard cat's.
 I only have one S+, one more after the first of the month if it's ready,  and two antique Mills machines. You are correct, start up can be hard on electrical components. It sounds like a crap shoot either way.  I know the machine can put out heat, three lite bulbs & a trans former. I'm going to purchase a surge/power conditioner and play it by ear. . What you said makes sense, they were made to stay on 24/7. I've talked with several Casino Mechanics and it's a mixed bag. Most say it's ok to turn off, but don't know for sure. One Casino said they had machines that haven't  turn off for over 18 months. I know when they are first turned on they make  a bump.
Does anyone know how much power they consume?
           I spoke to some one at IGT and they said they turn their new machines on display off at night, but, they can replace them  easier than I can.
again, thank you,

Confused

You... what?   :103- :103- :103-

Someone at IGT spoke to you?  That's impressive -- they typically want nothing to do with home owners of their machines.  In fact, I'm pretty sure that they'd prefer that the machines were destroyed than end up in someone's house.

as I mentioned the IGT manual Iread 15 yrs ago lol said 5 s+ could be put on a 20 amp circut .
now as far as what the current draw is its variable ??

at idle with just one machine you have 3-tube flourecent bulbs running and the transformer and a handfull of mini bulbs that draw next to nothing ..

if the machine was being played and reels spinning and then a hopper pay and a bell if equipped of course draw would be more !!

so idle draw --not being played ad up the watts of bulbs and current to main transformer and any sub transformers
on main board or player tracking equipment === NOT MUCH DRAW AT IDLE  !!   Thats why I would  leave on and>>NOT<< notice a giant climb in electric bill

Which number did you call?
That's amazing that someone there even gave you an answer -
instead of sending the police to your house!!

Not taking sides on this issue  :60- :60-

But here are some stats:

S-Plus idle draws 81 watts @ 1.2 amps
S-Plus With Hopper running draws 155 watts @ 3.1 amps :88- :88-

Good luck on your debate! :3-

Are you sure?  :103- :103- 

81 watts @ 115VAC = 0.70 amps

It"s the CLOSING of the door that is the problem! Pushing down the latch nips the skin off the index finger. With only  1/3 of the index  finger left urination is challenging. Combine this with old age and I take 1/4 of a Viagra pill so I dont pee on my slippers !

Doesn't depend on the bulbs you have in there too -   

On my reel touch the top box had 4 bulbs totaling 200 watts alone.  I turn them off and use one 7 watt compact fluorescent instead. 

It does, but I've never seen an S+ reel touch! :5-  :96-  You can change the fluorescents to CCFLs in an S+ and change out the light bulbs to LEDs. Getting rid of those ballasts would make a difference.

stayouttadabunker hasn't made one yet -  :5-

I think the current draw question as i posted --plus right from the manual was for a factory IGT S+ specs that 5 could go on a 20 amp circut
it never hurts to put less on a circut !!!so we all tend to put some extra item on top of a slot or plug in a mikohn display  not one with extra  LCD OR CONVENTIONAL  LIGHTS OR EXTRA EQUIPMENT ADDED & LIGHTED TOPPERS ETC .

 just the standard machine as COORSLIGHT POSTED

the key thing is what everyone is debating is the current draw ?? the manual does not lie !! but it applies to a non altered machines

so if the machine is at idle its not pulling to much juice !!

 if its in full play mode reels spinning and bells rininging if equipped and lights flashing and hopper spinning -spitting out coins then yes of course its pulling more power to operate ..

I hope we dont get into does it take more power to deliver a nickel out of hopper or a 1.00 token ??? :25- :25- :25- :25- :25- :25- oh what about a coin jamm ?? before it locks and quits ??

You are technically correct in saying that an LCD Unit will not get Burn-In. However, LCD displays Do get Stuck-Pixels (which look exactly like Burn-In) if you have a static image on the screen for very long periods of time.
I doubt video Slots would have a static image on the screen for any long period of time so you probably would never have to worry about stuck pixels on a slot machine.
I have seen many LCD based Radio Dispatch consoles with Ghost images of the radio control modules when changing from one program to another.
I was quite surprised when I first saw one, since I too was under the impression that with an LCD display you would never see that Ghost (burn-in) image.
That was before I learned about the Stuck-Pixels. 

 thats why i included the part of the post that you left out of your post >>>if the screen saver was active on video slots <<<
it would be ok to leave them on . the bottom line it has many variables as to preference & safety of machine overall ??

as I posted if you have 1-3-5 machines >>>S+ <<<<WAS THE ORIGINAL TOPIC . was it ok to leave on at night ?
why not the current draw is small in idle mode .

if you have 100 machines of assorted  spinning reel slots of various makers --to video slots -- to counter top arcade games etc
it not in my best interest to leave them on 24/7 for electric cost alone --plus the heat generated ..

i have seen the stuck pixels on a lcd I purchased before used for security purposes .. displaying the same location/spot 24/7 for 3 yrs  did leave a ghost image on one i purchased . but i used it for a retro fit on a multi colored game and you never notice it .

POS. KARMA for pointing that out -about the ghosting to members

That's what is printed on page 1-7 of the S-Plus with imbedded bill acceptor  manual dated 6/25/93 from IGT.

Yeah, it sure is.  Apparently Ohms law doesn't apply to IGT equipment, or their manual is wrong.  I vote for the latter.  Ohms law states Power (watts) = I (current in amps) X E (voltage in volts).  Statfreak's numbers are correct.  


Renee, you'll hear different opinions on whether you should leave your machine on or not.  I personally leave mine off unless I intend to use them, same with the TV, computer, etc.  I hate paying any more for my electric bill than I have to!  Do what you're comfortable with, it won't harm anything either way in my opinion.

P = I x E
Power (watts) = Current (amps) x Voltage
81watts = 1.2a x V
81/1.2 =67.5V????? <<<no, not correct. something wasn't right

Info I have on the old S Slot shows;
Standby = 180watts @ 115v, 60hz, 1.5amp draw
Worse-case Hopper Running = 450watts @ 115v, 60hz, 2.3amp draw

Giving the load factor for electrical circuit breakers, and based on the above numbers, I'd say that 5 machines on a 20amp circuit is a little overly safe.

BUT, the IGT S-Plus manual really does recommend no more than 5 machines on a 20amp circuit. I didn't believe it, so I looked at my paperwork. In questioning this, I looked at the main power fuse. You'll notice that the main power fuse in an S Plus is a 6amp fuse. Which means as reel and hopper motors/mechs wear and get dirty, etc., they will draw more juice. Just like your electric drill will draw more juice drilling anything as opposed to just free-running. So these things can suck some juice.

I'd have no personal worries running a half-dozen games on a residential 15amp circuit, if a couple of the games had hoppers. I'd run a few more if hoppers were disabled.
 

 :59- :59- :59- WHO EVER THOUGHT  :59- :59- :59-

that a simple post of do I leave on my ONE IGT S-PLUS slotmachine
would bring in the amount of post ??

the united states is a big area and covers alot of ground !! we have warm areas year round we have cold areas year round .
we have some areas in the middle of warm & cold !

we all rely on electricity to run our homes and appliances in our home from gas fired biolers to oil fired boilers to A/C to electric base board heat
to electric blankets to toater ovens to conventional electric ovens to home pc units to television sets to telephones to hair dryers -printers
 a BIG ONE in last decade >>>battery chargers --for cell phones --- lap tops-two way radio's digital camera's --video camera's 
--cooling fans - swimming pool heaters -pumps -electric cars - alarm systems - kids numerous toys that need charging !! many items i did not list !!

but  all run on that hidden stuff(((electricity ))) that runs through the coated colored wires .. do we waste it or conserve it ??
as I mentioned Iam not a electrical engineer !! but do give myself the common sense award ..

there are some on the forum that can most likely figure the current draw of turning on a for hypothetical purposes !! the igt s+ upright machine

then calculate lets say a 1-hour play time or 3 hour play time .. then 20 hours of idle time current draw ?? and tell you is it energy efficient to leave on the machine 24/7 from a power use >>standpoint << to turn it off after each use ?? since we know that a power up requires more power than a idle stand of machine what amount does it draw on power up vs leaving on for 8 hrs ??

this should be some good food for thought for the electrical folk out there ??

happy weekend to all
rocket

LOL, I think it's been rather informative.

The simple question of whether to leave a machine on all the time has to be followed with the question of "why?"

Is the purpose machine longevitiy, energy savings, personal safety, or ????  Any answer will be different, depending on the original poster's concern.

So this has resulted in many varied responses, which address many different purposes/concerns.

Is the machine used each day? On rare occasions? Or on the weekends?

Specifics, specifics, specifics........

Might have as well asked "should I marry a girl?" : D

WOW,
thank for all the help.
The reason for turning off at night was to save the machine for the long term & does it save that much on the elect bill?
The machine was designed to stay on 24/7, but, the machine isn't exactly new, 20+ maybe. I'm not too concerned about the electric bill, unless it spins the meter off the house. I'm concerned about the longevity of the machine.
i still think it would be easier to heard cats.
All of the answers make sense, some more than others.
It does put out a little heat, but I'm not able to roast marshmallows on it. I play all of my machines almost every day. Two antiques, one electro.
I'll play it buy ear.

This is a very interesting Forum. Lots of info.
thanks

Renee,

I measured the power on my S+ machine sitting idle at 120 watts.  Playing the machine actually decreased the power draw by ~ 8 watts, but we'll go with the higher 120 watt figure for the constant.  I didn't check it cashing out (hopper running) since I don't do that very often and didn't want to cycle through over 3000 credits  :96-

120 watts X 24 hrs per day = 2880 watts or 2.88 kilowatt hours (kwh) per day
2.88kwh X $.12 (my average electric cost per kilowatt hour after taxes, regulatory charges, etc) = $ .3456 per day
$.3456 per day X 30 days =  $10.368 month.

Your costs will vary depending on your electric company charges.  While $10.36 a month may not seem too bad, lets say you actually play it for 30 hours a month (that's an hour a day) and shut it off the rest of the time. You'd use 120watts X 30 hrs = 3600 or 3.6kwh for the month.  3.6kwh X $.12 = $.43 per month.  That's a significant savings over $10.36 a month.  Multiply this by more than one machine, and well, it's easy to see the difference.

A couple of additional things to take into consideration is that a machine that is turned off isn't subject to line voltage variations (surges/brownouts), and machine decals/glass aren't subject to the heat/UV effects of the fluorescent lights on them constantly either.

Google "kill-a-watt" and you'll find a meter you can use around the home that's pretty cheap to measure the current draw of most household items.  That's what I used to measure the power consumption of my S+ slot machine.

Have fun, this is a great forum.