If a machine is never 100% efficient transforming energy into work because part of the energy is converted into heat, does it mean an electric heater is 100% efficient? @showerthoughts@lemmy.world

  • Fubber Nuckin'@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    I mean if you want to go that route, we could just say that every speaker, light source, motor, etc is 100% efficient at generating heat because all of its energy output will eventually become heat.

    • xigoi@lemmy.sdf.org
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      4 months ago

      That is also completely true, but meaningless because heat generation is not the purpose of these devices. However, if you use them in a building heated by a thermostat-controlled electric heater, you’re effectivhly running them for free.

      • Xatix@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        I‘m was using two old servers with folding@home running as space heaters in the winter. I got them for dirt cheap and thought if I convert electricity into heat, I might as well do something good with it. Also nice opportunity to run a minecraft server for the kids during that time.

      • Xatix@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        I‘m was using two old servers with folding@home running as space heaters in the winter. I got them for dirt cheap and thought if I convert electricity into heat, I might as well do something good with it. Also nice opportunity to run a minecraft server for the kids during that time.

    • PeterPoopshit@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Energy can neither be created nor destroyed so in the grand scheme of things, everything is 100% energy efficient one way or another.

    • vynlwombat@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      I suggest we submit proposals to define “100%” and “efficient” before we design the experiment