Using Electric Appliances

Electric Appliances make our life easier, and they are all around us. In this chapter, we will explain the EMF emissions from these appliances & how to reduce our exposure.

Using Electric Appliances – In short

First of all – Recommendation to minimize your exposure to EMR from electric appliances and lights 1. keep a safety distance of between 0.5 and 2 meters from any ELF source (according to the EMR measurement outcomes).  2. Disconnect electric appliances from the electric supply when not using them (easy to do while using a multi-socket electrical outlet with a power switch (see below). 3. Don’t locate sleeping beds and working stations on the other side of the wall where an ELF source (electric motors, refrigerators, air condition compressors, microwave wave ovens …) is located. 4. Give special attention to finding and keeping safety distance from electric motors and power supply/converters.

Electric appliances

Electric appliances make our life easier and simple. 50 years ago there was a saying “more electricity less work”. Electric home appliances do our hard work, entertain us, heat and cool our food, heat the house at winter and cool it in the summer. Electric home appliances help us do every task and chore very easily and faster. But all electric appliances emit electromagnetic radiation in low frequency (electric network frequency is 50 or 60Hz) and some also in high frequency (cordless phones, Wi-Fi router, laptop, microwave ovens and all other wireless devices).  We need to know when and why these appliances emit electromagnetic radiation. We need to keep safe distance and to find ways to limit and to avoid unnecessary exposure to electromagnetic radiation.

Why do electric appliances emit electromagnetic radiation?

A magnetic field is created around every electric conductor (a metallic wire for example) when an electric current is running through it. As higher the current is the higher the Magnetic radiation will be.  The frequency of the electric current will be the frequency of the electromagnetic radiation, usually at the same frequency of the electric network at around 50 or 60 Hz.
Between 2 points with different electric voltage, there will also be an Electric field. . So every electric appliance is also a source for the electric field. Together the Electric and Magnetic fields are called Electromagnetic fields.  The levels of electromagnetic radiation in low frequencies drop as you move away from the source.

In electric appliances, there are a lot of wires, electronic components, electronic board and power converters  When the device is turned on, and in some of the cases even when turned off, those components and wires emit electromagnetic radiation in the frequency of the electric network (mainly).

It is important to remember that low-frequency radiation passes easily thought walls. Therefore the location of the home appliances in the house is very important. If located wrongly people living in the house can be exposed to high levels of electromagnetic radiation.

Electromagnetic radiation emitted from electric appliances in standby mode.

Most home appliances emit electromagnetic radiation in low frequencies and use electricity even when they are connected to the electricity network and turned off (standby mode). The way to reduce the electromagnetic radiation and the electric waist is to cut the power supply off. In order to do that you need to unplug your devices from the electric socket when not in use. This operation is not easy and can be dangerous since you increase your chances of getting electrified. A multi-socket with a power switch allows you to switch off the power supply to all the devices connected to it, easily and with no risk. A multi-socket with a power switch is not very expensive (~US$10) and installing it is very easy. In this way, you can easily save some electricity and also reduce the electromagnetic radiation emitted from the home appliances while in standby mode. Cutting off the power supply of home appliances in standby mode can also protect them from power bursts and lightning strikes. Please note that the multi socket emit some levels of ELF electric and magnetic field so keep a safety distance of at least 1 meter away from them.

Video link: ELF EMR from electric appliances in standby mode

Electromagnetic radiation from voltage transformers

Two types of voltage transformers are available today in the market, classic and electronic. The classic voltage transformer is based on two coils raped against a magnetic core. The ratio between the two coils is the ratio between the input voltage and the output voltage. The electronic voltage transformer consists on several small coils, capacitors, electronic parts, and an electronic board.

The classical voltage transformer way of work is fully based on electromagnetic fields and while operating it emits high levels of electromagnetic radiation in the frequency of the input voltage. In most cases, an electric voltage transformer emits less electromagnetic radiation than a classical voltage transformer.

The higher the current that flows via the voltage transformer wires, the higher the radiation it emits. It is recommended to keep a safe distance of one meter away from a classical voltage transformer and a half meter away from an electronic voltage transformer.

Electromagnetic radiation from electric motors

An electric motor is based on the principle of magnetic fields. In all electric motors, you will find magnetic core and coils. Every Electric motor emits electromagnetic radiation. The radiation levels are higher when the motor power and load are higher. You can find electric motors in every home, office, and factory. You can find electric motors in a refrigerator, air-conditioning systems, an aquarium and ponds filters, air pumps, fans, washing machines, sewing machines and lots of other everyday home appliances.

 You can find a small electric motor even in clocks (analog), and around it you there will be an electromagnetic radiation field that can be measured by a very simple meter.

From a home used electric motor it is best to keep one meter of safety distance. In industrial motors, you better keep more safety distance or try to install some electromagnetic radiation shielding since their working current and the radiation they emit can be a very high (much higher than most home electric motors).

Video link:  ELF EMR from fish tank water filter (electric motor)

Electromagnetic radiation from CRT, LCD plasma and LED screens and TVs

CRT – TV and screen based on a Cathode-Ray Tube.

There is a wide variety of television in today’s market and households.  Televisions and screens that are based on Cathode-ray Tube (CRT), the big, clumsy round and heavy devices, are the oldest type of TVs and they emit the highest levels of electromagnetic radiation (compared to other types of TVs and to other radiation sources in the house). The reason is that these TVs work on the principle of a variable electromagnetic field generated around the screen used to change the projection of the electrons (X-Ray radiation) making their way from the electronic booster/canon on the back of the tube to the Fluorescent screen. This field surrounds the screen on all sides. At the front of an old CRT screen, there is a protective layer that blocks some of the radiation. Therefore on the back and sides (where there is no protection), the radiation levels are the highest. Since the low-frequency electromagnetic radiation can pass through walls, a common mistake is to place a bed next to the other side of that wall where a CRT-TV is placed at. In a CRT TV, some levels of electromagnetic radiation will be emitted even on standby mode.

In order to save office space, many businesses and offices, place computer tables against each other, back to back, which means that also the computer screens are placed back to back. In this situation, workers are exposed to high levels of electromagnetic radiation from the rear and sides of the CRT screens.

Safety distance from a 29″ CRT TVs is at least 2 meters from all sides. A safety distance from a 19″ CRT PC screen should be around half a meter in any direction.

LED/LCD and Plasma TVs

LCD, plasma and LED screens and televisions work in a digital method and are not based on a magnetic principle. Therefore the radiation levels that are emitted from all sides, are very low compared to a CRT TV or screen. The sources of radiation in these monitors are computerized circuits, microprocessors and power supplies that are located on the electronic circuit board on the back on the screen. Since the radiation levels from LCD/LED and plasma screens are usually very low, the safety distance from LCD/LED and plasma screens is only half a meter.

Plasma screens and TV are also a source of electric pollution (it produces an electrical noise that is added on to the electrical grid at home) but the levels of low-frequency electromagnetic radiation emitted from the plasma screens are similar to the levels emitted from LCD and LED screens.

Safety distance from LCD screens, plasma TV LED is half a meter in any direction

Most LCD was better to most EHS than CRT and LED, but they are now can’t be found on the market anymore and usually have the power supply inside them (important if used as a PC screen). Today you can find LED screens on the market. Out of the box, they can cause some problems for some EHS people but can be configured to be OK for most EHS.

In addition, many models that are sold today are “smart TV” (for dumb people) including a wireless capability that can’t be turned off(WIFI and Bluetooth). You need to make sure that the TV you are buying is not wireless, does not have WIFI or Bluetooth, or other wireless connections.

On the good side, most LED has an external power supply, making them thinner and lower in ELF magnetic field emission from the screen (important if going to use as a PC screen).
As I said, some people might feel bad in front of an LCD screen, because of the following reason, with the following changes need to be done):
1. Blue light emitted from the screen (fix – change the color scheme so there will be less blue light).
2. Mid-frequency EMF emitted from the screen (fix – use an LCD/LED screen protection).
3. RF radiation emitted from the screen in case it is wireless (fix – test before buy, make sure your screen is not wireless, or find a way to turn off the wireless functions).
4. Dirty Electricity created by the screen (fix – use DR filters)
5. Light flicker (fix set brightness to 100% in LED screen)

Radiation from microwave ovens

The microwave oven can be found in almost every kitchen in the modern world. Microwave ovens use the heating effect of electromagnetic radiation (in the frequency of water molecules) to heat the fluid in the food and, by that, to heat the food itself. The frequency used in a microwave is around 2.4 GHz and it is similar to the frequencies used for communication, cellular and DECT phone. When a microwave oven is on, part of the radiation goes through the protection shield-filter, which is part of the microwave oven door, and spread into the room. The part of the radiation that escapes from the oven is relatively small, and can’t cook our body during the short time it is on, but it is definitely not recommended to look into the oven for several seconds (possible damage to the eye protein) or even stay in the kitchen when the microwave oven is on.

Just for comparison, In Israel when a radiation tester tests a microwave oven, the oven will be considered “safe to use” if at a distance of five centimeters from the door the tester will measure radiation level of 5000 microwatts per square centimeters (the Israeli standard, which is very high, for cellular antenna radiation level, is about 40-100 microwatts square centimeters.

In addition, a microwave oven, like most electrical appliances, emits low-frequency electromagnetic radiation in the electrical network frequency of 50 Hz. This low-frequency radiation is emitted all the time the microwave oven is connected to the electricity network. The microwave oven, low and high frequency, electromagnetic radiation emission must be taken into account when deciding about the device location in the house (not near people) and it is recommended to pull it out of the electric supply when not in use.

Exposure reduction from a Microwave oven from easy to the more complicated

1. Keep a safe distance from the oven when it is heating
2. Exit the room when the oven is heating
3. Disconnect the oven from the power outlet when not in use.
4. Use RF protection material such as RF Blocking Wallpaper to cover the door. 
5. Use RF protection material (RF Blocking wallpaper) on the wooden kitchen closet in which the oven is in or on the wall next to it.

Video link: RF EMR from a microwave oven

Radiation from Electric Bed

The electric bed has become a big hit in the last few years. Every electric bed has motors that emit ELF EMR when activated (to change the position) and a power converter that emits ELF EMR all the time it is connected to the power supply. ELF measurement on the matters shows ELF levels or between 20-40 mG. It is recommended not to use electric beds, but if you already have one it is recommended to disconnect it from the power once you set the required position. This can be done using a Multi-socket power socket with an On-Off switch.

Please also see – ELF from electric beds and blankets
Video link: ELF EMR from electric bed