Pinball machines are some impressive pieces of equipment. They have a lot of moving parts, and even more electrical components that need to stay in working order. With all of these important components, many owners wonder if their pinball machine needs to be switched on all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pinball machines do not need to be switched on all the time. While turning your machine on will send an inrush current through the machine, this does not cause significant wear of the electrical components. Keeping your pinball machine on all the time will simply waste energy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Below, we\u2019ll discuss this idea in more detail, and tell you everything you need to know about keeping your pinball machine on. We\u2019ll also go through some key tips to maintain your pinball machine, so you can be sure your machine stays in working order for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many people believe that turning something off after every use and then turning it on again when you want to use it uses more energy than leaving it on in between uses. However, this hasn\u2019t been the case for a long time<\/strong>, and it\u2019s usually associated with light bulbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fluorescent bulbs of years gone by did used to wear slightly faster when they were repeatedly turned off and on. This is no longer the case, but the cause of this phenomenon still exists. Essentially, when you turn any electrical device on, there is something called an inrush current that travels through its circuits<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is something that all electrical devices are subjected to, and it\u2019s essentially a larger than normal rush of current that goes through the device\u2019s circuitry. This charges any capacitors<\/strong>, inducers or transformers in the device so that you can use it straight away<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Modern electronic devices and circuits, like those inside pinball machines, are built to withstand this large rush of current. This means you don\u2019t need to worry about any of the internal components getting damaged<\/strong> when you turn your pinball machine on to play at the start of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, you do need to use a bit of common sense to decide when you should turn off your pinball machine. If you\u2019re stepping away from the table for a few minutes, there\u2019s no need to turn it off<\/strong>. This is only going to be a nuisance when you come back and have to turn it back on, especially if your pinball machine takes a long time to boot up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, if you\u2019re stepping away for half an hour or more, you should probably turn it off<\/strong>. In the long run, turning things off and on again repeatedly over the course of many years can reduce its lifespan. This is just due to the lifespan of the circuitry inside, and like any device, the more you use it the faster it will wear out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leaving your pinball machine switched on does not save energy when compared to turning it off and on again. This is because the inrush current that the machine uses when it\u2019s first turned on isn\u2019t significant enough when compared to the energy used by leaving it on for a long time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The inrush current can be up to 20 times that of the current that flows through the device during normal use. But this current is only there for a fraction of a second, which means you\u2019d have to turn it off and on again a lot to notice any significant spike in energy usage. Doing this just isn\u2019t good for the components inside<\/strong> anyway<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if you leave your machine on all the time, you are going to use a lot more energy than if you turn it off and on in between uses. If you\u2019re stepping away from the pinball machine for longer than half an hour, we suggest you turn it off and unplug it. This way, you\u2019ll save a lot of energy<\/strong> versus leaving it on for hours on end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, using the pinball machine uses more energy than leaving it on with nobody playing, but if it\u2019s still switched on, it\u2019s still drawing power from the wall. This means it\u2019s still using energy, and therefore still costing you money<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, pinball machines are designed for the arcade environment. They\u2019re designed to be left on for long days or nights<\/strong>, without being switched off in between uses. This means anyone can walk up to any machine they like and play it without having to turn it on.<\/p>\n\n\n\nShould You Keep Your Pinball Machine On All The Time?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Inrush Currents<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use Common Sense<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Does Leaving Your Pinball Machine Switched On Save Energy?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Saving Energy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Arcade Environment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n