The Conservative Cave
Current Events => The DUmpster => Topic started by: franksolich on May 12, 2009, 04:46:35 AM
-
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=353x2598
Oh my.
Inchworm (1000+ posts) Mon May-11-09 03:38 PM
Original message
An Electric Water Heater money saving question...
x-posted from Lounge. I was hoping to find someone who actually practices this idea. I figure if I don't that probably means it isn't really saving.
__________
I was toying around last month with an idea to save on electric bill.
I flipped water heater off at the breaker. Well, I forgot about it really. A few times I suffered through a cold shower. The first one wasn't so bad. It was turned off for about 10 days.
My usage is at a record low. (I've been working on this of late)
KWH usage
1151 December's bill
Kicked brother out
855 January's bill
Started turning Stereo/Home entertainment/etc systems off at the power strip
572 February's bill
Cold as all hell. Furnace used a lot.
633 March's bill
483 April's bill
Turned off water heater for 10 days.
432 May's bill
My question is...
Would it cost more to heat the water up daily if I turn off at 10pm and on at 5pm the next day, or would it cost more for the heater to maintain the constant temp all day? Does anyone you know do this?
I dunno. franksolich couldn't live without hot water.
How well I remember late November 1994, when the socialist paradises of the workers and peasants with free medical care for all decided to turn off all residential electricity and natural gas. This was near Thanksgiving, but of course that's not a holiday over there.
Another American and I had a discussion; if one could have only ONE of these things, heat, cooking, light, or hot water, which one would one choose?
Both of us--she being female, and so this was a surprise--opted for hot water.
franksolich keeps the hot water heater (natural gas) here turned up to the highest level possible, near the boiling point, as franksolich likes instant hot water, and it has to be hot.
cbayer (1000+ posts) Mon May-11-09 06:26 PM
Response to Original message
1. We only heat our water when we need it because of the electricity demand.
It will stay hot for almost 24 hours, then we heat it up again. If we just left it on, it would work to maintain a high temperature all the time and run down our batteries very quickly.
The heating coils in these tanks are very, very strong. It only takes about 30 minutes to heat our water from ambient temperature to scalding hot, but our tank is only 9 gallons.
You have probably found that you think more about using the hot water as well, not such a bad thing. I tend to group activities that will require hot water together - clothes washing, dish washing, floor washing and showering!
Sounds like a great idea you have!
-
If they are so concerned about it, they should just get a tankless hot water heater.
-
If they are so concerned about it, they should just get a tankless hot water heater.
Excuse my ignorance, but I never claimed to be the brightest bulb in the box.
I've heard the term "tankless hot water heater" before, but ignored it.
How is it possible to have hot water without first having a tank to hold the water?
I know I should probably google it, but it's a busy day here.
-
Okay, I just got back, and immediately went to google the item.
I dunno.
A tankless water heater seems like a lot of trouble, more trouble than just having an ordinary water heater.
The thing that gets me is that the wormy primitive doesn't see there's a bigger, more important, more expensive, problem here, than just what it costs for hot water.
Those electric bills are outrageous; perhaps the wormy primitive should sit down and contemplate why.
In Lincoln, Omaha, and out here in the Sandhills of Nebraska, I've never had an electric bill higher than $40 a month.
Of course, one has to discount for that the stove, hot water heater, and furnace are natural gas, not electric (although I'd prefer they be electric; safer).
And one has to discount for that franksolich is a single person, and a person without the decadently materialistic "needs" of the primitives, who would probably use electrically-heated toilet tissue if it were on the market.
But even considering all that, the wormy primitive is paying a Hell of a lot of money.
As said already, the wormy primitive should sit down and contemplate why that is.
The wormy primitive lives in a blue state, which automatically implies corruption, overregulation, and really strigent "environmental" controls.
The wormy primitive isn't only paying for electricity, but those things, too.
Utility companies in blue states are compelled to bribe politicians, subject themselves to unnecessary regulations, and limit themselves by harsh "environmental" rules.
Of course, the utility companies don't pay those bribes, &c., themselves; as with any other enterprise, it is the ultimate customer who pays all expenses of a product, even the under-the-table ones.
It could very well be the wormy primitive's paying for a governor's or congressman's new digs, through the higher electric bill.
My heart goes out to the decent and civilized people in blue states overburdened with high electric bills, but I wouldn't give a shit if primitives' own electric bills went up ten, a hundred, times more. After all, the primitives vote for politicians who create, and profit from, corruption. I hope the primitives--but not decent and civilized people--have to pay monstrously large bills, and the sooner the better.
But alas, one can't figure out how to separate the electricity used by decent and civilized people, and used by primitives, so that's just a pipe-dream.
-
If they are so concerned about it, they should just get a tankless hot water heater.
Why would you heat hot water? :-) :tongue: :bolt:
-
KWH usage
1151 December's bill
Kicked brother out
This heartless bastard kicked their own brother out onto the street in December? It's okay for the gummint to pick up the tab but when it comes to their own money, I guess the tune changes.