Burnham
Woods walker
Al, how do you do an energy audit?
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Al Smith
Mac Daddy
The average home in the US consumes about 700 to 900 KWH per month in electric bills . You can get the normal usage of certain appliances by a Google search .Like a clothes dryer for example is 5-6 bucks a month ,lighting 15-30 .
Of course electric heat would be more in a northern climate .
In a tad bit I'll take my tong type amp meter and see just exactly which if any circuit in the main panel is acting a little too hot .Amps times 120 volt per side equals wattage .Add both sides times hours and that gives you watt hours .Divide by 1000 for KWH times the rate which mine is 8.6 per KWH .
If you take readings every few hours over about a week you get the average usage per day which could vary .
Certain things like a loose neutral wire can do some goofy things too . You know what they say about the mechanics car and the electricians house .I'm afraid it's the truth .
Lazy as I am just get in my pocket by golly that will make me get the lead out .
Of course electric heat would be more in a northern climate .
In a tad bit I'll take my tong type amp meter and see just exactly which if any circuit in the main panel is acting a little too hot .Amps times 120 volt per side equals wattage .Add both sides times hours and that gives you watt hours .Divide by 1000 for KWH times the rate which mine is 8.6 per KWH .
If you take readings every few hours over about a week you get the average usage per day which could vary .
Certain things like a loose neutral wire can do some goofy things too . You know what they say about the mechanics car and the electricians house .I'm afraid it's the truth .
Lazy as I am just get in my pocket by golly that will make me get the lead out .
Burnham
Woods walker
My electric use is around 500 kwh per month, on a yearly average. Runs 50-60 bucks a month. I hear people talk about power bills in the multiple hundreds...that would hurt.
To get a fix on energy use in our home I also have to add in the propane use, for the kitchen range and the clothes dryer. That goes about $200 a year, these days.
To get a fix on energy use in our home I also have to add in the propane use, for the kitchen range and the clothes dryer. That goes about $200 a year, these days.
Cobleskill
Treehouser
Whatcha heat your water with, B? At one time it would have paid to switch to propane if you had electricity. Now, I think it is about the same price. Oil is probably a savings, but the oil hot water heaters are pricey. Even electric water heaters sure have got expensive from the last one I bought. Sticker shock.
Burnham
Woods walker
We heat our water with electricity. Spread the energy source a little, was our thought when we built the house. Also, the location of our water heater was not real conducive to the exhaust vent requirement.
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
The average for an electric water heater is 30-40 a month .You can put a timer on it and cut it by about a third or more .Gas is not the bargain it once was especially profane--er propane .
As the saga continues I found my aeriation pump on my sewage had smoked the start winding .It would attempt to start but would trip the thermal .Reason being zero degree cold air which caused moisture in a hot pump freezing it up after it had pumped and then shut down .Another one of those things I had made a mental note to rectify but never did .
I'll just unplug that rascal about mid next November . I just replaced that motor half an hour ago that damned motor set me back 139 . I ainta doin so well today .
As the saga continues I found my aeriation pump on my sewage had smoked the start winding .It would attempt to start but would trip the thermal .Reason being zero degree cold air which caused moisture in a hot pump freezing it up after it had pumped and then shut down .Another one of those things I had made a mental note to rectify but never did .
I'll just unplug that rascal about mid next November . I just replaced that motor half an hour ago that damned motor set me back 139 . I ainta doin so well today .
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
Lawdy it goes on .I wonder,I said to myself if the winding just popped loose .So self disassembled said supposedly crispy critter motor and danged if I didn't find it .Soldered it back together .Now in spite of shelling out over a hundred for a new one I have a spare 1/2 horse .A partial victory if nothing else .Some times you make progress measured in inchs .
Burnham
Woods walker
Better than the ol' "two steps forward and three steps back", Al.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Energy costs are so cheap in the states. All we do is use propane for cooking and a small water heater and it is about $80 per month. Electricity charges are out of sight. My shop is $150 per month and that is only the service charge, usage on top of that. You guys have got it made.
Willie, your pms is full.
Willie, your pms is full.
Burnham
Woods walker
KWH rates here in the PNW are more favorable than much of the rest of the US, too. Those salmon killing hydro dams on the Columbia River system churn out lots at relatively low cost...if you don't count the loss of the fish.
Paul B
I dig hammocks.
I think we are at 6 cents / KWH here. No propane or gas in our place. Mainly hydroelectric generated also. Most single family homes here are natural gas for hot water tank and forced air heat, electric kitchens and otherwise. A/C is a rarity other than in vehicles.
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
The price for natural gas went through the roof a few years back .At the time we were paying the utilities on one of the in town rentals which was well insulated and only 960 square feet,gas .They were more than this house which was at the time 1800 sq feet and all resistance electric heat .No wood, no geo- thermal . Go figure
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
In my flitting around yesterday I did manage to find time to fire up the Stihl 034/036 top . After sitting about 8 months it took a little but purred right along once I got it to puttsy .
I researched a timer on a hot water heater and got mixed opinions .Some say it's worth the effort others say nay . I have one already but the clock works are inaccurate so I ceased using it .The danged thing is set higher for temp than it needs to be because Mrs Smith likes water that will about strip the hide of your hands . I got tired of arguing about and left well enough alone . Must be a woman thing .
I researched a timer on a hot water heater and got mixed opinions .Some say it's worth the effort others say nay . I have one already but the clock works are inaccurate so I ceased using it .The danged thing is set higher for temp than it needs to be because Mrs Smith likes water that will about strip the hide of your hands . I got tired of arguing about and left well enough alone . Must be a woman thing .
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
I like hot water too... I just have the kiddos to worry about. Once Lilly is a tad older she will get turned back up 
Maybe a solar pre-heater would serve you better Al.
Not to try a derail Al. The 034 convert saw.... I am seeing some 034 AV come up on ebay I might want to play with.. Was the top end a direct swap to the 036 or did you have to get creative?
Maybe a solar pre-heater would serve you better Al. Not to try a derail Al. The 034 convert saw.... I am seeing some 034 AV come up on ebay I might want to play with.. Was the top end a direct swap to the 036 or did you have to get creative?
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
It's a direct bolt on .The only thing that needs done is a little carving on the top shrouding .Makes a neat little 60 cc saw .
Tom used it for a week or two and thought I did some kind of voodoo to it .
Tom used it for a week or two and thought I did some kind of voodoo to it .
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
Cool ... They can be had cheap. The 036 is really nice for my thinning jobs. Mine runs sweet, but I would like one more 
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
Ha ,that damned saw I did has parts off of Lawd only knows how many different models .Flip cap tank and handle ,screw on oil cap .Small splined clutch drum that I have no idea where from ,Stihl obviously .
Tom brought out about a half pick up full of dead and dying saws ,weed wackers ,blowers .I robbed Peter to pay Paul and got the majority running .This was the bones of one they killed from running a faulty filter .How it would shape up to an 034 super or 036 I have no idea .
Tom brought out about a half pick up full of dead and dying saws ,weed wackers ,blowers .I robbed Peter to pay Paul and got the majority running .This was the bones of one they killed from running a faulty filter .How it would shape up to an 034 super or 036 I have no idea .
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
HAHAHAHA Frankensaw
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
In a way but they are all the correct parts nothing has been reworked to fit except the top plastic .
Stihl part numbers while they might be different could be the same .For example the chain gaurd of an 038 used can get pricey but one from an 024 is exactly the same and fetchs less on flea bay . Just little tricks you pick up here and there .
Now the only way a person would know that unless someone told you was to have a pile of parts in front of you .Exactly how I found out .
Stihl part numbers while they might be different could be the same .For example the chain gaurd of an 038 used can get pricey but one from an 024 is exactly the same and fetchs less on flea bay . Just little tricks you pick up here and there .
Now the only way a person would know that unless someone told you was to have a pile of parts in front of you .Exactly how I found out .
Cobleskill
Treehouser
Is everyone on Time-of-Use metering there, Al? I used to be. Only the big users here are on it.
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
"off peak demand "?? Not that I'm aware off .Some utility companies do offer such a thing though .I imagine it would take about a thousand years to recoop the initial cost of installation though .
This bunch of wizards had or have so they think a disconnect on my hot water heater they can shut off during peak demand .Give me a buck off a month,big deal .The rank amatuer they sent out to wire it screwed it up and the splices came apart .I just bypassed it and threatened them with a law suit over faulty installation if they chose to make an issue out of it . It could have caused a fire. I saved the crispy critter splices as evidence .
This bunch of wizards had or have so they think a disconnect on my hot water heater they can shut off during peak demand .Give me a buck off a month,big deal .The rank amatuer they sent out to wire it screwed it up and the splices came apart .I just bypassed it and threatened them with a law suit over faulty installation if they chose to make an issue out of it . It could have caused a fire. I saved the crispy critter splices as evidence .
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
They put in the smart meters here.... Just no infra structure to support them..
They are supposed to transmit to a box on the poles and be relayed back to the office. Peak .. Off Peak etc.
They got nothing to transmit to...
I would bet the goburnment gave them money for updating the meters though... Any wagers??
They are supposed to transmit to a box on the poles and be relayed back to the office. Peak .. Off Peak etc.
They got nothing to transmit to...
I would bet the goburnment gave them money for updating the meters though... Any wagers??
Cobleskill
Treehouser
Yeah. They call it time of use here. 3 rates. peak, mid or shoulder, and off peak. If you can work it so you don't use much on peak it will save quite a bit.
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
YUP!
Paul B
I dig hammocks.
so use the baseboards to heat the house to about 110 degrees by 6 am then turn them off and hope for the best till evening?
