How are you guys who don't use gas or oil making hot water, electric? I thought that electricity was way more expensive than gas and oil.
Around here it is a yearly fee, plus the $/gal is higher, I don't remember the numbers but when I had my 100G tank installed 5 years ago, it was a no brainier to just buy the tank, which I think was around $500. The difference is if any thing goes wrong with the tank, it's your problem. I am running a small Jotul DV in the living room, mostly for ambiance and for times like right now when the 30 in the basement can't keep up.
Its a game I play with the gas co. I find ways to reduce usage. they find new ways to charge me more for less. In the mean time I like playing with my saws which results in my renewable rustic fences, which gives my neighbors something different to gossip about instead of the usual who's cheating on who , divorce, ailment, or other typical coffee clutch clucking topics. Wait until that 3 log( maybe more) cord load shows up that ought to really get them going( ya I know it isn't scrounging but the cost makes it next best thing).
Great exercise! Saves me about $1000 a year. I love being in the woods, finding dead/bad trees, converting them to future heat. Most of all, it gets my kids off their play stations and tablets!
Heat, BTU's, $$$, Excerise, I get to run chainsaws, and I hate to see a tree go to a land fill or go to waste knowing it could be used to keep somebody warm, "ME"….. I do give away wood to people who need it when I get more than I can store
One more to add to WeldrDave's list...where I am located I am able to cut (buck) dead and downed wood in the National Forest. My removal of that wood contributes to forest thinning, very important cuz of the overgrown forests here-reduces wildfire risk.
Because, chainsaws. If I had to do it by hand, I'd just buy propane. Ah hell, who am I trying to kid, I'd have a heck of a nice collection of one and two man saws and axes to do the job(still want some now for some unknown reason). I have no idea why I enjoy this suff. I just do.
Electric here. I have a Geospring heat pump water heater. That knocked about. $20 off my electric bill each month compared to the standard electric tank unit I replaced.
They had great deals on those in this area if you upgraded from a regular electric tank you got big rebates from the electric company.. Do you find it makes the basement colder? I have heard they tend to do this which can be a problem in the winter.. I suppose you could run it as a normal electric water heater during the cold months.. Ray
No rebates from the electric company here. Just whatever the federal tax credit is. I don't notice much difference in the basement temps in winter. There is enough 'waste heat' from the pellet furnace to feed the water heater, which is on the same side of the basement. In the winter I run it in hybrid mode which will use the heat pump and electric elements depending on hot water demand, and in the summer I run it in heat pump only mode. It cut down my need for a dehumidifier in the summer quite a bit. (Sorry for the slight derailing of this thread).
Electric hot water heater came with the house. Looking at getting one of those on-demand ones, that wail be gas but is a year or two off yet.
I just laid down a bunch of audio for a video I am doing on this subject. Pete, I might email you an mp3.
I love the outdoors. I like to be self sufficient. I quit burning wood for 6 years after heating with a wood furnace for 14 years. I missed it all. I love having a hobby that pays me back instead of a hobbie that costs me. Coldest night in 20 years tonight , come get me old man winter.
Well, it's 15 minutes of me rambling on so I think you'll like it I can't export and mp3 so you will have to wait for the video. And I have to send a message to everyone who has given me their YouTube address because I have stolen videos from each and everyone! Might take a while before I can get it all pieced together and go public with it.
