cost to run space heaters (by Nancy [NY]) Dec 26, 2012 10:08 AM
cost to run space heaters (by BillS [CO]) Dec 26, 2012 11:16 AM
cost to run space heaters (by in [IN]) Dec 26, 2012 12:12 PM
cost to run space heaters (by John... [MI]) Dec 26, 2012 12:26 PM
cost to run space heaters (by Carol [MA]) Dec 26, 2012 1:01 PM
cost to run space heaters (by BillS [CO]) Dec 26, 2012 1:32 PM
cost to run space heaters (by RR [WA]) Dec 26, 2012 3:33 PM
cost to run space heaters (by gevans [SC]) Dec 26, 2012 4:29 PM
cost to run space heaters (by elliot [RI]) Dec 26, 2012 5:33 PM
cost to run space heaters (by Nancy [NY]) Dec 26, 2012 6:28 PM
cost to run space heaters (by Robert J [CA]) Dec 26, 2012 9:28 PM
cost to run space heaters (by Carol [MA]) Dec 27, 2012 5:47 AM
cost to run space heaters (by Carol [MA]) Dec 27, 2012 6:15 AM
cost to run space heaters (by John... [MI]) Dec 27, 2012 6:20 AM
cost to run space heaters (by Carol [MA]) Dec 27, 2012 6:39 AM
cost to run space heaters (by BillS [CO]) Dec 27, 2012 8:48 AM
cost to run space heaters (by John... [MI]) Dec 27, 2012 11:08 AM
cost to run space heaters (by Nancy [NY]) Posted on: Dec 26, 2012 10:08 AM Message:
Nancy[NY] attempted: -- Just curious, what would it cost to run a 1500 watt space heater for one day in your market? We are doing a test to see how well our air sealing and insulation is doing,..
We have a good sized 2 bedroom (sorry I don't have the sq footage yet) and at aprox 19-22 degrees outside most of the day, and with a cloudy day we can keep the temp up to a 71-74 range with 2 portable heaters on high for 24 hours.
Wondering if that would be considered good. (real reg heat will be from reg electric baseborads but I think these portable heaters might be more telling as a test for now.
--69.165.xx.xx |
cost to run space heaters (by BillS [CO]) Posted on: Dec 26, 2012 11:16 AM Message:
1500 watts is 1.5kW or 3.0 kW/h for 24 hours is 72 kWh per day for both heaters.
On one of my units the effective cost of electric (that is total elec bill/total kWh) is 11.3 cents. So it would cost me just over $8 per day to heat. So about $250 per month just for heat. Electric cloths dryer and lights on top of that would likely run over $300 per month. This would likely make for unhappy tenants here. --75.160.xxx.xxx |
cost to run space heaters (by in [IN]) Posted on: Dec 26, 2012 12:12 PM Message:
Let's hope your wires can stand the heat. Two is a little bit much to be safe.
Wall heater could be at 220 and it might work better...and safer.. --98.253.xxx.xxx |
cost to run space heaters (by John... [MI]) Posted on: Dec 26, 2012 12:26 PM Message:
Note that Bill's calculation assumes that the heaters are on full time for that full 24 hours. If they are getting it to 71-75 and KEEPING it there -- then they theoretically should be shutting off now and then -- and then back on only to bring it back to temp. If that is the case, then you won't be using quite as much power, of course.
The real question as a test for your "air sealing and insulation" is how quickly the temp drops after you've got it up to temp. When you get it up to, say, 72, how long are the heaters off before they kick on again because it dropped below 70 or so?
- John...
--216.111.xxx.xx |
cost to run space heaters (by Carol [MA]) Posted on: Dec 26, 2012 1:01 PM Message:
Hummm, OK I'm thinking that's pretty typical Jan/Feb average around here , oh it CAN get a lot colder, even below zero for a while but I think on AVERAGE that the a fore mentioned temps would be about it here.
That being said, for 250.00 per month in mid winter for a good sized 2 bedroom wouldn't be so bad. I think we would burn a third to a half an oil tank under those conditions and it would cost at least that with oil prices today. Of course maybe you have cheaper gas or other heat but again 250.00 for a larger 2 bedroom sounds Ok for 250.00 (??) --74.106.xx.xx |
cost to run space heaters (by BillS [CO]) Posted on: Dec 26, 2012 1:32 PM Message:
Carol, check your price of electric. Some places 11.3 cents per kWh is cheap. Also $250 does not cover other power costs. I know I would go out of business if my 2beds cost $250 to heat. --75.160.xxx.xxx |
cost to run space heaters (by RR [WA]) Posted on: Dec 26, 2012 3:33 PM Message:
Electric Baseboard costs the same as electric space heaters, just wanted to point that out
--97.113.xxx.xxx |
cost to run space heaters (by gevans [SC]) Posted on: Dec 26, 2012 4:29 PM Message:
As others have pointed out, electric heat costs the same per btu produced, no matter what device the resistance heater resides in.
If you are comparing apples to apples, the cost would be exactly the same.
However, you are not really comparing the same things. Those little cube heaters are designed to heat individual spaces. You save the $$$ by NOT heating other areas, not because they are more efficient at producing heat. --74.222.xxx.xxx |
cost to run space heaters (by elliot [RI]) Posted on: Dec 26, 2012 5:33 PM Message:
I have 2 beds with electric baseboard heaters. Tenants crank to 75-80, the electric bill can run to upper $300 easily. They cant pay, utility got shut off, they start to mess with meters to steal, same story over and over.
I am gonna convert some small units to include heat so that tenants dont have to face paying utility or pay rent - typical low income tenants are lack of discpline.
I tried programmable thermostat for 240v electric heater, not reliable at all. --75.67.x.x |
cost to run space heaters (by Nancy [NY]) Posted on: Dec 26, 2012 6:28 PM Message:
RR: Yes I do know that the same electricity amt whether its baseboard or the portables heat with the same cost,..its just that I can judge it better w/the smaller heaters (I don't know the actual output of my baseboards re size and out put)
IN: The wiring should be fine, the heaters are on separate lines with nothing else on the 15 amp lines. The heaters are set on high with no thermostat. My hi/lo thermometer shows the range over the 24 hours.
BillS not sure what rents you get there and what your heating costs are. What you you consider a medium range in your area to heat a good sized two bedroom?
John: Do you have a good formula for how fast it SHOULD stay up over a certain time? Tonight fairly high winds are forecast (25-35 MPH)That might be telling more about how the air sealing has worked,.. --69.165.xx.xxx |
cost to run space heaters (by Robert J [CA]) Posted on: Dec 26, 2012 9:28 PM Message:
1500 watts is a small heater on high, good to heat one room, not two!
To answer your question, to use a 1500 Watt Space heater to heat up a "large" living area of a rental when the weather is "cold" -- that's around 35 degress here in Los Angeles, and to heat an interior room to 71 plus degrees for 24 hours... .
It would cost $6.00 per day. --173.60.xx.xxx |
cost to run space heaters (by Carol [MA]) Posted on: Dec 27, 2012 5:47 AM Message:
BillS,..do you know what your yearly average heating degree days are in your area? Its 11 cents in my area too. Aprox what are rents for ave 2 bedrooms in your neck o the woods?
I would be glad if it only cost me 250 for my 2 bedroom house in mid winter. (OIL) I have a fairly new house with new code insulation , tight with good windows. Of course I don't share common walls, floors ,or ceilings heated by someone else and I realize heat transfers from hot to cold surfaces,so this is hard to compare. --74.106.xx.xx |
cost to run space heaters (by Carol [MA]) Posted on: Dec 27, 2012 6:15 AM Message:
John , Yes I would also be interested on what you would consider good/bad/fair to the thing about raising the temp to a certain point then see how long it takes to get down to another point when its XX outside.
I would imagine that you would need to hold the temp at the first number for a while for the room's mass to get warm,..I guess in an empty apt this would be a better test than one with a lot of stuff in it effecting the mass and test? --74.106.xx.xx |
cost to run space heaters (by John... [MI]) Posted on: Dec 27, 2012 6:20 AM Message:
Sorry, I don't know a good formula or way to know based on time. I was just pointing out that, really, the heater shouldn't be running constantly all the time -- so calculations based on a full-day usage aren't going to be accurate.
But, no, I don't know a good calculation for testing how well a place stays insulated/sealed -- and therefore how quickly it cools off. There probably is something that is based on some cubic footage measurement and such -- but I just don't know insulation stuff well enough.
Hopefully, some expert out there can better tell us.
Either that -- or wait until summer and have one of those tests done where they close up everything and put the big fan in one location (like a front door) to measure properly to check for leakage.
- John...
--216.111.xxx.xx |
cost to run space heaters (by Carol [MA]) Posted on: Dec 27, 2012 6:39 AM Message:
Thank you John,
Yeah I have already asked NHsailor as he is a energy auditor and has frequent experience with certain areas.
I have used a man that does blower doors for some units but he is not available all the time so in empty when we do rehabs/upgrades in units we put in a LARGE 3 amp fans in a window and plastic it off around it to stop air from blowing back and close off the sash space above that window and block off every other vent and then see where air is coming in,..not the best but it helps find very small leaks,..when we do get our blower door to come out to check our work he often says its plenty tight.
We HAVEN'T used it in conjunction with a IR camera as NHsailor and other energy auditors like to use as a better way to find missing insulation /air races etc.
--74.106.xx.xx |
cost to run space heaters (by BillS [CO]) Posted on: Dec 27, 2012 8:48 AM Message:
Here my 2 bd units rent from 800-1200 per month depending on amenities and area. One unit is a duplex with shared meters (I back bill tenants). My worst bill was for $150 per month gas and electric. It has two 95% efficient gas force air furnaces, a gas water heater. Each unit has it's own washer and dryer and dishwasher. Two tenants in one unit and one tenant in the other. I sealed and insulated the attic. Other than that 1950 construction, original single pane aluminum windows. My houses that stand alone (2 bd about 1K sq ft) would be less than $200 max per month for both gas and electric (80% eff gas force air furnace). Attic insulation R50 but thats really the only upgrade from original construction. Jan is our coldest month. Average high temp about 42 deg F and average low temp about 16 deg F. --75.160.xxx.xxx |
cost to run space heaters (by John... [MI]) Posted on: Dec 27, 2012 11:08 AM Message:
Just as another data point -- we have 2 4-plexes that are both electric baseboard heat (and electric water heaters). Each one is a 2-bedroom unit -- there are separate thermostats for the baseboard heaters in each bedroom, the one in the bathroom, and the two in the kitchen and living room that are connected together.
Middle of Michigan -- cold winters. The HIGHEST bill I have EVER seen was a February bill for just under $250 -- and this was in a place where they kept it like a sauna. Must have been 80 in there all winter long.
Most are right around $150-$175 in the winter and as low as $40-$60 in the summer. Again, all electric everything -- including their own 40-gallon water heaters.
4 of the units also have a gas wall-mounted furnace. So far, in 6+ years, no one has bothered to have the gas turned on. Just prefer the one bill -- and are happy with the baseboard heat and costs.
- John...
--216.111.xxx.xx |
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