I was just looking up the cost to run the air handler fan. A typical fan uses 500 watts per hour. So if I ran a fan 24 hours per day that would be 12KWH per day x 30 days = 360kwh per month. That fan would cost about $100 per month at my net KWH cost of $0.275. I guess if my fan was on automatic and came on with the oil boiler only 6 hours per day the cost to run the fan would be 25% as much or around $25 per month.
More food for thought. My oil boiler burner motor draws 5.8 amps at 120 volts so that would use 696 watts per hour. The circulating pump is 0.71 amps x 120 volts =8.52 watts per hour. Let's call it 700 watts to just run the boiler per hour of use and say it runs average 6 hours per day. That would be 4.2kwh per day x 30 =126kwh per month x $0.275 = $34.65 just to run the burner and circulate the water.
So the electrical cost of running an oil boiler for 6 hours per day not counting the cost of oil would be about $60 per month.
I obviously don't want that fan running 24/7 while I am burning coal. I am glad I have that hybrid water heater so I don't need to utilize the boiler at all.
Circulating air in house is expensive
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europachris
- Member
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- Joined: Sat. Dec. 09, 2006 5:54 pm
- Location: N. Central Illinois
I went thru the same analysis (because I'm a 
) except for the summertime. My house is a Cape Cod style so the upstairs is basically the attic. I have central a/c (oversized to boot) and as with most 50+ year old homes, the duct work was optimized for heat, not A/C, nor is the insulation the best. Therefore the upstairs is rather warm while the downstairs is very cool and I can't balance the airflow sufficiently without killing the total CFM.
Anyway, my thought was to just run the fan 24/7 to mix the air better (since the a/c runs quite short cycles unless it's over 90F outside). I put my amp clamp on the blower motor and even on low speed it was pulling 6 or 7 amps.
With that revelation I decided to just find some high quality (read that as quiet) vintage window units and use those for the upstairs bedrooms to knock down the temp from the 78 - 80-ish to 72 for sleeping.
Chris
) except for the summertime. My house is a Cape Cod style so the upstairs is basically the attic. I have central a/c (oversized to boot) and as with most 50+ year old homes, the duct work was optimized for heat, not A/C, nor is the insulation the best. Therefore the upstairs is rather warm while the downstairs is very cool and I can't balance the airflow sufficiently without killing the total CFM. Anyway, my thought was to just run the fan 24/7 to mix the air better (since the a/c runs quite short cycles unless it's over 90F outside). I put my amp clamp on the blower motor and even on low speed it was pulling 6 or 7 amps.
With that revelation I decided to just find some high quality (read that as quiet) vintage window units and use those for the upstairs bedrooms to knock down the temp from the 78 - 80-ish to 72 for sleeping. Chris
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lincolnmania
- Member
- Posts: 2700
- Joined: Fri. Jan. 26, 2007 9:55 pm
- Location: Birdsboro PA.
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 350
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: reading allegheny stoker
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: alaska kodiak stoker 1986. 1987 triburner, 1987 crane diamond
- Coal Size/Type: rice
When we had the Reading stove running for heat I had to run the furnace air handler 24/7.
Now the boiler is in and the addition is heated with a water to air heat exchanger. Our electric bill dropped 30-40 dollars a month in the winter.
Now the boiler is in and the addition is heated with a water to air heat exchanger. Our electric bill dropped 30-40 dollars a month in the winter.
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warminmn
- Member
- Posts: 8175
- Joined: Tue. Feb. 08, 2011 5:59 pm
- Location: Land of 11,842 lakes
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Junior, Riteway 37
- Coal Size/Type: nut and stove anthracite, lignite
- Other Heating: Wood and wear a wool shirt
Most the population doesnt even realize the real cost of their heating and cooling like you took the time to figure out. Replacement parts and labor figure in too.
This all makes hand feds and ceiling fans sound really good.
This all makes hand feds and ceiling fans sound really good.
More calculations just because that is how I roll.
Bags Coal usage:
Oct 10
Nov 20
Dec 70
Jan 90
Feb 90
March 40
April 10
Obviously just a guestimate. 330 bags per year x 40 =13200 pounds =6.6 tons. I think that is about what I used last season.
So my truckload that cost $7500 will last 3.4 years.
If my boiler uses 1.5 gallons per hour and runs 6 hours per day that is 9 gallons per day for oil. At current cost of oil that equates to $50 per day. I actually think my boiler would not heat the house only running 6 hours per day. If I figure $50 per day x 30 days that is $1500 per month x 5 months = $7500 for the heating season plus the cost of electric to run boiler. But for simplicity let's just say $7500.
I paid just at $7500 for my truck load 22.5 ton that will last 3.4 seasons. $7500/3.4= $2150 per season let's add in the $100 per month to run the fan 24/7 for 5 months =$2650 per season.
No for the fun fact. Suppose I pay zero income tax but have to pay just payroll with holding of SS and Medicare at 7.65%
$7500-$2650=$4850*7.65%=$373 of tax on the extra necessary income to be able to afford to heat with oil.
Bags Coal usage:
Oct 10
Nov 20
Dec 70
Jan 90
Feb 90
March 40
April 10
Obviously just a guestimate. 330 bags per year x 40 =13200 pounds =6.6 tons. I think that is about what I used last season.
So my truckload that cost $7500 will last 3.4 years.
If my boiler uses 1.5 gallons per hour and runs 6 hours per day that is 9 gallons per day for oil. At current cost of oil that equates to $50 per day. I actually think my boiler would not heat the house only running 6 hours per day. If I figure $50 per day x 30 days that is $1500 per month x 5 months = $7500 for the heating season plus the cost of electric to run boiler. But for simplicity let's just say $7500.
I paid just at $7500 for my truck load 22.5 ton that will last 3.4 seasons. $7500/3.4= $2150 per season let's add in the $100 per month to run the fan 24/7 for 5 months =$2650 per season.
No for the fun fact. Suppose I pay zero income tax but have to pay just payroll with holding of SS and Medicare at 7.65%
$7500-$2650=$4850*7.65%=$373 of tax on the extra necessary income to be able to afford to heat with oil.
And if a person is going to put in a boiler for heat, gravity fed boiler doesn't have the expense of running an air handler.
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ASea
- Member
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Thu. Nov. 27, 2014 8:55 pm
- Location: Athol Massachusetts
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska Kast Console II
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Coal Chubby
- Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Modern Oak 114, Glenwood 30 "Estate" Warm Morning 120
- Coal Size/Type: Sherman Anthracite Nut/Stove from C&T Coal
- Other Heating: Peerless Boiler with Cast Iron Baseboards
I have the Chubby blower model. I usually run the giant ceiling fan in the lr on low or place a box fan blowing into the LR on low as a sort of cold air return. Heats the 1700sqft ranch well into the single digits. So far my heating costs for this year are $780 for coal which is less then a single barrel of oil. And about $2 a week for the box fan or blower motor. And I don't loose heat if the power goes out. My Stove top heat powered fan seems to do ok moving some air around.
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Rob R.
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 18003
- Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
- Location: Chazy, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr
Must be the ignition system draws a decent amount of power as well.
Are you still using the oil boiler to heat part of the house? 1.5gph is a big nozzle, I would be expect your boiler to cycle pretty often.
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warminmn
- Member
- Posts: 8175
- Joined: Tue. Feb. 08, 2011 5:59 pm
- Location: Land of 11,842 lakes
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Junior, Riteway 37
- Coal Size/Type: nut and stove anthracite, lignite
- Other Heating: Wood and wear a wool shirt
I followed the math until this paragraph. Wouldnt you be paying the same income tax no matter what you heated with? As it was income before heat? I know state laws vary so this part I dont understand.
And yes, its all guesstimates.
A person could work less hours or certainly wouldn't need to make as much money. Point is if I have to make more money to pay for something there are taxes involved. I didn't even figure Federal or state income tax. I can eat a meal at home for what it would cost to pay tax and tip for the same meal if I ate it at a restaurant.
Not this year. I shut the boiler off. Since I have the hybrid water heater I do not need the boiler. I was just thinking about the air circulation this morning and then my math took over. Certainly more to running an oil boiler than just the oil.
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Rob R.
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 18003
- Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
- Location: Chazy, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr
I follow what you are saying. That is why you can save so much by doing something yourself. Instead of earning wages, giving a big chunk to the govt, and then paying someone else that has to give a big chunk to the govt, plus pay for insurance, etc.ColdHouse wrote: ↑Tue. Nov. 08, 2022 12:43 pmA person could work less hours or certainly wouldn't need to make as much money. Point is if I have to make more money to pay for something there are taxes involved. I didn't even figure Federal or state income tax. I can eat a meal at home for what it would cost to pay tax and tip for the same meal if I ate it at a restaurant.
The same logic applies to reducing your heat load instead of just buying cheaper fuel. Instead of just saving the difference in the two fuels, you save the full cost of the BTUs.
When I used oil, I kept the house much colder and when the boiler was running it cycled very frequently. Warmest I ever had this house was last winter heating with 2 coal stoves. I think that Heating with coal allows the thermal mass of the house to stay warm because it is constant heat. When I heated with oil the house was cold. The boiler would come on for a few hours in the morning and evening but the thermal mass was cold. When I got into bed the sheets would be freezing until my body warmed them up.
