How Much Extra Electricity Vs. Oil?

Complete Heat · Post by **Complete Heat** » Tue. Jan. 13, 2009 3:47 pm

Has anyone kept track of how much more electricity is used by a DF-520 over a conventional oil burner?

Mike

Pa Dealer · Post by **Pa Dealer** » Tue. Jan. 13, 2009 5:40 pm

Complete Heat wrote:Has anyone kept track of how much more electricity is used by a DF-520 over a conventional oil burner?

Mike

Since some oil burners use constant ignition transformers i'd have to guess they would use more.

R.Y

billw · Post by **billw** » Tue. Jan. 13, 2009 7:24 pm

My electric bill is up about 15.00 a month since October when I first started running my 520 but I can't say that is all because of the 520. I did notice my coal unit runs longer than my oil unit did but my house is kept at a higher temp now. Even if all of the 15.00 a month increase is attributed to the coal unit I'm happy and saving a ton of money on oil.

e.alleg · Post by **e.alleg** » Tue. Jan. 13, 2009 7:33 pm

My forced air blower sucks the zap juice pretty good so I can't comment on just the stoker, in the summer it's not a noticeable difference and I use the 520 for my hot water. It's only got a 1/8hp motor so it can't cost that much.

Complete Heat · Post by **Complete Heat** » Tue. Jan. 13, 2009 10:11 pm

I have a customer who has been running the unit for a couple of weeks now, and he is not too happy with the EFM 520. His reasons are that he is burning 4 bags a day, and he said his electric bill has gone up 50%. It is a FHW system, with one circulator, and 4 zone valves. The house is about 20 years old and 4,000 sq. ft. I think his coal consumption is high, the electricity usage I would have to see it to believe it. I would like to get his numbers to where they make sense.

Mike

Post by **stoker-man** » Tue. Jan. 13, 2009 10:26 pm

I think he needs to give more information about his 520. Such as: What are his settings. What draft measurements does he have. Was oil costing him $5 a day and he expected coal to cost 5¢ a day. Questions like that.

lincolnmania · Post by **lincolnmania** » Wed. Jan. 14, 2009 12:47 am

our electric bill jumps the avg of 50 a month in the winter time........more than one appliance causing it tho......the efm, the alaska, we run the heat plenum on the dead oil furnace in the house (the kenmore is next to the cold air return) and 2 ceiling fans in the shop and two of those ceramic electric heaters in the cold bedrooms

tvb · Post by **tvb** » Wed. Jan. 14, 2009 7:00 am

OUtr electric went about $25/mo for the stoker, and a humidifier + ceiling fans.

Mark (PA) · Post by **Mark (PA)** » Wed. Jan. 14, 2009 7:41 pm

Very happy to post here.

My electric bill has gone DOWN $30 to $40 per month.

I have an electric water heater and that DHW coil is a life saver.

I also was used to running a corn burner which uses more electric than the 520 motor + water pumps so all and all I am very happy.

My bills used to run right around $100 per month in the winter. $70 in the summer.

now I am going about $65 _$70 per month in the winter. i'll take it...

e.alleg · Post by **e.alleg** » Wed. Jan. 14, 2009 7:57 pm

Lest we not forget, in the winter it is dark more than it is light and we spend more time indoors so we use more energy regardless of the heater. To make matters worse I'm on the adjustable rate plan so it's hard to compare without doing some math. I'll bet my Christmas lights used more juice than the EFM.

ray in ma · Post by **ray in ma** » Wed. Jan. 14, 2009 10:15 pm

Our electric bill for December was $100 less than November

Of course we lost power for 5 days during the ice storm and the wife is now using the coal fired clothes dryer instead of the electric one

(Huge difference) I am also running up to 7 fans in the house but my stove is hand fired.

If we have power for a full month I estimate we will save about $50 not using the dryer even using the fans, this was not a savings I calculated when deciding to go coal but should reduce the payback period even more :punk:

Paulie · Post by **Paulie** » Wed. Jan. 14, 2009 10:47 pm

Running a LL stoker plus a duct booster, $25./month extra.

Kenbod · Post by **Kenbod** » Wed. Jan. 14, 2009 11:50 pm

I've got a Keystoker K-2 Boiler. Between the combustion fan and the stoker (even if running continuously), they would only draw about 1 amp @120v. Somewhere around 120w, 2.9kwh/day, 86kwh/mo. In Syracuse @$0.14/kwh, we're talking $12/mo, fans and humidifiers a bit more. Small change here.

Post by **stoker-man** » Thu. Jan. 15, 2009 6:19 am

the wife is now using the coal fired clothes dryer

What is that???

Our electric bill dropped $30 a month when our last child got his own house and it has remained fairly steady at $65-70 a month. I'm running two circulators pretty much all the time.

ray in ma · Post by **ray in ma** » Thu. Jan. 15, 2009 8:14 am

stoker-man wrote:
the wife is now using the coal fired clothes dryer
What is that???

A wonderful marvel of Yankee ingenuity and basic engineering.
I wrapped a clothesline around some of the lolly columns in the cellar.

She also uses a wooden rack for some of the smaller unmentionables