Block heater and hydro.

[Looking4new]

All the month of January I left the tractor block heater plugged in. What a mistake that was....NEVER again. My hydro bill went from $140. to $250.
In the future I will only plug it in the day before a storm.

 

[mpham]

Ouch! You learn quickly to only plug in when needed. Those little buggers really eat the power.

 

[rd_macgregor]

What size block heater and how much per kwh is electricity where you are? Even if you have a 1kw block heater, electricity would have to be $.15/kwh to add over $100/mo to your bill.
Does that sound about right?
BOB

 

[kiotiken]

Ouch. Have they set you up with time of use billing yet? A block heater would be pretty expensive at peak rates. I'm not sure if it's as cold here in Ottawa as it is where you are, but even when it's in the -30 range, I'll only plug mine in for 30-60 minutes before using it. Mine is only a lower rad hose heater, so it's less effective than a true block heater, but that's all it needs to take the edge off. Once it's running for a minute or so, I'll get the RPMs up to 1200 and let it sit for at least 20 minutes, as called for in the manual.

 

[Avondale]

I rarely plugged mine it but it is stored in a tent garage. In cold weather, I cycle the key from off to on about 3 times before rolling over and once running, turn pto switch on to warm hydro system as engine warms through before driving away.

 

[Looking4new]

We got 'time of use' gouging. Ottawa is about the same latitude as me. I'm outside North Bay. I am also in a tent garage and well protected from the north wind. I have a full acre of trees (read as bush) behind the garage.
Winter rates; On peak $0.118/kilowatt hr
Mid peak $0.099 "
Off peak $0..63 "

 

[kiotiken]

We got 'time of use' gouging. Ottawa is about the same latitude as me. I'm outside North Bay. I am also in a tent garage and well protected from the north wind. I have a full acre of trees (read as bush) behind the garage.
Winter rates; On peak $0.118/kilowatt hr
Mid peak $0.099 "
Off peak $0..63 "

You shouldn't need to use your block heater much then. I have mine in a tent and only plugged it in a few times all winter and like I said, only for an hour or less. Don't forget the delivery charge on those hydro rates, what's that now, an extra $0.06?

 

[Looking4new]

Cost me $88.47 for them to deliver it + Regulatory charge (whatever that is) $9.66 + Debt retirement charge $9.65 + Hose Tax on all of it. What a scam. AND don't forget that the actual KWH is multiplied by a factor of 1.085/kwh
Next winter I will be using my block heater the way you do Ken. An hour when I want to clean snow.

 

[kiotiken]

:thumbsup: Next year I'm thinking of having some way to turn the block heater on from inside the house. There were a couple times I would have used it if I wasn't so lazy as to get all dressed up to plug it in.

 

[Looking4new]

Me too. I'm gonna run a separate circuit to the garage for the tractor and another one for the Jeep. That way with a switch with a light on top I can throw the switch and the light will tell me the circuit is live. That way we only get dressed once. That is not lazy. That is being smart. You only open the front/back door once to go out instead of opening it going out then opening it again to come back in while tractor warms up and then opening it yet again to go and clear snow. Look at the heating of the house that you are wasting every time the door gets opened.

 

[Phil48]

I usually run my block heater 30 minutes before a cold morning session. I tested both ways : with and without! The engine does appreciate the warm up! From my house, I install a wireless remote:
Westinghouse | Wireless Light Controller | Outdoor

Phil

 

[Looking4new]

Now there is a great idea!:thumbsup:

 

[krazsk]

The numbers don't add up. 400 watt heater will run about 300 kwh per month if on all the time At 12 cents that's 36 bucks. I think you need to look somewhere else too for your $110. The tractor heater ain't it.

 

[Looking4new]

View attachment 310175I usually run my block heater 30 minutes before a cold morning session. I tested both ways : with and without! The engine does appreciate the warm up! From my house, I install a wireless remote:
Westinghouse | Wireless Light Controller | Outdoor

Phil

Where did you get that?

 

[Looking4new]

The numbers don't add up. 400 watt heater will run about 300 kwh per month if on all the time At 12 cents that's 36 bucks. I think you need to look somewhere else too for your $110. The tractor heater ain't it.

i don't think it is a 400 watt heater. I think it is closer to a 1000-1500 watt heater. The heater in the heep is a 1000. The two heaters on the same line at the same time will blow breakers.
The heep was plugged in, too. Some of the time. The hydro is running about 50' across the lane inside 3" PVC pipe for protection. That is with an extension cord. The plan for this summer is to run hydro conduit across, on a dedicated circuit, that should reduce the line loss.

 

[Phil48]

Where did you get that?

It works flawlessly for two winters so far! I got it at Canadian Tire! They usually sell those items with Christmas light.

Phil

 

[Patches]

I have a very similar unit and have used it for the last 4 winters. It works great and I actuate it an hour before I want my tractor; my lower hose heater is rated at 1500 watts, so if you left yours plugged in for a month, I believe your utility bill

 

[Coyote machine]

I was going to suggest a regular heavy duty clock timer set to trip ON at the optimal time, and then one would disconnect/reset it when they went out to the garage/tent/ etc.
The remote one would work too.
Your power in Canada should be free- you're selling it all to us in VT! And you own our power company, Green Mountain Power, some French Company in Quebec owns them...
Are you guys allowed to sell excess power back to the power company by using photovoltaics and turning your meter backwards? We can at least do that here. I'm going to be looking at that in the near future.

 

[kiotiken]

Your power in Canada should be free- you're selling it all to us in VT! And you own our power company, Green Mountain Power, some French Company in Quebec owns them...

You want to read an article that didn't put too many smiles on peoples faces. - 580 CFRA News Talk Radio Under the microFit and Fit programs, Ontario guarantees $0.80 KW/H to small scale producers, people like you and me if we put solar panels on the roof, for 20 years! Unfortunately, by the time dollar signs went across my eyes, my application was rejected because the grid in my area couldn't handle any more juice from the roof (I wonder why). So we're paying 10x the going rate for that power and then paying to dump it! I'm also not sure why they can't just give it away or stick a big grounding rod into the ground.

 

[Coyote machine]

Yeah, reminds me that the news said the other day that wind generation grids in VT were needing to be partially shut down, as to generating capacity, and all others planned to be built put on hold because the grid can't handle the amount of juice. But they're not lowering rates to the consumer/business?!:confused2:
Green Mtn. Power is supposedly installing a $10 Million machine to deal with the issue of the grid's under-capacity. Sounds like trying to suppress a lightning strike with a peanut butter & jelly sandwich.:confused3: