Pros/Cons- Gas water heater vs Electric WH???

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Originally Posted By: GMBoy
I agree. Look at California, they already are banning big screen TVs and want to ban black cars. I say we ban California!


I live in nearly the most liberal part of Kalifornia and I haven't heard of either ban. What are you talking about?


You need to learn what your idiots in charge are doing....

TV Ban

I love to see the numbers they spew. How many people have a FIFTY EIGHT inch or LARGER LCD TV yet they lump all of them into their "savings".

They also have talked about banning dark colored car and roofs.

Here is the start... Dark colored vehicle ban

Also notice that none of these idiots who are affecting YOUR life need a vote.

Sorry for the OT / Thread highjack...

Back on topic, Goose I'd NOT change over my self. I'd stay with the natural gas (look how many millions of homes have them. If there was a problem we would have known about it.)

 

[Blue_Goose]

I'd love to Bill but the smell of this WH is killing me

Don't know if the adhesive or the caulking they put on the joints is the cause but it smells awful....I would think by now (over a week) that anything that would give off an odor would have burned off by now??

The caulking is the fire resistant stuff...sort of color of a brick..the adhesive would have been from the foil tape they peeled off that the 2nd knucklehead plumbers put on

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
You need to learn what your idiots in charge are doing....

TV Ban



The only thing this will do is open up the smuggling of large plasma TVs from other states. The people of California who want them will have them and the state will have missed out on another source of revenue. Like that state can afford more lost revenue.

 

[labman]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah

They also have talked about banning dark colored car and roofs.



Here further East and North, if you put on too light colored of a roof, it turns black with mildew.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: SecondMonkey
Just using my local utility rates, natural gas cost $1.40/therm, and electricity 10c/kWh.
1 therm = 100,000 BTU for $1.40. To get 100,000 electric BTUs, you need 29 killowatt hours at a cost of $2.90. That's more than 200% higher.

Natural gas, is by far, the cheapest way to make heat anywhere in the country.


But that is gross therms in. An electric device is 100% efficient conversion to heat. A combustion device only geta about 50-60% of that energy bought to heat.

So you have to look at it this way: say you need 100k BTU, you can buy 100k electric BTUs, or you can buy 166k BTU of gas.

With a tankless, your efficiency gets you to the point where you are 90+% efficient on gas.

 

[javacontour]

Pros about gas.

The big one is it still works when your electric is out.

Back in 2006 (IIRC) we had a big ice storm on 1 Dec. Power was out for several days in my neighborhood and others had no power for over a week.

I had a warm living room due to the fireplace. I had hot showers because I had a gas hot water heater.

I now have a generator. I like the idea of gas heat and a gas hot water heater because I can fire up the generator to run the blower, and still heat my home if the power goes out.

 

[labman]

+1 on the generator. I can easily get by on a 6250 watt one because we have gas hot water and gas drier. We can't use the kitchen range, but have the microwave, toaster oven, and coffee maker.

Note, we are on a well, no power stinks.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah


You need to learn what your idiots in charge are doing....

TV Ban

I love to see the numbers they spew. How many people have a FIFTY EIGHT inch or LARGER LCD TV yet they lump all of them into their "savings".

They also have talked about banning dark colored car and roofs.

Here is the start... Dark colored vehicle ban

Also notice that none of these idiots who are affecting YOUR life need a vote.

Sorry for the OT / Thread highjack...

Back on topic, Goose I'd NOT change over my self. I'd stay with the natural gas (look how many millions of homes have them. If there was a problem we would have known about it.)


You are misquoting what the articles are saying. It is not a TV ban, just tighter regulation on energy efficiency. If this is a ban then we have banned toilet all together years ago.

The CARB link is not about banning black/dark color car, but merely evaluating the feasability of requiring more reflectivity in the overall car paints and windows.

What you did is exaggerating the facts.

 

[SecondMonkey]

Originally Posted By: javacontour
Pros about gas.

The big one is it still works when your electric is out.

That is a good point. There was just a local PSA from the utilities reminding people that gas water heaters usually work when the power is out. (we had a major freeze)

 

[Blue_Goose]

If my electric bill is around 60 dollars am I looking at doubling that with an electric water heater (if I am lucky??) kwh is high here...about .15 kwh

 

[SecondMonkey]

Originally Posted By: Blue_Goose
If my electric bill is around 60 dollars am I looking at doubling that with an electric water heater (if I am lucky??) kwh is high here...about .15 kwh


It's impossible to know how much you'll use unless you measure the incoming and outgoing temps, along with gallons consumed for an entire month. Whatever you pay to heat hot water with gas now, expect it to be nearly twice as much.

 

[Blue_Goose]

Well I pay 1 gas bill and last month it was 36 bucks but Ive paid as high as 141 during the coldest winter months....


I'm just trying to get an idea on how much my electric bill will jump with an electric water heater...I've been told anywhere from 25 dollars all the way up to 75....that would be tough especially with central air in the summer...Ive pushed 100 on the electric bill when we have the ac on for a good part of the month...so would I figure on a 200 dollar bill?


Confused

 

[Blue_Goose]

Ok 1 last try to get this gas water heater working like it should...current pipes for venting have adhesive residue and some fire proof caulk around the connections....I am going to have the HVAC guy replace the vent pipes with all new pipes...perhaps even going to use Type B for the whole run (if possible)

I'm thinking perhaps the stuff stuck on the pipes is causing the smell when it is running....it smells sorta like it but not sure how water heater could be making smells otherwise (combustion smells maybe?)

Well we'll see if this works...if not electric city here we come or I have Sears rip this heater out and I replace it with a Bradford White

 

[doitmyself]

Goose,

you need to look at EVERYTHING. You need to determine the root cause before going to another heater brand, because that could result in more money up the chimney. Coincidences happen....just as you install a new heater, a squirrel dies in your chimney, plugging it up.

By the way, has anyone evaluated your chimney?

 

[Gary Allan]

The X factor always gets you.


(visions of The French Connection)

Police impound mechanic: We've tore the whole car apart and found nothing. All that's left is the rocker panels.

Popeye Doyle: What's a rocker panel? (sound of air chisel immediately follows)

 

[PandaBear]

My dad got a house that has similar problem with no heater or water heater installed. Turns out the cap that seals the pipe is leaking. Not enough as a fire hazard but enough to cause minor fainting.

 

[Blue_Goose]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Goose,

you need to look at EVERYTHING. You need to determine the root cause before going to another heater brand, because that could result in more money up the chimney. Coincidences happen....just as you install a new heater, a squirrel dies in your chimney, plugging it up.

By the way, has anyone evaluated your chimney?


I think that it is drafting ok..I get a decent pull at the draft hood with a lighter so I THINK the chimney is ok....... and no CO detected

 

[bigmike]

My electric bill was $68 last month, $88 the month before. I have a 60 gallon GE electric unit. I live in a 2300 square foot house built in 1994, use a heat pump, dishwasher, top load washer, electric dryer, etc.

 

[Blue_Goose]

I think that heat pump helps out tremendously no? What are you paying for a kilowatt?

Family size? Just trying to get an idea..I live in a town-home, family of 4..2 shower in morning, 2 at night. Dishwasher as well about 1066 sq footage

Electric expensive in NH probably about .15 a kwh you get a break a bit if you hook an electric WH up to a second meter but not possible in my situation being in a condo type environment



Thanks

 

[bigmike]

Well, I live in FL so I don't need much during the winter months. Open windows, a few fans, and I'm good. Occasionally use the fireplace on the cold evenings.

Last month I used 529 KWh.

I'm always looking for ways to reduce energy cost. When I purchased this house, the previous occupants explained to me their electric bills were always near $200 and up. I've never approached anything close to that. I changed all the light bulbs, some weatherstripping, used a few cases of caulking, turned down the WH thermostat, same with the fridge, and I believe the most important - lifestyle changes make the most improvements. My wife and I never leave anything running, wash full loads of laundry, take short showers, and I complain alot if she doesn't.