Title: Over Twenty Million Households Struggle To Pay Energy Bills, It Will Get Worse Source:
[None] URL Source:[None] Published:Jun 13, 2022 Author:Tyler Durden Post Date:2022-06-13 18:54:22 by Horse Keywords:None Views:703 Comments:12
Over 20 million households are behind over $23 billion on their utility bills as we head into a blisteringly hot summer...
I can only imagine why my bill went up. Likely to absorb the cost of non payers
I actually looked at one of my electric bills about six months ago. It seemed really high, so I poked around a little bit and found out the freezer in my refrigerator was running at -20 F. I rejiggered the air controls and thermostats over several days and managed to almost cut my electric bill in half. I have two deep freezers in my garage, I don't need my fridge running like that, it's not designed to anyway.
I've been messing with my A/C today, it wasn't keeping up so I cleaned the filters. I've got the capacity right on the hairy-edge where it wont be able to keep up on super hot days, like the next three days, but it's worth not going for 100% for the 10 or less extreme days per year. I should be able to hold 80-85 on 100 degree days.
My AEP stock, parent of I&M Electric, dividends probably pay my electric bills anyway, but waste not, want not.
Inside coil froze solid a few days ago when we had a big hen party here for our #6 (honorary) daughter. Twenty women and the doors open a lot. We have 4 heat pumps here -- upstairs, downstairs, garage-converted-to- rec-room-and-laundry, and my office/lab in the back yard.
Probably about twelve years ago, I bought an AirTap A7 (7kBTU?) add-on heatpump and mated it to a high-line 40 gallon, self-cleaning electric water heater. I replaced the 240 volt elements with 120 volt low Watt density units as a backup and had timers on the heatpump to only run when needed. (Edit) I've still got the post-it note schedule on my kitchen wall. LOL.
That thing was awesome. I put a duct kit on it to exhaust the cold air into my living room to help with the A/C in the summer. I got my hot water cost down to $125/yr for two people. Recovery was slow as molasses, but I didn't need much.
The thing got taken out by the lightning strike several years ago and AirTap is long gone. It was a fun experiment. The water heater is still in service with the 120 volt elements, but it's only dealing with one person 90% of the time.
(Edit2) Hey, you're an injuneer. Why couldn't you make a refrigerator work like a heat pump? Exhaust the hot air outside in the summer and get the cold air from outside when it's cold. I was getting ready to look at that before I got killed. Seems you should be able to do that with ducting, fans and a temp sensor, no? I don't think you'd need any fancy reversing valves that are a service nightmare.
Hadn't heard of the AirTap before. Just watched an AirTap install video -- interesting. Some of the comments said that the AirTap would shorten the life of the water heater?
Some of the comments said that the AirTap would shorten the life of the water heater?
I don't know why. I suppose if you fish the condenser loop into the tank with electric elements installed, you might break them or the T&P valve. It did say to replace the sacrificial anode every year, I think. I never did.
Don't know how it would hurt a gas water heater, except the T&P.
That being said, I'd never spend the money for a commercial heat pump W/H. Service problems. That AirTap looked to be a window A/C with the condenser coil replaced by copper tubing. No service ports for the sealed system.
I'm not sure exactly what that lightning did in my water system when it was trying to find Mama, but it blew out my main water shut off valve and a water filter under my kitchen sink. You used to be able to see the lightning tracks in the drywall in spots throughout the house.
The lightning didn't hit the power line, it hit my house. The MOVs in my main panel were still functional.
Yeah, I think the issue was anode life related. The AirTap was supposed to increase the electrolysis rate or severity. I've NEVER replaced an anode. Not even sure my water heater has one. Even if it does have an anode rod, it ain't comin' out the top -- low boy water heater is jammed under the house in the crawl space. You can't even tip it over on its side -- the diagonal is too long. It's sitting in a dug out pit a few inches below grade.