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Allegedly, my system is "guaranteed" to function as low as -13F and promises to operate at "100% capacity" down to 5F. I don't really want to put either to the test.
Been there, done that. Almost exactly the guarantee I had. Didn't do 100% at 10+ degrees.
Been there, done that. Almost exactly the guarantee I had. Didn't do 100% at 10+ degrees.
Yep, that's what I hear from just about everyone with experience. I will say that mine surprised me and worked very well when overnight lows were 10-12 degrees a few weeks ago. The question for me (which will likely be answered this week as my billing cycle closes) is: at what cost? And overnight lows of 10-12F with daytime highs in the mid-20s isn't the same as sustained temps in the single digits or teens. So whether it will function as promised/intended during an colder snap remains to be seen.
I've been following this thread with interest -- lots of great info. Thanks for starting it, OP!
I actually came back to it today to see if you'd gotten your bill yet! I look forward to seeing how that worked out -- hopefully very nicely.
I live in a 2,400-square-foot Colonial house in southwest New Hampshire -- I love it but my first winter here (2012-13) I used only oil (the house came with 2 280-gallon tanks in the basement) and it was something over 800 gallons. Oil was expensive that year (still is!). The next year I had a pellet insert installed in the fireplace in my living room and that has been my main source of heat ever since; I installed some mini-fans in doorways and they REALLY help to move the heat. The 3 upstairs bedrooms from the original part of the house get into the low 70s (I have to shut the master bedroom door to keep it from getting TOO hot, as I like a VERY cold bedroom for sleeping). I order 16-20 tons of pellets at a time so I am never in danger of running out -- right now I have enough for the rest of this winter plus at least 1.5 more winters, maybe 2. (I have a pellet shed where most of the pellets are stored, but I installed Hyloft units above the pallets of pellets so I could use that shed for lots of other things too, like gardening stuff.) The cost of pellets has gone up but for me they are still cheaper than oil AND I like the heat better.
I thought about mini-splits when I wanted a 3rd heat source, but electricity costs are insanely high in New Hampshire so I went with a couple of propane heaters instead (one downstairs on the other side of the house from the pellet insert, one upstairs where the 2 back bedrooms and 3rd bathroom are). That was also partly because I wanted heaters that could work in a power outage -- outages are really rare in my neighborhood, but the peace of mind is worth it.
If I ever move from here, I would definitely consider mini-splits if the cost of electricity weren't too bad. So it is great to hear others' experiences.
I’m paying $0.32 per KWh for electricity. Unless you have municipal electric where you’re not getting gouged for delivery charges by a monopoly, electricity is expensive in Southern New England.
Location: Earth, a nice neighborhood in the Milky Way
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoffD
^^^^
I’m paying $0.32 per KWh for electricity. Unless you have municipal electric where you’re not getting gouged for delivery charges by a monopoly, electricity is expensive in Southern New England.
It is a real problem. What sort of industry wants to locate to Rhode Island when our utility rates are so high?
That combined with Maine refusing to allow more transmission lines to Southern New England for HydroQuebec. Electric and magnetic fields follow the inverse square law just like cell phone towers. They’re using junk science and the built-in resentment of Southern New England to stop it. There are already transmission lines in that corridor so it’s not like the NIMBY people can complain that it is obstructing their view.
To me, HydroQuebec is the bigger deal because it’s a renewable. We shouldn’t be using natural gas to generate electricity other than to handle peak surge loads.
That combined with Maine refusing to allow more transmission lines to Southern New England for HydroQuebec. Electric and magnetic fields follow the inverse square law just like cell phone towers. They’re using junk science and the built-in resentment of Southern New England to stop it. There are already transmission lines in that corridor so it’s not like the NIMBY people can complain that it is obstructing their view.
To me, HydroQuebec is the bigger deal because it’s a renewable. We shouldn’t be using natural gas to generate electricity other than to handle peak surge loads.
It's a fact that Southern New England will see the vast majority of the benefit, with very little to gain for those who's land and view will be disrupted. It's been the same deal with the wind farms up there. And this is all after Massachusetts blocked the LNG line that actually would have provided a boost to oil dependent Maine. The resentment is definitely understandable.
Yep, that's what I hear from just about everyone with experience. I will say that mine surprised me and worked very well when overnight lows were 10-12 degrees a few weeks ago. The question for me (which will likely be answered this week as my billing cycle closes) is: at what cost? And overnight lows of 10-12F with daytime highs in the mid-20s isn't the same as sustained temps in the single digits or teens. So whether it will function as promised/intended during an colder snap remains to be seen.
Do come back and let us know what it costs. RI Energy charges us over 380 per mo. in the winter.
Do come back and let us know what it costs. RI Energy charges us over 380 per mo. in the winter.
I will! I believe the billing period closed yesterday, so I should have a number to post soon. I'm (not) looking forward to it.
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