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.