On May 14, 10:47�am, Pauli G wrote:
On May 14, 10:12�am, Paul M. Eldridge
wrote:





On Wed, 14 May 2008 05:37:38 -0700 (PDT), "

wrote:
On May 14, 12:20?am, Paul M. Eldridge
wrote:
On Tue, 13 May 2008 20:08:44 -0700 (PDT), Pauli G

wrote:
Our 10+ year old oil-fired water heater (Bock 32E) is acting buggy, so
we're getting it replaced. ?My plumber is going to replace it with a
new Bock 32E, along with a new burner too. ? I'm choking a little bit
on his estimate of $1800. ? I know that oil-fired heaters are more
expensive to install, but it's a bit more than I was expecting. ?Also,
the real question: ?I'm having second thoughts about going the oil-
fired route again. ? I live in Connecticut, and we do not have natural
gas available on my street, so that leaves me with the oil versus
electric question. ? I've heard that electric is more expensive to
run, but with the recent runup in oil prices, I'm not sure if that
holds true anymore. ?Is it worth it to pursue an electric water
heater, or should I stick with oil? Also, IF electric would be
cheaper, is it a huge deal to convert a former oil-fired heater area/
space to an electric water heater operation?

Hi Pauli,

Fuel oil is currently running in the $4.30 to $4.50 range (as I type
this, the Nymex heating oil futures price stands at $3.70 and retail
typically adds another $0.60 to $0.75). �In Ontario, residential fuel
oil now sells for as much as $1.36 a litre or $5.15 a gallon ($5.40
with tax).

Source:http://www.mjervin.com/WPPS_Public.htm

A conventional oil-fired water heater has an EF of about 0.55 whereas
a good quality electric unit can reach upwards of 0.95. �One gallon of
fuel oil contains roughly 139,000 BTUs and at an EF of 0.55 you net
76,450 BTUs or 22.4 kWh(e). �Dividing $4.50 a gallon by 22.4 tells us
the operating costs of an oil-fired water heater are similar to those
of an electric unit running at $0.20 per kWh.

Personally, I would go with a good quality electric unit for now and
swap it out for a GE hybrid model when they become available in late
2009/early 2010.

See:http://www.geconsumerproducts.com/pr...ses/appliances...

Video:http://www.geappliances.com/video_la...44&empid=4923&...

My sources tell me they will retail between $1,200.00 and $1,500.00,
roughly $1,000.00 more than the conventional alternative. �However, at
$0.16 per kWh (Connecticut's electricity rates are second only to
Hawaii), the payback would be less than three years (i.e., 2,500 kWh
savings @ $0.16/kWh = $400.00/year).

Cheers,
Paul

oil recovery is much better than electric, another option may be
propane.

heres a comparison chart of water heating costs, but with oil up in
price so much its likely out of date

http://www.aceee.org/consumerguide/waterheating.htm

if you want to go electric does your main panel have the capacity
space for breakers etc? if you use a lot of hot water you might look
into 2 electric tanks in series, for better capacity

Good point regarding slower recovery and the need for sufficient panel
capacity. �If the homeowner has an older home with a 60-amp service,
they're probably out of luck, but 100-amps should be sufficient in
most cases, provided there are at least two available slots.

If the homeowner has a large family or are heavy users of hot water, a
larger electric model (e.g. 80-gallons) might make sense and provided
they have enough free capacity, higher wattage elements if that option
is available to them; that should greatly reduce the likelihood of
run-out and speed recovery. �Another option would be to keep the water
heater set at a higher temperature (e.g., 150F or 160F versus 120F or
130F) and use a mixing value at the tank to reduce the risk of
scalding; a higher tank temperature would bump up capacity but standby
losses would increase and tank life would likely take a bit of a hit,
so there's definitely a trade-off.

For smaller families, homes equipped with water saving devices such as
low-flow shower heads and front load washers, or for individuals who
don't typically use a lot of hot water (e.g., wash clothes in cold or
warm water), a standard size model should do fine. �FWIW, my parents
had a 40 Imperial gallon (50 U.S.) electric with three shower-loving
kids and I don't recall there ever being a problem and, frankly, at a
whopping $0.16 per kWh, I'd do whatever I could to reduce my DHW
consumption.

With regards to propane, its price tends to track that of oil fairly
closely and the Mont Belvieu spot price has increased by more than 50
per cent in the past year alone. �The latest DOE figures for
Connecticut were as of March 17th, and at that time the average retail
price was reported to be $2.907 per gallon. �A gallon of propane
contains 91,000 BTUs and with an EF of 0.55, you net the equivalent of
14.7 kWh per gallon. �That pegs the cost of propane at that time at
$0.20 per kWh(e), which is pretty much bang-on with that of oil;
however, it could be even higher today if propane prices have
increased in the two months since.

Cheers,
Paul- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Hi Paul,
Thank you for your help. � Historically, have energy prices kept the
same ratios? � I'm just wondering if the relatively recent run-up in
oil costs put a monkey wrench in considerations - ie. should oil
prices stabilize, how would that effect cost estimates.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

much electric is generated by natural gas and oil, they all tend to be
lck stepped together, although currently oil is running ahead cost
wise.......

we are getting a new high efficency furnace, and looking to insulate
some interior spaces,

in cold weather largely not heating unused rooms when not necessary

natural gas will be up at least 20% on one year