For What It's Worth...

[Twowaxhack]

I’m thinking about having the atttic foamed. I need storage........

what say you ?

 

[JG plumbing]

Electric heat is 100 percent effeciant vs gas which is 80 to 95. Vs heat pump which can be up to 350 percent effeciancy.

The problems with electric heat aren't with the effeciancy, its with the load. You spend two or three weeks at or below zero in the winter with the wind blowing and your load will be outstanding. There are different rates for electricity all over the country our local electricity is switching from a coal fired plant to natural gas. Both methods are expensive. Some people live in areas with fairly low rates and they usually have some kind of hydroelectric power source. Not to mention the areas building types and age play a factor.

Since a btu can be squeezed directly out of natural gas directly in the home is cheaper than converting it to electricity at the plant then then to heat at the home. When you need so many of them it adds up. When you only need a few it doesn't make a huge difference.

 

[JG plumbing]

I’m thinking about having the atttic foamed. I need storage........

what say you ?

My dad did it and I think it ruined his singles. It took about ten years for them to "potato chip". He says it wasn't becuse of the foam.
If you do it make sure your roofing material can handle it and see what the manufacturer will honor when it comes to venting the attic.

 

[Jeff Handy]

It’s an old toilet tank flush handle. Look at it again.

Was not expecting to see toilet parts dumped out in the attic, while fixing a water heater.

However, I too sometimes grab my most recent lazy mixed junk bucket from my last job, which can have random stuff in there, along with tools I need.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Was not expecting to see toilet parts dumped out in the attic, while fixing a water heater.

However, I too sometimes grab my most recent lazy mixed junk bucket from my last job, which can have random stuff in there, along with tools I need.

That’s the side door of my work truck.

You think I’m going to sit in the attic to clean that burner ? 120 up there....

 

[Zanne]

I suppose if I had a properly built attic I can understand why someone might put the water heater up there. Especially given that there are no basements where I live (water table is too high). IIRC, one key function of an attic space is to let air escape and circulate air at least a little. That's why there are soffit vents and ridge vents. Mainly it's to let moisture out I *think*. Not sure. But I know that airflow is important because it can be a problem if the air stagnates inside. Usually builds up moisture. I live in a very humid area that gets hot often and rarely gets cold (that freak winter storm aside). I imagine if it's hotter in the attic and it being higher up might make the heater work a little faster.

I could be remembering incorrectly, but the higher you go the lower the barometric pressure and the lower the pressure the faster stuff heats. Water at my sister's house in New Mexico up on higher elevation boils faster than it does down in my area. She's several thousand feet above sea level. My house is maybe 90ft above sea level. Now, I don't know if there is a significant barometric change in pressure when something is in an attic or not.

Am I correct that if you "finish" an attic that you still need to have either some sort of pocket where air can vent in and out (so the house can essentially breathe) or have vent fans or something to circulate air?

 

[Mitchell-DIY-Guy]

I’m total electric at my primary residence and my power bill runs 350 in the summer and 200 or less in the winter. Water and sewer combined run $40 a month.

I keep my thermostat on 68 at night and 72 during the day. 2,000 Sq fr plus a garage apartment that’s 400sq ft with a mini split.

Guess it depends on climate. My electric bill is ⅓ of yours, ($110 this past month, a/c on all the time) and I have two 14 SEER units, house is ⅓ larger, two story. Had I had a choice they would have been heat pumps, dual fuel with the gas furnace. Winter electric bill is about $50.

My water bill is 2x yours. I think it's our rates, not consumption.

I'm having a challenge getting used to 80 degree water coming out of the cold tap in the summer...

 

[Twowaxhack]

Guess it depends on climate. My electric bill is ⅓ of yours, ($110 this past month, a/c on all the time) and I have two 14 SEER units, house is ⅓ larger, two story. Had I had a choice they would have been heat pumps, dual fuel with the gas furnace. Winter electric bill is about $50.

My water bill is 2x yours. I think it's our rates, not consumption.

I'm having a challenge getting used to 80 degree water coming out of the cold tap in the summer...

If you can run two 14 seer ac units “ all the time “ plus all your other electric needs for $110 this past month, I’d say that’s pretty cheap power. Maybe that’s why the builders are using electric water heaters.

 

[havasu]

My one 16 SEER unit runs 3 hours a day and our electric bill is about $350 a month.

 

[Mitchell-DIY-Guy]

If you can run two 14 seer ac units “ all the time “ plus all your other electric needs for $110 this past month, I’d say that’s pretty cheap power. Maybe that’s why the builders are using electric water heaters.

When I say "all the time" I mean the stats are set to cool...as opposed to the shoulder season where sometimes during the evening and night the systems are generally off.

We have an electric coop, I thought it was unusual due to our proximity to Charlotte, the land of Duke Energy. Our rates are:

Rate Schedule R - Residential Service
Basic Facilities Charges:
Single-phase $35.00
Energy Charges: All kWhs
Summer 8.450¢ Winter 7.796¢

Like most coops, they don't make energy they buy it. So...as national rate averages change so will ours. Was considerably higher in Michigan.

Our gas service: .86 and .92 per therm. My guess is this changes a bit.