CoffeeRoastersClub Senior Member Joined: 6 Jul 2005 Posts: 2,060 Location: Vernon Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Vintage La Pavoni Lever... Grinder: KitchenAid Pro Line Burr... Vac Pot: Vintage Silex Drip: Aeropress, French Press Roaster: "EL SUPREMO" w/QuikSPIN-CRC...
Posted Mon Jun 16, 2008, 8:30am Subject: A great way to F the oil companies
My wife Kara and I came up with an idea to really cut down on our yearly oil bill. Our home is heated with steam (we have an old house, but with a newer boiler). During the warm part of the year our furnace does not come on at all except to maintain temp for hot water usage. I noticed that the furnace would come on numerous times during the day just to maintain hot water temp, even though we would not be using the hot water for anything (we wash our clothes in the cold water cycle). We figured out that we really only need hot water when we take a shower. We do have a dishwasher, but it has its own water heater in it so it does not use furnace supplied hot water.
How do we save? Our furnace has an on/off switch near it (like all furnaces do). We keep the furnace off until we want to take a shower.
So far, instead of the furnace going on about 8 or more times a day, it now only goes on about once every other week!
Len Ya mean you only take a shower every other week? lol ;-) sorry, couldn't resist. Good idea. I do the same with my furnace during the spring and fall. farm
CoffeeRoastersClub Senior Member Joined: 6 Jul 2005 Posts: 2,060 Location: Vernon Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Vintage La Pavoni Lever... Grinder: KitchenAid Pro Line Burr... Vac Pot: Vintage Silex Drip: Aeropress, French Press Roaster: "EL SUPREMO" w/QuikSPIN-CRC...
Posted Mon Jun 16, 2008, 9:06am Subject: Re: A great way to F the oil companies
farmroast Said:
Len Ya mean you only take a shower every other week? lol ;-) sorry, couldn't resist. Good idea. I do the same with my furnace during the spring and fall. farm
DavecUK Senior Member Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Posts: 158 Location: UK Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex, Fracino Heavenly,... Grinder: Mazzer Mini E Roaster: Toper 1kg (sold) Gene Cafe
Posted Thu Jun 19, 2008, 4:37am Subject: Re: A great way to F the oil companies
Good energy saving advice, now you just need to get an itty bitty european car...because your petrol is now 4 bux per gallon.....still your better off than the UK where we pay a little over $9 per gallon (and yes I have adjusted that for the US gallon)..
It also, sort of trashes the arguments I have seen in the past where people think it's cheaper to keep you espresso machine on all the time (even 24 hours per day). Certainly with many dual boiler machines that have a suitably small steam boiler, it's a nonsense to keep the steam boiler lit all the time....obsessive I know, but in the UK we are going to see a 40% increase in our energy costs this year (in addition to the 40% increase we have had over the last couple of years).
CoffeeRoastersClub Senior Member Joined: 6 Jul 2005 Posts: 2,060 Location: Vernon Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Vintage La Pavoni Lever... Grinder: KitchenAid Pro Line Burr... Vac Pot: Vintage Silex Drip: Aeropress, French Press Roaster: "EL SUPREMO" w/QuikSPIN-CRC...
Posted Thu Jun 19, 2008, 7:53am Subject: Re: A great way to F the oil companies
DavecUK Said:
Good energy saving advice, now you just need to get an itty bitty european car...because your petrol is now 4 bux per gallon.....still your better off than the UK where we pay a little over $9 per gallon (and yes I have adjusted that for the US gallon)..
It also, sort of trashes the arguments I have seen in the past where people think it's cheaper to keep you espresso machine on all the time (even 24 hours per day). Certainly with many dual boiler machines that have a suitably small steam boiler, it's a nonsense to keep the steam boiler lit all the time....obsessive I know, but in the UK we are going to see a 40% increase in our energy costs this year (in addition to the 40% increase we have had over the last couple of years).
I have an itty bitty American car (has 115,000 miles on it): Chevy Cavalier 4 cylinder 2 door. Every light in our house is the small bulb florescent type. We do water conservation with low gallon flush toilets, and energy saving showerheads. We have a real old house (over 100 years), and it could use better windows and insulation. That is next.
Americans have had it good regarding easy access to energy. SUVs, huge homes, etc. Now we are paying the price.
DavecUK Senior Member Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Posts: 158 Location: UK Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex, Fracino Heavenly,... Grinder: Mazzer Mini E Roaster: Toper 1kg (sold) Gene Cafe
Posted Thu Jun 19, 2008, 8:12am Subject: Re: A great way to F the oil companies
With a smile on my face I love your relative view of the Chevrloet Cavalier 4 cyl 2.2 litre as an itty bitty car...;-)...Our family car is a 1.4 litre Honda, our second car is a Honda Insight Hybrid (which does about 90-100 miles per UK gallon), but at least your not driving a hummer....
However, I hope (in the nicest possible way), that the price of oil keeps going up and up and up and up...and that you guys prevent the drilling of offshore (inshore) oil in the US, because finally the Oil producing countries will totally screw themselves and we as a world can get on with using the energy sources we should be and not squandering the earths resources at the expense of future generations. I shudder to think how California "folded faster than a woman on laundry day" over their 0 emissions mandate.
In the UK our government is talking about building more nuclear power stations (lots more) and of course these next generation won't have the same waste problems as the previous ones? You have to laugh, I think the 5 we have got need to be decommissioned, have made no significant contribution to our energy needs and have cost probably a 100 billion to operate since they were built and will probably cost a further 100 billion to decommission....this in a small country surrounded by water, but somehow offshore wind and wave power don't cost in, funny that??
I think some people would be shocked at how quickly manufacturers could build really good electric cars, governments can find renewable energy and all companies find more energy efficient ways of producing things....but not while the whole worlds hooked on oil!
Of course this means that machines like the GS3 with 5 litres of water to be kept warm......are not environmentally friendly and all GS3 owners should go out and buy a machine with a thermoblock heating system....for that perfect brew temperature ;-)
P.S. Incandescent light bulbs should be illegal in the UK....when they are, I will know finally someone might be taking the environment seriously, in the meantime, I must go and turn my coffee machine off.
CoffeeRoastersClub Senior Member Joined: 6 Jul 2005 Posts: 2,060 Location: Vernon Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Vintage La Pavoni Lever... Grinder: KitchenAid Pro Line Burr... Vac Pot: Vintage Silex Drip: Aeropress, French Press Roaster: "EL SUPREMO" w/QuikSPIN-CRC...
Posted Thu Jun 19, 2008, 8:27am Subject: Re: A great way to F the oil companies
Wow, that is great gas mileage you got there. Think about the gas engine. Its been around for how long? Surely other types of engines could be made by now that do not use petroleum. Problem is that oil has been too plentiful. That and likely the petroleum companies have been buying out patents for other types of energy use engines.
Posted Thu Jun 19, 2008, 9:25am Subject: Re: A great way to F the oil companies
There are these little electric water heaters that heat water on demand. Extremely efficient and cost about $120 up here in the great white north. They are about 10" X 10" by 3" thick.
I have heard about them in use in Europe for some time and have seen them in use in NE U.S. a few years ago.
Keepitsimple Senior Member Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 189 Location: UK Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Reneka Techno Grinder: Mazzer Mini-e
Posted Thu Jun 19, 2008, 11:06am Subject: Re: A great way to F the oil companies
Lost Said:
There are these little electric water heaters that heat water on demand. Extremely efficient and cost about $120 up here in the great white north. They are about 10" X 10" by 3" thick.
I have heard about them in use in Europe for some time and have seen them in use in NE U.S. a few years ago.
They're very common in the UK as instantaneous showers. (UK has a heritage of low pressure hot water systems, and in many older properties, you can't get a good shower from them, hence instantaneous heaters working at mains pressure).
They're OK in summer when the mains water is warmer. In the winter though, if yonly have a low power one - about 7000 watts, you have to turn the flow down to get a good temperature. The more powerful ones are a lot better, but draw up to 9500 watts. Even with European voltages, that's still a lot of amps. They require their own dedicated power circuit, and breaker system.
Increasingly popular, as people update/replace their heating systems are instantaneous gas powered water heaters combined with central heating boilers (furnaces ?) Known as combi boilers. Give good showers as most are 28kw or 32kw equivalent, and some rather more. Run at mains pressure. Not that suitable if you have several hot water demands made at the same time though.
Keepitsimple Senior Member Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 189 Location: UK Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Reneka Techno Grinder: Mazzer Mini-e
Posted Sat Jun 21, 2008, 8:25am Subject: Re: A great way to F the oil companies
DavecUK Said:
In the UK our government is talking about building more nuclear power stations (lots more) and of course these next generation won't have the same waste problems as the previous ones? You have to laugh, I think the 5 we have got need to be decommissioned, have made no significant contribution to our energy needs and have cost probably a 100 billion to operate since they were built and will probably cost a further 100 billion to decommission....
They produced just under 20% of our electricity a couple of years ago (the last figures I've seen).
Admittedly though, the early ones like Calder Hall, were only a civilian smokescreen for reactors to produce weapons grade plutonium. Don't think anyone understands a realistic costing model for building, running and decommissioning the things. The useful thing for politicians, is that by the time they are at the end of their lifecycle (the nuclear stations that is) those same politicians will be long out of office. Don't interpret this post as either an attack or defence of nuclear power policy - it has its advantages and disadvantages, and has to be weighed against the pro's and con's of the reliable alternatives, some of which have real downsides too.
Possibly France has the most experience - around 80% of their electricity is nuclear (or do we have to call it "nucular" now ? ;o)
Perhaps I ought to switch the epresso machine off each day after all.......
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