rdkopp0153
Well-Known Member
I'm in trouble now. The girlfriend just informed me that our electricity bill has gone up $30 per month since I installed my keg fridge. Can this be true? Help me out here, I need some ammunition! 
Keg Fridge Electricity Consumption
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SilverZero
Well-Known Member
Assuming your electricity cost is $0.05 per kilowatt-hour, a 400-watt fridge will cost $0.48 a day, and that's if it's running full-time. Over a month, that's $14.40 or so (30 days). Your cost could be higher if the fridge has a higher power rating, but honestly it's probably lower because a fridge isn't "running" all the time, only when the compressor kicks on.
Revising these numbers for a more powerful fridge (800w) but also adjusting for what I have seen is a typical usage of 300 hours per month, the cost comes out to $12.00. Obviously, the variables are the power rating of your fridge, how much time it actually spends drawing full power, and your cost of electricity.
Revising these numbers for a more powerful fridge (800w) but also adjusting for what I have seen is a typical usage of 300 hours per month, the cost comes out to $12.00. Obviously, the variables are the power rating of your fridge, how much time it actually spends drawing full power, and your cost of electricity.
wickman6
Well-Known Member
Buy her some shoes....works for me.
That does seem high though, I wonder how much mine costs me. Always been curious, I wonder if anyone else knows a way to figure out how to tell.
That does seem high though, I wonder how much mine costs me. Always been curious, I wonder if anyone else knows a way to figure out how to tell.
SilverZero
Well-Known Member
(W/1000)*(U)*(C)
Where W = power rating of your fridge in watts, U = usage in hours, and C = cost of electricity per kW-hr.
For my previous assumptions: (800)/(1000)*(300)*(0.05) = $12.00
And if spending money on shoes solves the problem, the money spent on electricity was never the problem to begin with. Find the root and pull it out.
Math lessons and relationship advice, together at last.
rdkopp0153
Well-Known Member
I just tried both techniques:
The rational, analytical method of breaking down kilo-watts per hour per dollar got me the look of "you dip ****, do you really think this is going to fool me"?
The sleazy, used car salesman technique of offering to buy her a new pair of shoes or take her out for dinner got me the exact same look with a slight different twinkle in her eye that said "that's better, at least you're trying".
So dinner and high heels will keep my beer cold, even if it costs me double!
But ****, $30 per month in electricity, that doesn't make brewing/kegging my own beer nearly as economical.
The rational, analytical method of breaking down kilo-watts per hour per dollar got me the look of "you dip ****, do you really think this is going to fool me"?
The sleazy, used car salesman technique of offering to buy her a new pair of shoes or take her out for dinner got me the exact same look with a slight different twinkle in her eye that said "that's better, at least you're trying".
So dinner and high heels will keep my beer cold, even if it costs me double!
But ****, $30 per month in electricity, that doesn't make brewing/kegging my own beer nearly as economical.
SilverZero
Well-Known Member
So she didn't buy the math? Well, you could call the power company and get on budget billing. Your bill will be the same every month.
What freezer do you have? I have the GE 7.somethingg and have a kill-a-watt. I'll hook it up and measure for the next 24 hours and report back.
Unless you have a really old fridge and/or a very un-insulated/leaky collar, I doubt your fridge used $30 of electricity.
My fridge came with an energy-guide estimate http://pdf.lowes.com/energyguides/084691157854.pdf. The per kw rate is low, but that gives you an idea what to expect. That's operating at freezer temps, not ~37 degrees. Take $30 per year. That's $2.50 a month. Even double that for a real per kw rate and you're at $5. I think that would be your worst case #.
Unless you have a really old fridge and/or a very un-insulated/leaky collar, I doubt your fridge used $30 of electricity.
My fridge came with an energy-guide estimate http://pdf.lowes.com/energyguides/084691157854.pdf. The per kw rate is low, but that gives you an idea what to expect. That's operating at freezer temps, not ~37 degrees. Take $30 per year. That's $2.50 a month. Even double that for a real per kw rate and you're at $5. I think that would be your worst case #.
raouliii
Well-Known Member
Even store bought beer needs to be kept cold.
I'd bet my chest freezer is under $4/month when kept @ 40.0*F. The yellow energy label that was on the front when I bought it was only like $30/year when used as a freezer. I pay 0.14/kwh.
If you save a couple bucks buying a used fridge it might bite you big time. My teenager put a dorm fridge in his room and it never stops running. I wouldn't be surprised if that used $30.
If you save a couple bucks buying a used fridge it might bite you big time. My teenager put a dorm fridge in his room and it never stops running. I wouldn't be surprised if that used $30.
rdkopp0153
Well-Known Member
Yes, it is definitely an old, cheap fridge found on craigslist.
In the long term, it will most likely save money to buck up for a new, energy efficient fridge.
I'll poke around and see what information I can find on the fridge itself.
In the long term, it will most likely save money to buck up for a new, energy efficient fridge.
I'll poke around and see what information I can find on the fridge itself.
ladodger34
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My wife and I inherited a early 90's fridge when we were first married. It wasn't horrible for energy consumption, but it wasn't great either. A couple of years ago, we picked up a brand new fridge and "stole" my parent's chest freezer (they are sort of empty nester's now). Our electric bill did go down fairly significantly, even with the extra appliance just by getting rid of that older fridge. And the electric company gave us a a $75 rebate for hauling away the old fridge.
We moved in with her parents last year and put our fridge out in her dad's shop. Her mom said her bill barely went up with the fridge.
We moved in with her parents last year and put our fridge out in her dad's shop. Her mom said her bill barely went up with the fridge.
Any device that uses electricity can be broke down into consumption. The math is easy:
Amps X Volts = Watts
Watts X Hours running per day X Days per year = Total Watts
Total Watts / (divided by) 1000 = Kilo Watts
Kilo Watts X Your cost per = Total cost per year to run
Chest freezer (turned keezer)
5amps X 115volts X 4hours (depending on thermal mass inside and temperature surrounding unit most run 2-6 hours) X 365 divided by 1000 = 839.5 Kilo Watts per year
839.5 X .06 per Kilo Watt (what I pay) = $50.37 per year or $4.20 a month
Mine in the house runs 2hrs a day and cost .07 cents a day to run (that is 14 five gallon kegs + 2 three gallon kegs cold in a 19.7 cu.ft.
Amps X Volts = Watts
Watts X Hours running per day X Days per year = Total Watts
Total Watts / (divided by) 1000 = Kilo Watts
Kilo Watts X Your cost per = Total cost per year to run
Chest freezer (turned keezer)
5amps X 115volts X 4hours (depending on thermal mass inside and temperature surrounding unit most run 2-6 hours) X 365 divided by 1000 = 839.5 Kilo Watts per year
839.5 X .06 per Kilo Watt (what I pay) = $50.37 per year or $4.20 a month
Mine in the house runs 2hrs a day and cost .07 cents a day to run (that is 14 five gallon kegs + 2 three gallon kegs cold in a 19.7 cu.ft.
look around the house for other things that might be causing the increase and point at them.
Hmm? How would a leak in the well casing cause the pressure sensor at the far end to trip?
If you meant a leak in the water line between pump and pressure sensor, then you're definitely onto something. Rare, perhaps, but something...
Cheers!
Tell her it must be the hair dryer.
A leak in the pipe
Just to follow up on my utilization....I plugged my GE FCM7SUWW into my Kill-a-Watt energy monitor and let it sit for 24 hours. It used 0.45 KWHs. Multiple that by 30 and that's the KWH's used in a given month....that gives me 13.5 KWHs. Now...my rate is about 17 cents per KWH...so I take 13.5 x .17 and that gives me my monthly cost for my kegerator....or $2.39.
I'm set at 37 degrees....my collar is 1x10 and I have 1" of the foil backed white foam insulation all the way around. Oh...and the keezer is in my 70 degree basement.
I wouldn't think an older fridge would use over 12x this much energy...maybe 2 or 3x...but not 12. I think you need to look for other sources. Get a kill-a-watt....very useful.
I'm set at 37 degrees....my collar is 1x10 and I have 1" of the foil backed white foam insulation all the way around. Oh...and the keezer is in my 70 degree basement.
I wouldn't think an older fridge would use over 12x this much energy...maybe 2 or 3x...but not 12. I think you need to look for other sources. Get a kill-a-watt....very useful.
I put a kill-o-watt on my 7cuft keezer a while ago and I got about $1 per month (@ 0.10 per kWh). My freezer is outside on back patio, and the temp outside at that time was about 60F.
