Where have my energy savings gone to? (Wilkes-Barre, Wyoming: crime, neighborhood)

[deneed74]

I have a Slant/Fin Victory 11 gas fired boiler. Model VHS 120EP. It’s about eight years old. The boiler is vented.

Attached to the boiler is a 40 gallons John Wood indirect storage water heater. Model JW10-40IT. I don’t know what’s the set water heating temp.

I am not sure when the boiler was last serviced. Could it be that it needs to be serviced? Anyone knows of any reliable contractor near zip code 18337.

Your comments are greatly appreciated.

[johnqpublic]

the above applies to the air temp. the same tank of propane at 2 different air temperatures will read two different levels...that accounts for SOME differences on the gauge, also, gauges on most tanks are not calibrated. they are cheap press. gaugesand give a reasonable estimate, not an exact reading.

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by deneed74

I have two 100 gallons tanks. Amerigas says that my tanks could not be filled to 100% capacity so tanks were filed to 85% capacity. I am not sure how the math works, but Amerigas insist that my tanks had 189 gallons of propane on Oct 1. Amerigas also estimated that my gauge should read about 49% so a 40% reading “is just about right”

If you're saying you consumed roughly 90 gallons of propane in nearly two months I'd have to agree with them. There's about 90,000 BTU's in one gallon of propane. 274 gallons = 1 ton of anthracite so you used the equivalent of 1/3 ton of coal. The average 2000 sq. ft. home uses 5 tons in a heating season.

How's that for some funky math? I don't use propane but based on the above the usage doesn't seem excessive. Propane is simply nit a very good alternative for heating in Pennsylvania. Natural Gas is but that's half the cost if you're getting from a main line.

BTU Calculator, Heat Loss Calculator

Try that calculator, there's some others. Just serach for "heat loss calculator"

[John From Scranton]

Originally Posted by deneed74

I have a Slant/Fin Victory 11 gas fired boiler. Model VHS 120EP. It’s about eight years old. The boiler is vented.

Attached to the boiler is a 40 gallons John Wood indirect storage water heater. Model JW10-40IT. I don’t know what’s the set water heating temp.

I am not sure when the boiler was last serviced. Could it be that it needs to be serviced? Anyone knows of any reliable contractor near zip code 18337.

Your comments are greatly appreciated.

Sounds like thecoalman, hit the nail on the head! But a good rule of tumb is to have it serviced once a year. And if its 8 years old Im sure having it checked out could only help..

As for a reliable person to service it for you. I would help you out but after I got out of the propane feild I sold all my tools. However a good friend and ex-coworker still does it on the side. I'm sure he would be gald to take a look at it for you. DM, me if you want his number.

Good luck.

[TomMoser]

Originally Posted by deneed74

A friend suggested that I heat the basement and not the main floor as heat rises and may be sufficient to heat the main floor. Any other comments or suggestions?

Deneed

I have a propane heater in the basement and electric heat in the rest of the house. I find that if I heat the basement with propane, I hardly ever have to put on any other heat.

[deneed74]

John From Scranton - I sent you a DM on 11/25/08 but I have not heard from you.

TheCoalman - How do I get natural gas here in Pocono Woodlands? What are the initial set cost and what would the saving be really? My income tax refund should be good so I may as well spend it on something worthwhile.

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by deneed74

TheCoalman - How do I get natural gas here in Pocono Woodlands? What are the initial set cost and what would the saving be really? My income tax refund should be good so I may as well spend it on something worthwhile.

Unless they have a hookup from the street you can't, in town it's piped right to your house just like you would have a water main. the propane has to be trucked to your house hence the reason it's going to cost a lot more.

If you really want to save get a coal stoker, typical 2000 sq foot home uses about 5 tons a year. Which is about $165 a ton delivered locally, once you get furhter away the costs will go up. You'll have to call around to find what it costs in your area. It's alittle bit of work but the cost savings are extraordinary.

For example:

Propane at $2.50 a gallon is $35.09 per million BTU.

Coal at $165 per ton is $8.28 per million BTU...

It's that much. There's a fules calculator here, note that the efficiency rating for the coal stoves is incorrect and should be at least 80%:

FUEL COST CALCULATOR!!! - Anthracite Coal Discussion and News

[mathjak107]

we just got up to our house. our 2 100lb tanks were filled on the 11th(80%), we set stat at 55 when not there, 2000sq feet with basement. 65% left

[John From Scranton]

Originally Posted by deneed74

John From Scranton - I sent you a DM on 11/25/08 but I have not heard from you.

TheCoalman - How do I get natural gas here in Pocono Woodlands? What are the initial set cost and what would the saving be really? My income tax refund should be good so I may as well spend it on something worthwhile.

I just sent you a DM, let me know if you got it?? I didnt get the one you sent?

[JimmyLane]

I used propane for my 1100sq home my first heating season in NEPA, which ended up costing two grand, and sadly enough, the house was more often cold than warm in spite of the very good insulation. I took the advice of a pellet stove dealer in Scranton who suggested that I stick with propane or electric and heat only the rooms occupied at any given time. For the latter part of Oct and all November I ended up using only 7% propane with $120.00 electric. Last year for the same period I spent $579. for propane alone.

Sure, coal is cheap, but god-awful for the environment. And don't buy the dem-repub's who were singing kumbaya this election season for "clean coal" (i.e. anthracite), it's a farce. There is no such thing as clean coal in the same way there is no such thing as a low crime neighborhood in Wilkes-Barre.