Electric bill and Mother In Law??
- Thread starter NYFrank
- Start date
OK,
You have:
2 * 250 W = 500 W Metal Halide
2 * 56 W = 112 W T-5
Total lights = 612 W.
I'll assume a 12 hr light period.
12 * 612 = 7344 W-hrs.
You also have:
180 W pump
18 W UV light
198 W of power that always in use. (Note: I suspect that the 180W rating on your pump is a maximum rating, and the pump may not actually be using that much power, but I have no idea what its really using, so I'll just use the number you gave.)
24 hrs * 198 W = 4752 W-hrs.
total power used per day = 7344 + 4752 = 12096 W-hrs.
1 kW = 1000W.
total power used per day = 12.1 kW-hrs.
30.5 days per month.
30.5 * 12.1 = 368.2 kW-hrs per month.
Someone said that Long Island has an electric rate of $0.18 per kW-hr.
So total electric is:
.18 * 368.2 = $66.27
As for solar panels, the cheapest thing is probably to try and use something like the solatubes and bring use natural sunlight to light the tank instead of trying to convert sunlight into electricity and then back into light. I think you'll find that a 500W solar panel is rather expensive.
Also, all of the electricity that you use on your tank will eventually be turned into heat. However, where I live, my electricity runs around $0.09 per kW-hr, and my natural gas run around $0.04 per kW-hr. The reason why we heat our homes with something other then electricity is because the other energy is much cheaper at producing heat. This relationship is preatty much fixed by the second law of thermodynamics.
You have:
2 * 250 W = 500 W Metal Halide
2 * 56 W = 112 W T-5
Total lights = 612 W.
I'll assume a 12 hr light period.
12 * 612 = 7344 W-hrs.
You also have:
180 W pump
18 W UV light
198 W of power that always in use. (Note: I suspect that the 180W rating on your pump is a maximum rating, and the pump may not actually be using that much power, but I have no idea what its really using, so I'll just use the number you gave.)
24 hrs * 198 W = 4752 W-hrs.
total power used per day = 7344 + 4752 = 12096 W-hrs.
1 kW = 1000W.
total power used per day = 12.1 kW-hrs.
30.5 days per month.
30.5 * 12.1 = 368.2 kW-hrs per month.
Someone said that Long Island has an electric rate of $0.18 per kW-hr.
So total electric is:
.18 * 368.2 = $66.27
As for solar panels, the cheapest thing is probably to try and use something like the solatubes and bring use natural sunlight to light the tank instead of trying to convert sunlight into electricity and then back into light. I think you'll find that a 500W solar panel is rather expensive.
Also, all of the electricity that you use on your tank will eventually be turned into heat. However, where I live, my electricity runs around $0.09 per kW-hr, and my natural gas run around $0.04 per kW-hr. The reason why we heat our homes with something other then electricity is because the other energy is much cheaper at producing heat. This relationship is preatty much fixed by the second law of thermodynamics.
Well guys thats a lot of info for me to pounder over till I get the next bill 
I have owned the house less then a year so I did not know of any "fuel surcharge" from LIPA. I will have to send them some hate mail next and take a closer look at my bill.
thanks grupper for laying out the math for me (not a high point on my end). I will have to figure out the numbers and see how close that is to yours.
The tank is preaty though but and extra $1200+ a year here on LI is gonna hurt. Anybody wanna by a tank
I have owned the house less then a year so I did not know of any "fuel surcharge" from LIPA. I will have to send them some hate mail next and take a closer look at my bill.thanks grupper for laying out the math for me (not a high point on my end). I will have to figure out the numbers and see how close that is to yours.
The tank is preaty though but and extra $1200+ a year here on LI is gonna hurt. Anybody wanna by a tank
All hope is not lost. I cut the electric bill on my tank significantly by switching to more efficient equipment. At $0.18/kWhr you'll recoup the cost of new equipment pretty quickly. First get the smallest return pump you can, you don't need to move much water through your sump. Something like an Iwaki 20 will probably be fine for a 140. Get all your water movement from efficient powerheads like Seio's or Tunzes. Then ditch the UV altogether. If your still after more then sell those MH's and get 3-4 more T5's and an Icecap. All this will probably cut your bill by more than 50%.
I thought you needed the MH for the Acros I plan to get in a few month as the tank becomes more established. This was why I got them to begin with. Also I have the tank on the 2nd floor (where we live) which is why I had to get the larger pump. I may combine some stuff in the sump to the return line to get ride of some of the other pumps for a start.
Actually, lots of people grow acros under T5's. I know of a couple coral farmers around here that use them exclusively. I have six 80W T5's on my 220 and I need to trim my acros pretty regularly to keep them from growing into each other and my other corals. You may not be able to keep actos at the bottom of your tank but there's a lot of other things you can put down there anyway.
By my guesses your lights are running you around $40/mo and your return pump (Mag 9.5?) is running you around $12/mo. You'll probably want to focus on the lights.
If you ran 4 x 54W T5's on Icecap 430 ballasts (overdrives the T5's at ~80W I think) and you run 2 bulbs Blue+ and Aqua) for 12 hrs and 2 (GE Daylight) for 10hrs it should cut your lighting cost to ~$20/mo.
Is your sump on the first floor? That's the only reason you'd need a larger pump. How far is it (vertically) from the sump to the highest point in the return plumbing or the surface of the water in the tank if the return goes in through a bulkhead?
By my guesses your lights are running you around $40/mo and your return pump (Mag 9.5?) is running you around $12/mo. You'll probably want to focus on the lights.
If you ran 4 x 54W T5's on Icecap 430 ballasts (overdrives the T5's at ~80W I think) and you run 2 bulbs Blue+ and Aqua) for 12 hrs and 2 (GE Daylight) for 10hrs it should cut your lighting cost to ~$20/mo.
Is your sump on the first floor? That's the only reason you'd need a larger pump. How far is it (vertically) from the sump to the highest point in the return plumbing or the surface of the water in the tank if the return goes in through a bulkhead?
Yes its a first floor sump, actually in the basement. so its coming up 2 stories. The vertical is almost 18' I do plan to have the acros only at the top to about 12" down anyway. Do I have to use Ice Caps? They are a little up there in $$$ I will look into the T5's Thanks
techigirl78
New member
I always thought the snake was the cheap pet, only a mouse every other week. But $28 a mnth for electricity? WOW! 
javajaws
Premium Member
8 AMPS PER LIGHT? What in the world ballast are you running?
Here are the specs for an IceCap Electronic Ballast (admittedly less than what an HQI ballast would pull), but its still way less that 8 amps:
http://www.icecapinc.com/pdf/250mh.pdf
Anybody know what a run of the mill HQI ballast pulls?
well I didn't say they were the most efficient.
They are PFO's and yes they suck. They are magnetic ballasts.
I have a FLUKE amp meter and have tested them.
The electronic ICE CAPS are better and I am going to buy some.
The point was Light power donsn't equal ballast power.
They are PFO's and yes they suck. They are magnetic ballasts.
I have a FLUKE amp meter and have tested them.
The electronic ICE CAPS are better and I am going to buy some.
The point was Light power donsn't equal ballast power.
integlikewhoa
New member
i agree 8 amps per light is alot.
But back to the matter at hand. My electric bill went up by 75.00 easy. The chiller is 75.00 alone when the summer comes around. I turn it off completly during the winter and use fans until im forced to turn it back on.
But back to the matter at hand. My electric bill went up by 75.00 easy. The chiller is 75.00 alone when the summer comes around. I turn it off completly during the winter and use fans until im forced to turn it back on.
javajaws
Premium Member
At 8 amps, those new IceCaps should pay for themselves in...say....a couple weeks?
My tank is running about 11 amps when everything is on (estimated). Based on usage patterns (lights 10hr/day, etc.)...it comes out to around $70/month in my neck of the woods (~600kW-hrs). This is with 2 250w MHs, a 1/8hp CL pump, Ca reactor, needlewheel skimmer, etc. No chiller yet...probably have to add that too come summer.
My tank is running about 11 amps when everything is on (estimated). Based on usage patterns (lights 10hr/day, etc.)...it comes out to around $70/month in my neck of the woods (~600kW-hrs). This is with 2 250w MHs, a 1/8hp CL pump, Ca reactor, needlewheel skimmer, etc. No chiller yet...probably have to add that too come summer.
StinkinTuna
New member
My electric bill went up almost $100, havent changed a thing...So CA Edison is my util company. Raised rates this year !@#! 'ers. So it might be just a general rate increase which is inflating the bill...grrr!
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