Furnace eats all my electricity

ChrisJ

bulldoglax said:

Says in the picture she took 10 and 12 water heater. Electric water heaters are gong to run about 60-90 a month to run. Add in the additional electric load and fees and delivery charges your right around 200

Paul48 said:

Except that doesn't fit with what she described. There is a constant draw on the furnace circuit.

She said it's a gas water heater.
This is why I asked for pictures.

Right now, everyone is shooting in the dark.

hot_rod

In one post its stated gas furnace and water heater. In another shutting of the 2 pole 30A caused her to run out of hot water???

Regardless electric HW for her application maybe 30- 50 bucks a month. The big draw on the single pole breaker is a mystery.

Are you sure the meter you are monitoring is connected to your breaker panel?

hot_rod

Or maybe if it is an electric HW, two apartments are fed from it?

Paul48

She needs someone on site.

Gordy

That's why I said shut off the main breaker. Simple. If meter is still spinning something else is on her meter. Preferably do this at a time long when everyone in other apartments are at home, and after sunset. When people tend to use more electricity.

Once you have established the meter is not spinning with no power to apartment. Then turn on each circuit one at a time establishing what that circuit powers then turn it off, and move on to the next.

Yes establishing what appliances are fueled by gas, or powered by electric will help narrow things down.

200 bucks a month for a two bedroom apartment is very high. Even with an electric water heater if it is one occupant.

The op is trying to establish if there is power being charged to her meter from other sources than her own apartment.

rick in Alaska

Definitely need and electrician. Since the water heater is gas, except for this... (I turned of 10&12 and I got a cold shower after 2 days. So I figured that's my water heater. ), it makes me wonder what the two 240 breakers do power. I believe a stove is 50 amp, but it might be on one of the 30's. I wonder if there might be a sub panel on the other 30 amp breaker?
Also, it could be the meter is not reading right. A friend of mine who works for the local utility checks meters and does find defective ones once in a while.
Call an electrician!
Rick

ChrisJ

Gordy said:

That's why I said shut off the main breaker. Simple. If meter is still spinning something else is on her meter. Preferably do this at a time long when everyone in other apartments are at home, and after sunset. When people tend to use more electricity.

Once you have established the meter is not spinning with no power to apartment. Then turn on each circuit one at a time establishing what that circuit powers then turn it off, and move on to the next.

Yes establishing what appliances are fueled by gas, or powered by electric will help narrow things down.

200 bucks a month for a two bedroom apartment is very high. Even with an electric water heater if it is one occupant.

The op is trying to establish if there is power being charged to her meter from other sources than her own apartment.

I had a 1100sqft 1 bedroom apartment.
Electric in the summer with their broken down half-baked central air was $220 +-. In the winter, less than $100.

I've got a feeling, we're about to find out she has an electric water heater and a heat pump with a heating element in the air handler.

Of course, That doesn't leave any room for a clothes dryer in that panel.

She's one step ahead of where I was when I had an apartment, all of ours had Federal Pacific fire starter panels and it didn't seem like anyone was in any hurry to change them.

Gordy

You have higher electric rates out your way Chris. 11.5 cents after all fees in Chicago. My past renters electric bill for august which I found after they moved out was 94.00. 3 5k window units ran 24/7. 50 gal Electric water heater, electric dryer,and lights always on. family of 5.

I was shocked actually. The tenant before complained that comed told her she had the highest electric bill in the area. It was herself, and 1 son. Never ran ac. Always dark in the place......

ChrisJ

Gordy said:

You have higher electric rates out your way Chris. 11.5 cents after all fees in Chicago. My past renters electric bill for august which I found after they moved out was 94.00. 3 5k window units ran 24/7. 50 gal Electric water heater, electric dryer,and lights always on. family of 5.

I was shocked actually. The tenant before complained that comed told her she had the highest electric bill in the area. It was herself, and 1 son. Never ran ac. Always dark in the place......

I believe our's are around 11 cents as well.

BobC

@ChrisJ We had FP 200 amp 3 phase breaker panels at the plant I worked at, not only did they control the power they threw real good heat. You could feel the heat radiating from them from 3 feet away. I rebuilt more than a few of the copper bars in those over the years.

BTW my cost of power right now is 20.5 cents per KWH. last months bill was about $60, it's about $110 in the summer with the AC running.

Bob

Gordy

Clothes line.....

ChrisJ

Gordy said:

Clothes line.....

Let's see the pictures of this at the apartment @Gordy
We all want to see it.

I like my gas clothes dryer just fine.

Gordy

I was referring to Bob's low electric consumption to unit cost ratio.

Gordy

And I like my gas clothes dryer far better than the electric

BobC

It's just me here so a clothesline works fine for me. It lets me conserve my money for thing that count - like a nice jug of sour mash.

Bob

ChrisJ

BobC said:

It's just me here so a clothesline works fine for me. It lets me conserve my money for thing that count - like a nice jug of sour mash.

Bob

They do.
Except for the labor involved, the space it consumes, bird feces, bugs, rain, snow etc.

Gordy

That's all worth a jug of sour mash

Canucker

> @ChrisJ said:
> It's just me here so a clothesline works fine for me. It lets me conserve my money for thing that count - like a nice jug of sour mash.
>
> Bob
>
> They do.
> Except for the labor involved, the space it consumes, bird feces, bugs, rain, snow etc.

@ChrisJ where do you live that you have that many problems with a clothesline? Near the city dump? Are you sure that your neighbours aren't jealous of your finely tuned steam system and are out trying to cost you the money it saves?

BobC

I hang clothes twice a week and cannot remember the last time a bird "gifted" me. Understand we have a lot of seagulls hereabouts so any hit would be VERY obvious.

Bob

Paul48

Don't hang the clothes line on the choke cherry tree.

hot_rod

BobC said:

I hang clothes twice a week and cannot remember the last time a bird "gifted" me. Understand we have a lot of seagulls hereabouts so any hit would be VERY obvious.

Bob

The birds around here tend to target shine objects, like vehicles in the yard I don't remember ever having the clothesline boomed?

Must be the way they are treated if the are a chronic problem with clothes on the line.

We keep the bird feeders well stocked.

ChrisJ

hot rod said:

BobC said:

I hang clothes twice a week and cannot remember the last time a bird "gifted" me. Understand we have a lot of seagulls hereabouts so any hit would be VERY obvious.

Bob

The birds around here tend to target shine objects, like vehicles in the yard I don't remember ever having the clothesline boomed?

Must be the way they are treated if the are a chronic problem with clothes on the line.

We keep the bird feeders well stocked.

I assumed Bob has a lot of bling on his clothes.

Koan

there used to be a breaker in slot 8 - an open slot is against code in Maryland, and if so it is reason to have the apartment maintenance super have an electrician visit. Makes me nervous that it is right next to the suspicious breaker. I think it is important for not only the bill but for safety to have an electrician look inside that breaker panel.

I would ask the apartment maintenance to have it checked by an electrician for safety for the same reason @JUGHNE says, if someone were to stick a finger in there by accident it would be bad! When putting in a dummy breaker cover you could ask to be there and explain you think you have an unexpected draw on circuit #6 and for them to check it out.

Steamhead

Well, at least it's not a Federal Pacific panel..........

ratio

You'd know where all the power was going if it was a FP panel...

Koan