Saving money when using an air condiioner or dehumidifier
joyfulguy
9 years ago
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mike_kaiser_gw
9 years agoElmer J Fudd
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Save money using a toaster oven?
Comments (22)As another option besides a toaster oven... I have a Sharp Convection/Microwave (with ventilation fan), that is placed over the range, and I use it more than my range oven. Yes, it's more expensive than a toaster oven or a counter top microwave/convection (which I have also owned and loved), but it's much more versatile and doesn't take up any counter space. I can bake a loaf of bread in it in 20-minutes, 2 loaves in 25-minutes, and NO preheating, so there is a considerable amount of energy savings there if all you consider is the time used. Since it's a much smaller appliance, you are heating less air space, so there is a considerable savings there. As a test, I recently baked a loaf of bread in my Zojirushi Bread Machine to see how much it cost to use this small appliance, and it cost .02-cents using .35 KWH. Since the baking cycle is so long on the Zo (62-67 minutes - and that's where the primary amount of energy is consumed), the next time I bake a loaf of bread in the Sharp Convection/Microwave, I'll put the Kill-A-Watt Meter on my Sharp and see how much it costs to bake a loaf of bread in it. To find out exactly how much an appliance costs to run, a Kill-A-Watt Meter will give you the exact cost. You set it with what YOUR electricity cost is and it calculates the time, amount used, and the total cost for that time. I've used the Kill-A-Watt Meter to check all our major appliances to see if they were energy hogs. We heat our home with a Sun Cloud Infrared Heater for .02-cents an hour (tested it for 543-hours). Our refrigerator costs .07-cents a day to run (a 507-hour test). In the Sharp, most baked goods will bake in at least 25% less time, and some even less time than that, so another savings. I start checking for doneness when half the traditional baking time has passed. It's a major improvement over a toaster oven OR a microwave because you can microwave, bake, and broil in it in a much larger scale. It will hold a 12-cup muffin pan, 13x9 cake pan, or a tube pan. On Low Mix Bake, it combines convection heat with microwave power, so the baking quality is much better than when we baked in microwaves. This setting is used for baked goods that require more than 20-minutes baking time. Angel food and bundt cakes, quick breads and yeast breads. This selection will bake in 25-50% less time than a traditional oven. High Mix Bake, also combines convection heat with microwave power and provides crisp brown exteriors and juiciness for meats. Use this selection for roasts, whole turkey and chicken. They cook in about half the time. Convection ONLY cooking includes the convection benefit of a high-speed fan which circulates past the heat source and around the food. The super-heated air browns and crisps the food. This feature is used for foods that bake in 20-minutes or less. I can bake 2 12-inch sheets of cookies at a time (I use two Air-bake pizza pans lined with parchment paper) and cookies generally bake in 1/2 the time as in the oven. This setting is used for cookies, biscuits, cupcakes and small muffins. I loved my Black & Decker Toaster Oven and used it all the time for small baking - UNTIL - I got my Sharp Convection/Microwave. The toaster oven doesn't see the light of day now. -Grainlady...See Moredehumidifier or portable air conditioner?
Comments (12)I guess adding the basement wouldn't shorten the cycle, but it would lengthen the time between cycles. A/C is set at 75, and basement is 69. Blending bsmt air with living space upstairs would cool upstairs even without any a/c on, if I didn't mind the extra humidity and radon. The only difference, as I understand it, between an air conditioner and a dehumidifier is that the heat from the a/c condenser can be separately vented if desired. An a/c's dehumidification should equal a dehumidifier's, just as an a/c cools as well as a heat pump - all the same machine, except how the plumbing and venting is arranged. The only other considerations are that if it is vented, the a/c will cool the bsmt, as well as drawing in moist outside air, both increasing RH. In other words, the dehumidifier (or a/c in unvented dehumidifier mode) achieves part of its dehumidification by heating the space, or at least by not cooling it. I think if the a/c unit can operate at temps in the 60s, it is preferred, as it has the flexibility of running in cooling mode (vented) or dehumidifier mode (unvented). I'm also thinking it might be more efficient, as EER is reported (even tho not great), while there's not much reason for dehumidifier mfr to make unit efficient....See More28 Tips To Save Money
Comments (5)On #s 15 & 16, I think it's important to point out that often the alternative to refi and the like is simply pay down the principle! Especially if you're early in the mortgage, every nickel you pay toward the principle means the balance of the loan's interest on that nickel goes into your pocket. Ol' Joyful, I'll need some of your expertise here, but could you figure a rough calculation of an average type house loan, average refi costs applied to the current loan and how that would compare in the end? I think it'd be interesting. Also, said before, but often people think they "need" a new car and don't consider if they put some money into the old one, it'd save in the long run. Remember, new cars have higher insurance and license costs so there's more than the initial price to consider. I would take a bit of issue too with the convenience store avoidance. You could actually save money if wise. Often, convenience stores sell eggs, milk, bread etc at very low prices, often far less than the markets. Plus it's not a special trip, saves time plus there can be (tho not guaranteed - it's up to you) fewer impulse buys. The longer you're in the grocery store, stats say you'll spend more. Again, it's how savvy you are, but be careful. #18 (Shudder) Buyer's Brokers are seldom a good thing. Let's face facts, no real estate agent/realtor or the like works FOR the buyer! Who pays them? The seller. How do they get paid more? By "benefitting" the seller. There's no way the buyer benefits from realtors. The fewer the better in most cases. Why? Because you can often negotiate the realtor fees. If you have one realtor taking the entire commission, it's far easier to negotiate them down than to negotiate with multiple agents and try to negotiate down when they're getting 1/4 or less of the commission. Beware of this statement and check into these claims. You're far better off to have a good real estate attorney on your side. S/He'll be working for YOUR benefit. Mine found problems in the paperwork and embarrassed the daylights out of the stack of realtors, closers and the like at my closing! It was hilarious! Now as for the inspector, yes, that can be worthwhile, but don't use one recommended by the realtor (kickbacks) and make sure you know what they're inspecting, their qualifications and the like. A good alternative can be a trusted friend with qualifications. Hire like any professional. Realize, though, that the inspectors DO NOT GUARANTEE the house! So if they overlook something, it's not their fault or responsibility and they won't be doing anything for you so know what you're getting. A title examination, especially of abstract properties, can be very important especially if you don't know how to read an abstract. Torrens is less problematic. Buying a home brings up a pandora's box of potential problems and far too many to go into here, but there's some things to be careful of. #21 Consumer Reports is a pet peeve of mine. They're often very biased in their reporting. Plus, keep in mind that they do not "test" ALL models and versions, even of similar products! Do you realize that the washer you buy at Home Depot is different than the one you buy at Best Buy and they're both different than the one you buy from a mom-n-pop dealer? That can have significant differences in the specs and needs. One can have cycles and features the other doesn't. Don't get caught up in the CR myth. Read their magazine with a shaker full of salt and do far more research than CR. You'll be doing yourself a favor. That's enough for now. There's more opinions coming, I'm sure! :) Happy saving all! Enjoy the frugal season!...See MoreSaving Time so You Can Save Money
Comments (11)I'm not sure I'll be much help on this subject since I'm just now decluttering and reorganizing my home. Here's a few little things I'm doing: Since I don't have a regular pantry (I'm going to make one somewhere, someday--lol) I keep all breakfast items in one drawer, like instant oatmeal, grits, hot chocolate, etc. So, I know in a glance what I need and don't buy extras. I just tear off the top of the pkg. and set the whole thing in the drawer. I also keep my ironing supplies on one drawer---irons, spray starch, etc. I actually had to buy a second iron because I couldn't find the first one---before I organized! I took all on my junky paper and cut it into note size, put it in my desk drawer. If I have pretty junky mail, or envelopes, I cut them up to use as gift tags or small note cards. I hate frying bacon, so I bake it now on a rack. It's healthier and I don't have to spend so much time at the stove. I actually baked a pkg. this morning, used it all at once---now, we have bacon for tomorrow. I don't have very many closets, so I'm using decorative tins and hatboxes (I went thru a hatbox-making phase a few years back) for storage of sewing and craft supplies, and anything else that I can't find a place for!!! LOL These things hold a lot, so I may not have to buy any shelves. In my foyer area, I have a narrow table with a mirrow above it. I just cleaned out that drawer in the table----I have a place for car keys (his & hers), gloves, hairbrush, and glasses. Since I wash my hands a zillion times a day, I keep either an old dish detergent bottle or shampoo bottle with soap, water (*and now hand lotion or baby oil mixed in) under the sink to wash hands with. I just saw a Dr. on Tv say that if you wash your hands too much and they're dried out, germs can enter your body thru the cracked dry skin EASIER!! They were talking about the flu viruses. He actually said that rubbing your hands back and forth, creating friction, would kill germs on your hands!! Rub your hands, rub your hands!!!!!!...See Morejohnc777
9 years agoElmer J Fudd
9 years agojohnc777
9 years agojoyfulguy
9 years agomike_kaiser_gw
9 years agojim_1 (Zone 5B)
9 years agojoyfulguy
9 years agoMartinaCoach
9 years ago
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