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Cost of running oven

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cduma

Tue Nov 24 2009, 09:31PM

Registered Member #1822 Joined: Fri Nov 21 2008, 08:04PM
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Posts: 300

The other day I decided to make some beef jerky so I set the 3cuf oven to the reletively high temperature of 190F and set the timer for 12 hours. My parents flipped out and said something along the lines of "That costs a lot of money to run! Its 220V!" so I say "Gosh no, beloved Mother and Father! You see, for every minute the heating element is glowing only 3 seconds and it takes about 2 seconds for it to start glowing after the power is applied and this gives it a duty cycle of roughly 8% and if it used up all 30A then it will have used just 6.3KWh at a cost of .12 per KWh with a grand total of 75 Cents". Based on my brilliant observations of the lights not dimming I really doubt that the oven is drawing 30A since my microwave will dim the lights and it draws something like 10A. They didnt believe me and say that they know better than I even though I am on my second year of my associates degree in electrical engineering...

Can some one give any credence to this so that my parents will believe me? They are forcing me to use the charcoal grill instead and I use about 5LBs of coal out of a $12 20LB bag not to mention the constant tending to it takes.

Bjørn

Tue Nov 24 2009, 10:52PM

Registered Member #27 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 02:20AM
Location: Hyperborea
Posts: 2058

Your numbers add up. There will be significantly uncertainty in the variables but unless it is a very badly constructed oven it is very likely that you will spend less than $1 over 12 hours.

Remember that nothing beats careful measurements in cases like this.

cduma

Tue Nov 24 2009, 11:05PM

Registered Member #1822 Joined: Fri Nov 21 2008, 08:04PM
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Posts: 300

Chances are that the power usage is greatly over estimated since it includes 4 stovetop burners as well and I have used all 4 on high while using the oven without blowing the breaker.

klugesmith

Tue Nov 24 2009, 11:22PM

Registered Member #2099 Joined: Wed Apr 29 2009, 12:22AM
Location: Los Altos, California
Posts: 1716

BjÃ¸rn wrote ...
Your numbers add up. There will be significantly uncertainty in the variables but unless it is a very badly constructed oven it is very likely that you will spend less than $1 over 12 hours.
Remember that nothing beats careful measurements in cases like this.

You can measure the oven energy consumption very accurately by reading the electric utility meter.
Just need to turn off all other non-constant loads in the house (e.g. flip the circuit breakers) for a few cycles of the oven thermostat.
How much trouble would that cause in a modern home?

[edit] the charcoal method might make better-tasting beef jerky. Carbon dioxide footprint might be comparable to the electric oven method, or driving the family SUV to supermarket to buy some jerky.

cduma

Tue Nov 24 2009, 11:42PM

Registered Member #1822 Joined: Fri Nov 21 2008, 08:04PM
Location:
Posts: 300

When I make jerky on the barby I let it go for about 8hrs and then put it in the oven for another 2 so that I pretty much guarantee that I kill all the icky things. If I can convince my parents that the oven is cheaper then I will flip that around and put the jerky on the grill for 2 and the oven for 8. My utility meter is behind some heavy stuff that I dont feel like moving...

Frosty90

Wed Nov 25 2009, 01:13AM

Registered Member #1617 Joined: Fri Aug 01 2008, 07:31AM
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 139

Ahh yes,

Unortunateley, while your reasoning from an electrical engineering viewpoint is entirely correct, parents always 'know' better. Careful reasoning and profound insights into lifes mysteries are no match for a parents knowledge and experience. Its an inescapable fact of life. I've suffered similar issues regarding the use of a tumble dryer when it was raining...

Cheers,
Jesse

ConKbot of Doom

Wed Nov 25 2009, 02:08AM

Registered Member #509 Joined: Sat Feb 10 2007, 07:02AM
Location:
Posts: 329

Frosty90 wrote ...

Ahh yes,

Unortunateley, while your reasoning from an electrical engineering viewpoint is entirely correct, parents always 'know' better. Careful reasoning and profound insights into lifes mysteries are no match for a parents knowledge and experience. Its an inescapable fact of life. I've suffered similar issues regarding the use of a tumble dryer when it was raining...

Cheers,
Jesse

My friends parents shit a huge brick when we ran a 12v radiator using about 25W on high or so for a jerky maker. Just a fan and an old PC power supply with a toggle to change it between 5v and 12v. Between the complaints of it using so much electricity, filling the house with carbon dioxide (monoxide I assume they meant...)the meat not being safe because its not cooked... I wasnt even sure what to even say to address that.

They were perfectly fine with the commercial dehydrator with the heating element that actually was using who knows how many hundred watts of power, and ran for ~50% longer.

And held about 1/3 as much meat.

cduma

Wed Nov 25 2009, 08:14PM

Registered Member #1822 Joined: Fri Nov 21 2008, 08:04PM
Location:
Posts: 300

Yup that is my exact problem...
I built a machine that allows me to shoot bolts of lightning from my finger tips and power a light bulb without wires but, what would I know about electricity?
Oops cant use that machine either! Thats half a million volts! It must cost a fortune to run!

Renesis

Wed Nov 25 2009, 08:48PM

Registered Member #2028 Joined: Mon Mar 16 2009, 08:13PM
Location: Norway
Posts: 319

cduma wrote ...

Thats half a million volts! It must cost a fortune to run!

Thats a classic youtube comment right there. It appears on the internet, volts equals watts.

I can get really mad at my parents sometimes, because theyre "always" right. And the worst part is that my dad has this superpower witch makes him able to convince me that his facts are the real facts. Its messing with my head.

*Ding!* Ah, my tacos is done.

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