first winter oil fill up ,

[cafoose 3,355]

1 minute ago, 953 nut said:

The chargers that will charge a fully depleted battery over night require a 50 Amp 240 Volt outlet and cost around $ 1,000. That would have to be a substantial generator to keep up with the EV's electrical needs.   

Suppose it would just maintain the battery rather than fully charge it from being fully depleted sort of like a battery tender type of concept? Maybe $1000 isn't too costly if it works. That's only 10 tanks of gas in the average full size truck at today's prices.

[953 nut 55,281]

2 minutes ago, cafoose said:

Suppose it would just maintain the battery rather than fully charge it from being fully depleted sort of like a battery tender type of concept?

In the video he nearly depleted the battery on a relatively short trip with a reasonably light load on the trailer, that would have to be a BIG tender.

[Achto 27,594]

50amps would require a 12kw generator with an 18hp engine.

[JoeM 7,874]

11 hours ago, Achto said:

50amps would require a 12kw generator with an 18hp engine.

I can see me now.......at the hotel for the Big Show letting the genset run all night charging her up. Have to park at the lower end of the lot! 

Plausible 

[rjg854 11,377]

I wonder  if there is a way to recharge the battery as your using the vehicle?  Something like an alternator does on a gasoline engine. That would help out the demand on the electric grid and having to develop all these charging stations and mileage limits of EV vehicles.

[Zeek 2,286]

On 11/14/2022 at 1:59 PM, Ed Kennell said:

Just filled my 97 yo MILs fuel oil tank.       $5.63/ gallon    

 

Another friend of mine in Chester County PA recently paid about that price as well. In the 2000's I used to have an oil furnace AND a fuel oil water heater because it was cheaper than electric in PA. Boy things have changed 

Edited November 16, 2022 by Zeek

[ebinmaine 67,553]

58 minutes ago, Zeek said:

 

. In the 2000's I used to have an oil furnace AND a fuel oil water heater because it was cheaper than electric in PA. Boy things have changed 

 

Same with us.

The furnace that we had removed a few years ago was installed new in 2002 or 3.

The guy that did the remediation on it was telling us that back at that time although it worked perfectly fine it was outdated technology.

 

After having gone through the oil spill itself and then trying to get that damn furnace to seal up unsuccessfully I was just completely done with wanting anything to do with it. I didn't care if my electric bill was going to go up substantially as long as I had no more of that stank nasty oil in my basement ever again.

 

When I got my electric bills over the next few months and I found that my oil guzzling hot water heater and house warmer was using more power I was absolutely befuddled.

 

If I add up the savings considering oil that I'm not buying anymore and the drop in electricity I would estimate it well over $2,000 annually. On a cold year, at least $2,500.

 

 

Us getting rid of that antiquated furnace and changing over to several electric heaters and a 40 gallon water heater easily paid for itself the very first year.

[Brockport Bill 1,664]

On 11/14/2022 at 2:41 PM, ebinmaine said:

Seeing the prices of oil this year versus the last couple which I thought were astronomical is making me more and more glad that I demanded the DEP get my oil furnace OUT of the house 3+ years ago when we had the spill.

 

 

We switched over to electricity to heat the house at that point. I knew we were going to be using wood as the main source so I wasn't that worried about the bill going up.

My electric bill WENT DOWN!!

 

One February 2 or 3 years ago we did an experiment.

I used exclusively electricity to heat the house and it was during a cold spell.

As it turns out the heaters we are using use less power than the oil furnace was all those years AND we don't have to buy the fuel as well.

 

My whole life I've been told that electric heat is not the way to go. Scares the snot out of people even to consider using electric heat. Turns out, in my area, it's less expensive even before these ridiculous oil prices...

in 1963 the local Electric utility company here in the Hudson River Valley NY was running an incentive program for all electric newly constructed homes called Gold Medallion Homes -- my parents did it - but part of the program was blown in insulation in the walls, as well as deep 12 inch plus of blown in insulation in the attic - that was much more efficient than blanket insulation at that time sealing mant typical air leakage - many people told my parents they were ill advised to do electric -- however, over the decades all electric was very successful decision - including the fact the baseboards were quiet and cleaner -- but other huge advantage was individual thermostats in each room -- our house was 2300 SF 2 story colonial with 4 bedrooms -- so as us kids moved out vacating bedrooms and parents became empty nesters ( then it was just my Dad )  so being able to control temps to individual rooms was huge $$ savings - lesson learned is the various options of providing heat or ac varies over decades as the market changes constantly -- natural gas, oil, propane, electric, coal etc -- as a related issue -- the organization i managed for 20 yrs ( 1992-2011 ) had 1.4 million SF of buildings and facilities - i had 5 or our major facilties install geothermal -- very wise $$ decisions to amortize that capital investment providing significant $$ savings for decades -- and Pesently i have numerous friends and neighbors spend the $ for residential Geo thermal on their property and very happy with the year round delivery systems and the $$$ -- in the meantime it sucks for any of us paying $1,000 plus for an oil truck delivery.

[Handy Don 12,233]

3 hours ago, Brockport Bill said:

residential Geo thermal on their property

I considered this seriously when our 37yo AC system wore out. I was hoping for a year-round heat/cool solution.

What killed it? Bedrock granite all around our house about 8' below the surface. The cost installing the thermal pickup/discharge piping would have been prohibitive. (One end of our basement floor is 4" of concrete directly on the bedrock!)

[953 nut 55,281]

11 hours ago, rjg854 said:

I wonder  if there is a way to recharge the battery as your using the vehicle?  Something like an alternator does on a gasoline engine. That would help out the demand on the electric grid and having to develop all these charging stations and mileage limits of EV vehicles.

No such thing as a free lunch or perpetual motion machine. Dynamic breaking is used on hybrid vehicles and if car makers wanted to they could offer this on EVs too.

[oliver2-44 9,756]

On 11/14/2022 at 4:29 PM, Snoopy11 said:

The replacement battery packs on those are a little pricey though... at least so I have been told...

 

I thought it was something like... every 10 years the pack has to be replaced... I could be wrong though...

 

Don

@ebinmaine The inexpensive (china made) dc to ac inverter on a demo system installed at work and a friends system have been the weak points. They got 2-3 years life out of them. 

[Snoopy11 5,714]

12 hours ago, oliver2-44 said:

They got 2-3 years life out of them. 

Ouch...

 

Don

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,318]

Back on topic. Just had my tank filled, didn’t wait till it was at a 1/4 or less like I usually do to “ease the pain” 

  Still had 120+ gallons in the 275 gallon tank when I called. 
$5.099/gallon

 

 

[tunahead72 2,423]

1 hour ago, Sparky said:

... didn’t wait till it was at a 1/4 or less like I usually do to “ease the pain” 

 

Which reminds me...

 

I used to wait like that, until I noticed that I had more problems when the tank was that low, with the oil freezing/gelling/waxing/whatever in the line between my outdoor tank and the burner inside the basement.  I spent too many very cold nights, waking up from a deep sleep to a cold house, no heat, sitting on the cold ground, with my old hair dryer aimed at the oil line, with my wife inside trying to start the burner every few minutes, until it would finally fire up and keep running.

 

I tried a couple of electric heat tape things, which worked okay until they wore out.  And then finally I had the sense to ask my supplier about it, and they recommended a product called FPPF HOT (heating oil treatment).  I've been using this stuff ever since (year round, when I remember), and it's made a huge difference, almost never have problems getting oil to the burner any more.  My supplier also recommended keeping the tank topped up as much as possible, and I'm sure that's helped also.

 

Do any of you guys use this product, or do you have another favorite additive to use in your heating oil?

 

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,318]

13 minutes ago, tunahead72 said:

 

my outdoor tank and the burner inside the basement. And then finally I had the sense to ask my supplier about it, and they recommended a product called FPPF HOT (heating oil treatment).  

 

Do any of you guys use this product, or do you have another favorite additive to use in your heating oil?

 

Is this only for tanks outside? Mine is in my basement and it never gets below 58 degrees

[tunahead72 2,423]

No, it's also for inside tanks, and even underground tanks.  It's an "all-in-1" product, and has numerous benefits, you can read about it here:

HOT All in 1 Heating Oil Treatment - Products - FPPF Chemical

 

[lynnmor 7,307]

My heating oil company dumps an additive in all outside tanks with no charge, nothing is added to inside tanks.

[tunahead72 2,423]

5 hours ago, lynnmor said:

My heating oil company dumps an additive in all outside tanks with no charge, nothing is added to inside tanks.

 

Seriously, no extra charge, nice!  I could get used to that.

 

[lynnmor 7,307]

1 hour ago, tunahead72 said:

 

Seriously, no extra charge, nice!  I could get used to that.

 

You are probably twice as far as they will deliver, but it won't hurt to call.  https://tcfuel.business.site/

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,318]

On 11/17/2022 at 5:57 PM, Sparky said:

 

 

6 weeks later and 90 cents a gallon cheaper…

 

[Ed Kennell 38,198]

3 minutes ago, Sparky said:

6 weeks later and 90 cents a gallon cheaper…

        Let's hope it keeps dropping.    

[tunahead72 2,423]

Yep, mine went from $5.299 to $4.149 a gallon between Nov. 15 and Dec. 22.

 

I'm sure SOMEBODY has an explanation, but it makes no sense to me.   I'm just happy it went down instead of up.

 

[rjg854 11,377]

Might have something to do with it being somewhat a mild winter so far. For me at least it has been.

[Ed Kennell 38,198]

 

46% increase in one year.        27% drop in one month.      Still up 36% from one year ago.         

 

                                       Sure am thankful for the old wood stove.

 

[ebinmaine 67,553]

45 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

 

 

                                       Sure am thankful for the old wood stove.

 

 

 

Us too