cost per hour to run GlassHive Kiln???

[ShellyJo1969]

I know there are all different types of kilns. I have a GlassHive kiln by mike crowley. It's the medium size one with two doors. It already has the anneling program set up on it. I am just now learning to use it and I wanted to know how much it costs per hour to run it?


If anybody knows please share,
thanks
Michele

[HWCGlass]

When you buy gas they charge you by the gallon. When you buy electricity they charge you by the kilowatt-hour (kWh). When you use 1000 watts for 1 hour, that's a kilowatt-hour.

multiply the amps times the voltage to get the watts. For example:

2.5 amps x 120 volts = 300 watts

So, my kiln is a 99ls from Aim (all hail the LS).

It's rated at 14.5 amps.

14.5 amps x 120 volts = 1740 watts

So my kiln takes 1740 Kw to run at any given instant and so can be said to use 1.74 Kw/H.

According to the internet, Utah (my state) averages $0.0761/KwH

Soooooooo . . . . .

1.74 KwH used at a cost of $0.0761/KwH = about $0.14/hour.

BE ADVISED THIS MATH IS A LIE. Budget wisely.

My advice to all full time lampworkers is to budget $2/day per 15 amp kiln. Do it.

[Copperrein]

That would depend on e-prices in your area. If you know how many Kwh (kilowatts per hour) it pulls, and you know what your electric co. is charging you, it's easy math.

However...chances are even if you know the rated watts per hour of the kiln, it will still vary dependent on the amount of heat loss, ambient temp, blah blah blah. Getting an exact number on this is prolly impossible...

OR:
Figure from what time to what time you'll normally be running the kiln. Then on a day when you DONT use it, check the meter outside. Record the Kwh at the start of kiln time and at the end. Find the difference...we'll call that 'Before Kiln Usage'

Then do the same, except run the kiln on a normal cycle. Record at the start and the end...find the difference. We'll call this 'After Kiln Usage'

Now...go get the electric bill, somewhere on the mess of info you will find what you're shelling out per Kwh (kilowatt hours)

Take the before kiln number and the after kiln number...multiply each by your electricity price...now you'll have $$$$

Subtract the before kiln from the after kiln and that's a close guess as to how much moolah you're shelling out.

[KristiB]

Well, my husband was really concerned about me running a kiln all day garaging my glass and then the program at night when I was done.. after 4 months, he decided it upped our electric bill less than $2.50 a month..

I have a glass hive kiln :D Love it!

Kristi

[Copperrein]

Oooo....look at HWC....with all that fancy ohms law stuff! Bet you think you're pretty spiffy huh? Blargh says me! Argh!

;D

[HWCGlass]

Oooo....look at HWC....with all that fancy ohms law stuff!

WHAT DID THE FIVE FINGERS SAY TO THE FACE?

Ohm (capital 'O' on Ohm) is a measurement of resistance. Not too applicable in this case . . . .

:lol:

[Copperrein]

Ummm...it is used for many calculations: V, Ohm, W, Amp.

http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forums/attachments/stereo-electronics-electrical/21427-ohms-law-fuses-american-wire-gauge-ohmslaw.jpg

Here's the Wiki version, a little easier to see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohm's_law

[HWCGlass]

. . . not this calculation.

[Copperrein]

It's right there on the pic: EI=W. Amps, volts, and watts...and even the mighty ohm are defined by the mighty pie. Ohms law is to electricity as the pythagorean theorem is to trig. :)

Bill Nye is my secret lover

[HWCGlass]

Talk about taking the slow boat to China . . . . it could be used, yes. You are correct.

[Copperrein]

Wow...ok....

[SilverRiverJewelry]

Hmm I have the short guy and while I usually only torch one or two days a week, I don't think my electric bill went up more than $2 or $3 dollars? But we are running every fan in the house and two window air conditioners too so I don't think the kiln is really the culprit. And I run an oxycon when I torch also. So I would say minimal.

[RyanTheNumberImp]

Keep in mind that kilns are generally on less than 30% of the time at normal temperatures. You are looking at roughly 0.05$ an hour as a reasonable estimate.

[GLASSFREEK]

They are correct.

Where were you electrical gurus when I was in college?

Pam

[theglasszone]

:lol:

I don't speak any math whatsoever!!! You guys are so far over my heads...

Looks like one way or another, though, it definitely isn't too crazy of a cost to run a Glass Hive (or probably most other kilns, for that matter). Hope you got your answer Michele...

De

[ShellyJo1969]

Thanks for the super technical superior math brain info guys! LOL! Literature and Arts were more my thing in school, advanced math, not so much. Still I'm really thankful that some of you are math egg heads, Thanks!

DID you say $2.50 only in a MONTH for using it twice a week? No WAY! Really? My husband said he couldn't wait to see the electric bill this month now that I"ve started using my kiln daily.

IF that's true then I wouldn't have to worry about trying to figure out how to batch anneal to save electricity/money.

That would be far out if it only used .05cents an hour! I emailed Mike Crowley, I'm anxious to see what he says about his particular kiln $$ costs. I'll let you know

thanks everyone!!

[Alaska]

If you need to have hard data, then purchase one of the plug in "Watts Up" type of home power monitoring meters. These are used on appliances (refrigerator) and other devices to determine the amount of actual power used in day. Some models for even longer.

The downside is that they are not inexpensive and it would be less costly to pay the power bill and not be concerned with the actual hard data for your specific application.

[laserglass]

kilns require the most energy to heat up as the electric element slowly causes the temperature of the kiln to increase. however, if the kiln is well insulated and the door is kept shut, once the kiln is at temperature, the kiln will only require a small amount of energy to stay at temperature. for example, if you hear your relay kick on for 10 seconds every minute, you are consuming 1/6th of the power that you did heating up. so your cost calculations should not assume that the kiln pulls power every second of use. also, kilns are usually designed to draw less than 12 amps off of a 15 amp breaker. most small glass kilns i am aware of only draw 11 amps at maximum.