Water conservation part 2

Continuing research on my basement/dehumidifier project, I found out that water really doesn't cost that much. My local water company charges by cubic feet in units of 100. Even with the recent rate hikes I pay $2.32 per 100 cubic feet or 748 gallons of water. For the 280 gallons of water I sucked out of the air, it would not have cost me more than $2.32 to buy it! Of course I am not doing it for any monetary incentive but more out of necessity.

On to the cost of running the dehumidifier 24-7. The standard kWh charge is 20.0674¢ as decreed by my local power company. Here is the breakdown:

Converting Amps to Watts: 6 Amps x 115 Volts = 690 Watts
690 Watts or .69 kW (690 / 1000)
.69 x .200674¢ = 13.8 cents an hour to run
Cost to run for 1 day = $3.31
Cost to run for the entire period
   ((May 1 - Oct 15) 168 days x $3.31): $556

Wow yet another surprise! I did not think for one minute it costs that much to run. This is also a low estimate because I am charged an even higher kWh rate when it's off-peak (12PM - 8PM). First thing I plan to do is look into a more energy efficient model. Also worth noting, the dehumidifier does not run a full 24-7. Once it reaches the acceptable moisture level it does stop. Regardless I would think I am well into the $500 range just to run it. Man what a blow to the wallet!

If you would like to figure out how big a dehumidifier you would need for your space, check out the calculator on the EnergyStar website.