Remember the Wattson we bought last April to measure our energy consumption? It just paid for itself six times over.
Ralf was getting tense. He'd checked and double-checked every single appliance in our home and couldn't figure out why we were consuming about 30% more energy than we should have been, according to Wattson. Which adds up to about 600 euro a year.
But why? Was there a problem with the meter? Vanishingly unlikely and expensive to verify. Was it our expensive new heating system that has not been without difficulties? Everyone had assured us this was not possible.
Finally, Ralf took Wattson down to the fuse box in the basement and turned everything off, one by one, as the Wattson readings dropped modestly. The very last fuse was the magic fuse that explained the delta between what we should have been using and what we were actually using.
It was labeled: Dachrinnenheizung.
You will never believe what that is. It is an electric heater installed in the rain gutters on the roof to keep them from freezing. It's on all winter. It's like having a space heater on all the time.
We turned it off.
November 10, 2009
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A space heater in the gutters! Very unnecessary! Glad you found out what the problem was.
ReplyDeleteNow, THAT'S a frivolous appliance.
ReplyDeleteThat's some good detective work there. Whowouldathought?
ReplyDeleteWow.
ReplyDeleteFrozen gutters. I've never really thought about that. I guess that's because I live in Texas and yes, we get ice storms and the occasional covering of snow but then 2 days later, it's 60 degrees. At least that's the case most of the time!
I had no idea that heated rain gutters even existed. Of course, living in Southern California we barely need rain gutters in the first place! Glad you figured out the "energy vampire." (I saw that term on another blog, where they were talking about sneaky appliances that suck energy. Vampires are so IN right now.)
ReplyDeleteWho knew! Hope it doesn't freeze!
ReplyDeleteWow. That is crazy. HOwever, what about the rain gutters? Now they will freeze!
ReplyDeleteGood heavens. Heated gutters. I've never heard of such a thing.
ReplyDeleteTo answer as I believe William Shatner would: Yes. They will. In fact. Freeze. But that's OK.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of a Watson, nor heated drain gutters, but you have given all of you expat readers something to watch out for. Coming from NW Ohio, where snowfalls can be heavy, a Dachrinnenheizung seems unnecessary, to say the least.
ReplyDeleteDachrinnenheizung? What will they think of next?
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Ralf on finding the source though.
Wow! What an interesting idea! Electric heater... outside... exposed to weather... hmmmmm
ReplyDeleteLiving in a climate where ice accumulation can be problem, I can relate (and giggle!) The Alaskan solution at our house is to simply remove a part of the Dachrinne system (such as the downspout) during winter -voila, no ice build-up.
ReplyDeleteThat's more frivilous than a heated toilet seat.
ReplyDelete(My FIL is from Germany, btw.)