Quote from: DeathAndTaxes on December 12, 2011, 01:41:37 PM

Quote from: Littleshop on December 12, 2011, 07:01:07 AM

Quote from: Juggernaut118 on December 09, 2011, 04:01:39 PM

Quote from: sadpandatech on December 09, 2011, 03:46:34 PM

Is that 'electric furnace' a heat pump type or coil type?

It's a coil type.

I wish I had thought of this before. Now I can leave on all the lights and appliances I want.

Resistance electric heating (coil type) is very expensive to run. A heat pump uses about 1/3 the electricity for the same heat unless you are pretty far north. There are now window AC units with true heat pumps in them for under $1000. They may pay for themselves in one heating season.

"coil type" was still confusing to me. Made me think of heat pump compessor/evaporator coils.

To the OP:
if your heat is RESISTANCE heating (i.e. a wire has electricity flowing through it and gets hot which heats up your home) then yes your mining rig is just as efficient.

Resistance heating = 293 BTU heat per 1 kWh electrical power used (and billed).
Mining Rig = 293 BTU heat per 1 kWh electrical power used (and billed).
Portable Space heater = 293 BTU heat per 1 kWh electrical power used (and billed).

If your "electric furnace" is a heat pump they you likely are getting 2x to 3x (maybe 5x) the thermal energy (in BTU) per unit of electricity. Yes you can get more than 1 unit of heat for 1 unit of electricity. This is possible without violating any commonly misunderstood laws because a heat pump (or AC unit) doesn't just create heat. It MOVES heat (thermal energy).

AC unit only moves heat IN ONE DIRECTION (inside house -> outside house)
Heat pump moves heat IN BOTH DIRECTIONS (depending on if you want your house warmer or cooler than ambient temp).

Heat pump = AC in reverse (pumps heat into house instead of pumping it out). Still even if you have a heat pump a mining rig is superior to provide some or all of your heating needs. Mining rig provides both heat AND cashflow. Unless your mining rig provides 100% of your heating needs you should look at getting a heat pump. It can overnight cut your heating costs in half (or more).

I thought 1 kwh of resistance heating was equal to 3,412 BTU?