Drinks in a Vending Machine that is turned on & off and best ways to save power?

[johnieG]

Also keep in mind that you are dealing with a duty-cycle of ( ideally) 60/40% off vs on time up to 70/30% perhaps ,  you can increase your efficiency by minimizing air infiltration into the machine via any bad gaskets & keeping the machine out of direct sunlight of course, if you have the means, you can also replace the compressor’s condenser fans motor for a lower wattage ( most original units are 9-watts) for say a four to six watt motor, same goes for the evaporator fan motor too. & turning off any marquee light ( if equipped) or updating the marquee’s old florescent /ballast system for LED back-lighting

The biggest saving in electrical usage would of course replace the old OEM compressor with a newer/smaller high efficiency unit you could go from a 1/4 HP  to a 1/5 HP/high btu unit to reduce the overall current draw, of course this entails an up front cost for a long term gain, ( if you have the budget for it, which it sounds like you don’t)

Sounds like you’re really thought it through, good deal there.    

[kdog]

Ok, so after I got home from work, I checked the machine.  It has been running for 25 hours exactly.  It had used $1.0206 all up, and the hourly rate has fallen to 4.08 cents an hour, therefore it takes 97.98 cents per day to run, $89.40 per quarter and $357.66 a year.  But this was on a totally empty machine.  Will try it on a full machine soon.  Also, I may reset the power meter tonight to see how it goes on a already cooled down fridge, and not start with a compete cool down.

It doesn't have a light (has the wiring going behind the metal sign from Jones plug), and I checked and I have no condensation issues around the seals/gaskets.  I'm not sure if Coke replaced the original gaskets, compressor and evaporator motors in the 70s or 80s, because I know Coke, actually the local Coke Franchise here at the time "Adelaide Bottlers", would have to rebuild these machines every so often.

Are there any tricks to maintaining the gaskets?  The originals seem to work find, and I hear replacements are tougher/harder etc.

Its not in direct sunlight.  I know that in the summer the power draw would be higher, but i doubt it would reach $2 a day.  As long as I set aside around $10 a week, I can absorb the higher bill cost.

Also, even if I did buy the replacements motors and compressor, the cost of having them installed would be even more prohibitive.

EDIT:  Oh, forgot to mention, the compressor didn't catch fire and the wiring didn't melt.  Always a bonus    .  Oh, and there is a 25.2 cent difference between the hourly rate of 4.08 cents per hour adjusted for a year ($357.408), and the yearly estimate of $357.66.  Could that be from the machine cooling down from room temp to maintaining a running temp?

EDIT2:  Oh, just measured the temperature using a normal thermometer and an infrared laser thermometer.  Seems to be between (sometimes below) 0 - 3 degrees Celsius depending on where in the bottle rack i check.  (thermostat is missing knob, and its rusted in position)

EDIT 3:  I don't think the previous owner knew how to close the fridge door properly.  When he ran it, he used to get a lot of moisture inside the fridge, on the shelves and down the sides.  I've been running the fridge for 24 hours now, and I get very little to none.

[kdog]

OK, so for a 2nd 24 hours exactly starting with an already cold fridge. It was 4.05 cents per hour, 97.2 cents per day, 29.565 per month, $88.695 per quarter and 354.78 a year.

I'm thinking setting aside $7.50 to $10 a week should cover it.  I thought about just leaving it until the bill comes, but I'd rather be smart.

That being said, whats the consensus on using it only on weekends?  Its not like glass bottle soft drinks are cheap here in Australia, and I do work and sleep.  Does everyone here leave them on all the time?

[kdog]

       in addition to what flippa is saying, your machine will have to work harder (stay on longer) each morning
because you allowed the bottles to return to room temperature overnight.

I knew you and flippa were right, but I actually went ahead and measured how much of a difference.  I would have added about $30 a year to my running costs by switching my machine on and off everyday.  After I cleaned the machine, I filled it with 56 bottles and let it cool down completely over a 24 hour period.  At the start, it was costing just above 10 cents an hour to run, but 24 hours later, that had fallen to 4.38 cents per hour, costing $1.0521 over that period of cooling down all the drinks (quarter $96.04, Yearly 384.25). 


I am still measuring a straight 24 hour period from an already cold full machine.  After 2 hours exactly, its down to 3.93 cents an hour, $342.92 a year.  But it needs to go for a longer period to be more accurate.  But the way things are looking, switching off the machine would be a false economy unless I used it once in a blue moon, and that would be a waste.

[kdog]

So i ran the fridge full for a 2nd 24 hours after it was already cooled. Running costs ran 3.93 cents per hour, 94.67 cents per day, $86.05 per quarter, and $344.27 per year.

So yeah, originally I honestly was afraid the running costs were going to be a lot more than they actually are. I know old fridges are notoriously inefficient compared to modern fridges, but as long as I stick $7-10 a week into a jar, I can absorb the running costs and not have to worry about a higher bill, therefore enjoying an ice cold Coca Cola guilt free.

[cohammer]

Sounds like you have done you research and nailed it down , great to see some numbers .

[kdog]

Sounds like you have done you research and nailed it down , great to see some numbers .

I thoroughly recommend people get their hands on a power measuring device to see what it costs to run these machines.  Apart from being able to budget so as to negate the rise in your power bill, an abnormally high power draw could be a sign something is wrong with the machine.