After finally getting my hands on a Kill-a-Watt, I was eager to track my energy usage, and naturally, the first device I tested was my trusty Volcano Classic! Over a period of 40 days, I recorded its power usage. With two adults using it three times daily, here’s what I found:
- Heat Element Only: Draws 0.82 Amp or 100 Watts
- Fan Only: Draws 0.12 Amp or 11 Watts
- Fan and Heat Element Together: Draw 0.94 Amp or 111 Watts
But What If You Left It On Longer?
Now, let’s explore the impact of leaving your Volcano on for extended periods—say, 12, 18, or even 24 hours a day. Using the current average electricity rates across the U.S., as well as the highest in Hawaii and the lowest in Utah, we can see how these costs add up.
Cost Calculations:
For simplicity, I’ll focus on the combined usage of the Fan and Heat Element Together (111 Watts).
- Hourly Consumption: 111 Watts = 0.111 kWh
Now, let’s see how this translates into costs for different time periods.
| State | Hourly Rate (cents/kWh) | 12 Hours | 18 Hours | 24 Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 44.14 cents | $0.59 | $0.89 | $1.18 |
| Average (U.S.) | 16.43 cents | $0.22 | $0.33 | $0.44 |
| Utah | 11.01 cents | $0.15 | $0.22 | $0.29 |
What Does This Mean Annually?
If you left your Volcano on for 24 hours every day for a full year, the costs would look like this:
- Hawaii: $1.18/day * 365 = $430.70/year
- Average (U.S.): $0.44/day * 365 = $160.60/year
- Utah: $0.29/day * 365 = $105.85/year
Conclusion:
As you can see, the electricity cost of running your Volcano Classic can vary significantly depending on where you live. In Hawaii, with the highest electricity rates in the country, running the Volcano for 24 hours a day would cost you over $400 annually! On the other hand, in Utah, with the lowest rates, it would be just over $100 a year.
If you’re someone who’s conscious of energy costs, you might want to keep an eye on how long you leave your devices running, especially if you live in a state with higher electricity rates.
[…] about 141 kilowatt-hours (kWh) to grow an ounce of dank — enough electric energy to keep a volcano vaporizer blazing buddha for nearly two months […]
I did this too, my results were very close to yours- ie, uses next to nothing in power. Yet another reason to love the Volcano!
i’ve had mine for 6 years and its been on the whole time. it works great
Wow – are you serious – you’ve never turned it off? Classic or digital?
its probably the digital one, when you have it plugged in the numbers are displayed. I just got mine today and play to have it plugged in indefinitely… is that a bad thing?
No, leaving it plugged in is just fine. Leaving the heating element on eternally – bad idea.
Why is it a bad thing? I mean, I wouldn’t do it neither on purpose, but sometimes I forget to turn it off, and was wondering if it actually harmed the device and if so, why.
The heating element will burn out quicker if you leave it turned on 24×7. I use a mechincal timer and it works great!
There’s an auto off on my digital volcano
I’ve had my classic for a long time now (about 3 years) and I typically leave it on from 6pm until I hit the sack at 10pm almost every night, with no ill effects. I’m also in the school of thought that it uses less energy (and is less stressful on the elements) to just leave it on rather than turn it on/off four or five times per evening. Our usage is about 4-5 baggies per night. So we basically fill another up each hour.
Just FYI – it does not seem to damage the device to leave it on. In fact, I’d say if you use it similar to me, then I would actually just leave it on to prevent wear/tear on the heating elements.
I of course, have ZERO proof that any of that makes logical sense so this is simply my experience/opinion.
I personally think it is far less stressful on the element to leave it on than to be constantly warming it up and cooling it off, also i imagine it would use quite a bit more energy preheating it rather than maintaining a constant temperature. I could be wrong, just my opinion.
To arrive at your figure of $2.89 what did you conclude that your average time of use must be to keep this projected cost. Specifically what was the total draw in kw/hr per day?
I figured it was used an average of 1 hour per day. Some of that time warming up, some of that time filling bags. You can use the current draw numbers to extrapolate your consumption based on usage.
We have a habit of leaving it on the entire evening. I wondered if you were diligent about turning it right off after usage? Or if you’re like us and use it slowly as needed :o)
I try not to leave it on unless I’m actively using it. I figure the less hours of use, the longer it’ll last. That being said, I’ve certainly spaced out and left it on for long periods of time with no ill effects.