Has anyone ever replaced their conventional furnace fan motor with an ECM motor?

 
Just wondering if anyone has replaced their conventional furnace /
HVAC fan motor (PSC, single phase, etc) with one of the new ECM motors
to realize a reduction in your electricity bill.

Does anyone know what the "over-the-counter" cost is of these motors?

Also, do ECM motors generate electrical or RF noise that is either
radiated by the motor or fed back into the household wiring, thereby
messing up AM radio reception?

 
What is an ECM motor?
Just a few thoughts.
Most conventional induction motors don't get that warm, so how much
electricity are they wasting?
Also; let's say that it is a 200 watt (quarter horsepower motor?) and
you can 'save' one quarter of that consumption.
Also the motor runs half the time?
So saving = 0.05 kilowatts x 24/2 = 0.6 kilowatt hours per day.
At 10 cents per k.watt.hr that = 6 cents per day. Roughly $25 per
year?
Versus cost of new motor?
On other hand that 'wasted' electricity is dissipated within the house
as heat so the furnace would have to run a few more minutes, burning a
little more oil/gas each time to compensate?
Might realise more gains by making furnace itself more efficient?

 terry wrote:

But the motor is outside the conditioned-air area, so it won't affect the
heating/cooling.

Assuming the motor costs $200, according to your calculations you would
break even in only eight years.

However, there is the opportunity cost to consider. $200 in a savings
account instead of a new motor, at 6% interest, generates $12 per year,
making the savings only $13. At that rate, the break-even point occurs in
fifteen years.

Then there's the labor to install the motor, increased taxes, and other
variables.

 
Where can you get a 600$ vsdc motor for 200?

 ransley wrote:

Arghh! I read 200 watts as 200 dollars. Sorry.

Multiply all my calculations by three (45 years to recover the expense). As
for your actual question, I guess I could get a $600 motor for $200 from
someone who was silly enough to attempt this project.