oil vs. electric heat

[Astro]

That depends on where you live. In most regions, you can buy electricity that is generated using renewable sources. In PA, where I live, you can pay 7.25 cents/kwh instead of 6.5 cents/kwh and buy electricity that is from 100% renewable sources. This funds further investment in renewable sources of energy.

However, to answer your your assertion directly

"Base load electricity currently is supplied by generators using coal (50 percent), nuclear power (20 percent), hydro (9 percent) and oil (3 percent). Of the remaining electricity on the grid, 18 percent is provided by natural gas (16 percent) and the renewables (2 percent)"

See also the official DOE numbers: So the actual percentage of U.S. electricity coming from foreign oil is actually very low. The coal, hydro and nuclear, we produce domestically so it is less at the mercy of foreign suppliers (and ultimate supply / demand problems of oil). There's no simple answer.

Unfortunately, the original poster was in a bind, and had to get a system ASAP because they were without heat. Also, I believe, they already had oil hot water so installing new ductwork etc would have been a PITA. In their shoes, I might have gone with conventional heat pump if they had an A/C with ducting already. If they didn't? That's a tough call. I'd have to see their exact situation to make an intelligent suggestion.

I am putting my money where my mouth is. I have oil hot water and baseboard heaters and a conventional A/C. I am in the final stages of arranging to have a ground source heat pump installed and have already ordered my electricity to be switched over to the 100% renewable source.

I should add that I wasn't trying to be a wise ass in my reply. It is truly a shame that anybody has to go with oil these days because I sincerly think that their oil bills are going to go from maybe $1500 last year to $3000 next year (based on my last couple year's average consumption of about 1500 gallons/year) to $6000 in maybe 3-4 years.

In addition, I am planning some renovations to my home and will be adding a completely solar heated shop and will be using the excess heat to heat my domesting hot water supply, further reducing my overall energy impact.

I should also add that I am not any sort of radical environmentalist. I simply feel that the 10 year payback of these systems will by far exceed the expenses AND I believe that the "oil peak" will render most of the oil based items cost ineffective.

that's my 2 cents.

Cheers!

[HeatMan]

Where I live, there is not a lot of FHW. We have to have AC, so the ductwork is necessary. Once the ductwork is there, the heat is almost nothing to install.

Just because I don't like it doesn't mean I'm not good at it. I get jobs that other people lose because I know air flow and spend time to get it right. I don't do new work because it's too cut-throat, but I get the call when the 'duct-and-run' guys are done.

FA can be installed draft free and virtually noiseless. FHW is draft free and is noiseless, if installed properly.

[Joseph Meehan]

I was not trying to say you were not good at it. I have no way of knowing. Sorry if it sounded that way to anyone.

I agree with that.

-- Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

[axis]

All told, it cost $3500. The boiler itself was $1400, but we had extra cost replacing most of the surrounding pumps (very old) and some of the immediate pipes coming in and out of the unit. Labor was the most expensive part of it, but after shopping around these guys were offering the best price. Hopefully we won't have to do anything like that again for 30-40 years (unless the world runs out of oil... :}).

[indago]

041107 1717 - Edwin Pawlowski posted:

Probably not, but it wouldn't matter with a coal fired power plant...

[Childfree Scott]

How hard would it be it to convert the existing hot water system into a mini split system where you install a heat pump and reuse the existing hot water piping for hot or cold water? I doubt that you could reuse the radiators, but who knows. Would be much easier than retrofitting it with a forced air system, and they would get central air as part of the deal.

Just checking.

[HvacTech2]

Hi axis, hope you are having a nice day

On 05-Nov-04 At About 07:00:11, axis wrote to All Subject: oil vs. electric heat

a> From: "axis"

a> house isn't huge -- our plumber said we'd be good with a 96k btu a> unit, although he suggests a 125k just to have some extra kick.

The first thing I would do is get rid of that plumber. he doesn't know what he is talking about. The only way to figure out what size is needed is to run a manual J on the house. and bigger is not better. the right size is more efficient and will save you money on the fuel bill.

-=> HvacTech2

[HvacTech2]

Hi m, hope you are having a nice day

On 04-Nov-04 At About 20:53:50, m Ransley wrote to All Subject: Re: oil vs. electric heat

mR> From: [e-mail] (m Ransley)

mR> Joseph M . you recommend dumping the hot water system! Why?

mR> Hot water is clean even heat, air is not. Also air units go to 94.5 mR> % efficiency . Water Ng - propane units are available in 95- 99% mR> efficiency. Also blowers take 300 - 500 watts , circulator pumps mR> run 150 - 185 watts for a large hot water system. Not to mention mR> removing radiators, fixing holes in floors etc. I have both and mR> like water better, more even heat, less dust, no blower noise. The mR> only drawback to a boiler is no winter humidifier

To each his own. with forced air you can filter the air going through it. you can't do that with a boiler. when I first bought my house It had a boiler. I replaced it with a forced air 95% furnace and the house is much less dusty than it used to be. I also added a humidifier and all the static shocks and my sons nose bleeds stopped.

-=> HvacTech2