Force air of baseboard heating?

[86Sebring]

We rented a house a few years ago that had hot water heat with old heavy radiators, the energy bill never got above $250 p.m. in the winter.
Now we have a house with forced air, the bill is around $400 p.m.
Obviously, we could install new windows to get a tighter seal, but still, I feel if you have a choice, stay with those old radiators, once they are hot, they'll continue to give off heat for quite a while.

[Zoila]

Originally Posted by MoorestownResident

, get a humidifer installed professionally on the furnace (don't try to do this yourself) and it will offset the dryness ....

Is it too expensive to get an humidifier installed??

Thanks for all the replies.

[ansky]

Originally Posted by Zoila

Is it too expensive to get an humidifier installed??

Thanks for all the replies.

Can't you just get a dehumidifier from a department store and put it in the rooms where you need it? They only cost about $25 and most people only use them in the bedroom.

[86Sebring]

Originally Posted by ansky

Can't you just get a dehumidifier from a department store and put it in the rooms where you need it? They only cost about $25 and most people only use them in the bedroom.

You want to ADD moisture, not remove it. Humidifier in winter, de-humidifier in the Sommer.
A humidifier is generally attached to the ductwork near the air handler, it needs a watersupply, and there is also some wiring to be done, therefore it should be professionally installed.

[Zoila]

Interesting

[mumra]

Originally Posted by 86Sebring

We rented a house a few years ago that had hot water heat with old heavy radiators, the energy bill never got above $250 p.m. in the winter.
Now we have a house with forced air, the bill is around $400 p.m.

is this cost commparrison based on the same sq ft?

[ansky]

Originally Posted by 86Sebring

You want to ADD moisture, not remove it. Humidifier in winter, de-humidifier in the Sommer.
A humidifier is generally attached to the ductwork near the air handler, it needs a watersupply, and there is also some wiring to be done, therefore it should be professionally installed.

Sorry, I meant to say humidifier. Typo on my part. You can get a humidifer at Target for $25 and put it in the bedroom (or any room). You just need to fill it with water every couple days. That seems a lot cheaper and less intrusive than messing with duct work and wiring.

[86Sebring]

Originally Posted by mumra

is this cost commparrison based on the same sq ft?

yes, similar ft², the house we had rented was actually a little bit larger.

[Zoila]

$250 to $400 is a big difference. Does anyone else has experience with both systems?

[LarryM13]

[SIZE=3]I’m surprised to hear some of the responses. Our old house had baseboard heat and while it worked I could not stand it. It took way too long to heat up the house and the monthly expense was crazy. In our new house (~4 times the size of the old house) we’re seeing utility bills in the same range if not a little lower with the forced air.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]As far as the comfort level, I’m not sure if we have a humidifier hooked up to it but I would assume yes because I never thought the heat was “dry” and it never gave me nose bleeds. However while in Vegas last year I pretty much had nose bleeds the entire vacation, so I am vulnerable to dry air. Performance is incredible as well; as mentioned above baseboard took forever to heat up the house, now we turn on the forced air and rooms are heated up within minutes and if you’re tall like me you can even put your hands up to the vents (ours are on the ceiling) to warm up quickly.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]I would guess some of the savings we’re experiencing are not only because of a more efficient system. I would attribute it to better management of the heating (i.e. we turn the system on, house gets warm quickly, then turn it off) also the heat lasts longer probably due to it being a new home with higher end windows and better insulation throughout.[/SIZE]