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The only place we have visited where electric furnaces were common was the Oregon coast. For other reasons we did not move there, so we have no experience.
The last 5 homes we have owned all had central AC units and you just flipped the thermostat from heat to cool.
Exactly. Depending on where you live, electric heat can cost a thousand bucks a month. No joke.
I'm in Montana and technically our primary heat IS EBB. We have a pellet stove in the basement and a propane fireplace upstairs (and two air source heat pump Mitsubishi splits).
If we use all electric (no pellets)- $500 a month would be a dead of winter monthly charge. In a place like Maryland? Yeah- they get raped on electric.
All said and done after 10 years of living here (and this weekend is forecast to be -7)- we pay about $300 p/mo for utilities and heat- includes propane, electric and pellet costs. Not bad for a cold climate and not having gas heat.
I should have been clearer in my question. What I was look for is there existing ductwork for AC? With baseboard heat, I doubt there will be AC ductwork, but worth asking.
An excellent option these days is a high efficiency heat pump. Even in New Hampshire, where I live, they're competitive with other heating options, oil and propane, and beat conventional electric heat hands down. For cold climates like ours, they have units designed to operate efficiently even down to 10 below zero!
Their downside is a slightly higher upfront cost, and their operating cost is typically not cost competitive when piped natural gas is available, unless you also have a high AC load, in which case the economics flip again.
Good HVAC contractors are aware of these options and have calculators that can spin out numbers to figure out what makes sense, but a big bonus of a well designed system is a variable speed fan and proper startup such that you have less of the drafty feel you get with conventional forced air systems - the newer variable speed ones only move as much air as is needed.
An excellent option these days is a high efficiency heat pump. Even in New Hampshire, where I live, they're competitive with other heating options, oil and propane, and beat conventional electric heat hands down. For cold climates like ours, they have units designed to operate efficiently even down to 10 below zero!
Their downside is a slightly higher upfront cost, and their operating cost is typically not cost competitive when piped natural gas is available, unless you also have a high AC load, in which case the economics flip again.
Good HVAC contractors are aware of these options and have calculators that can spin out numbers to figure out what makes sense, but a big bonus of a well designed system is a variable speed fan and proper startup such that you have less of the drafty feel you get with conventional forced air systems - the newer variable speed ones only move as much air as is needed.
That was an option for us several months ago but because we have natural gas it was better for us to get a natural gas heat source instead of heat pump. We haven’t had the heater run for cold weather yet with this unit. Wife did like the natural gas heat last winter with the old unit replaced recently. Old unit had leaking A coil, excessive vibration from condenser unit outside (vibrated exterior wall loudly), and was more than 20 years old.
That was an option for us several months ago but because we have natural gas it was better for us to get a natural gas heat source instead of heat pump. We haven’t had the heater run for cold weather yet with this unit. Wife did like the natural gas heat last winter with the old unit replaced recently. Old unit had leaking A coil, excessive vibration from condenser unit outside (vibrated exterior wall loudly), and was more than 20 years old.
Yes, as I mentioned, their running cost is not usually cost competitive with piped natural gas, although the fact that they also provide AC, the calculations can get complicated. That's why a good HVAC company or engineer is so important, since they have the right data and calculators.
Yes, as I mentioned, their running cost is not usually cost competitive with piped natural gas, although the fact that they also provide AC, the calculations can get complicated. That's why a good HVAC company or engineer is so important, since they have the right data and calculators.
The company we went with used a laser measure to get an accurate size of each room in the house and offered us at least 6 different options from top of the line to entry level. No pressure was made to push us to a particular model.
Anyone know anything about oil heated baseboard heat?
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Only option is electric heat.
