Heating choice (Eastport, Hope: purchase, new construction, tax rates)

[msina]

I've been checking out the electric, tankless hot water heaters online. They seem reasonable. I don't know about installation costs.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by msina

I've been checking out the electric, tankless hot water heaters online. They seem reasonable. I don't know about installation costs.

For 'Domestic hot-water'?

Or heating?

It is my understanding that they work well for Domestic hot-water, but not so good for heating.

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Good point!

We have four window A/C units. A couple weeks ago, we pulled them up from the basement, cleaned them off from the flood muck, and tested them each to ensure they still function.

And there they sit. We have not put them into any windows yet, just waiting to see if this summer will get hot.

I am glad that we do not live in an area that is so hot, where we would be running them.

we have three window units, IN storage. There were bought within the past couple of years, to keep K cool in NC and we brought them along "as insurance" against too hot temps. They are still in storage, despite being in a field of hot gravel in a tin box, THUS FAR he is coping ok with fans, and closing the curtains on the sunny sides of the trailer as they change.

Yes, it is hot. 86 on the desk... but it IS summer and as long as when the sun sets we can begin pulling cooler air in again, we are good.

I know this thread is about heating, but the subject of propane came up so I will take a moment to share our first "benchmark" as we hit bottom today on the propane tank we had filled the first of March. So now I know, one of those tanks... 100 lb tank ... will allow me to cook for 4 months. And as I am a "scratch" cook, I am ok with that. We never did hit bottom on the 150 gallons of heating oil that we got the same time. Turned the heater off, but we were using small portable propane and kerosene space heaters most of the time in the main room and left it set to its lowest setting (50 degrees, but it's an ancient thermostat so... your guess is as good as mine what it really was) just to keep the pipes flowing.

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by msina

I've been checking out the electric, tankless hot water heaters online. They seem reasonable. I don't know about installation costs.

We are planning to use one (not sure if it will be propane or electric though.. likely electric unless we can get a pilotless propane one) for water heating when we settle. I am sure we can install either and expect it to be a savings, especially if bath and kitchen are close together; otherwise we may end up with one for each of those areas.

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by shadowfax1997

Do a little research on geo-thermal. I have a company coming after the 4th to give me a workup on price. Savings over oil can be substantial.

Woodlots are fine, but they aren't free. Don't forget property taxes, cost to purchase, etc. Plus the time/energy/cost in cutting your own wood, hauling it, stacking it. Nothing is truly free.

You sure are right about the taxes, but I've got alot of wooded land and cutting the trees seems to be the right thing to do. I need the exercise, otherwise I'd be finding some way of spending money. At least by cutting the firewood, I may be saving some money. It's around $240. a cord around here.

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by emu742

ahh ok thats interesting. Hopefully there will be a wider variety of heating methods that are feasible to choose from this coming winter...one would think there will be a lot of companies jumping up to take advantage of alternate heating by fall (and I'm sure they're already are). Probably best to get whatever it is right now- before solar, wood, etc climb in price to take advantage of those getting away from oil...
With the wood...I like the idea of finding the scraps from woodyards etc that you mention Forest... is there ever a concern that there are unwanted things on the wood- treatments or other chemicals you wouldn't want to be burning in your house?

Don't burn pressure treated wood scraps. Those are the green colored pieces of lumber that you will find left over from when someone is building a deck. Even I won't burn those, and I will burn about anything.

[wordsmith680]

Originally Posted by starwalker

We are planning to use one (not sure if it will be propane or electric though.. likely electric unless we can get a pilotless propane one) for water heating when we settle. I am sure we can install either and expect it to be a savings, especially if bath and kitchen are close together; otherwise we may end up with one for each of those areas.

My German Engineer acquaintance down the road introduced me to his attempt at the electric tankless for domestic water.(European used for many years) He gave up after burning out several expensive units because the power generated here is not "clean" (Sine wave?) enough compared to Germany. Since this was 5 years ago, has the product improved to accommodate this?

[msina]

From what I've read that must have improved.
EERE Consumer's Guide: Demand (Tankless or Instantaneous) Water Heaters
Tankless Water Heater Buying Guide
I appreciate any info you do come across about the electric models, I have been reading a bit, one in the kitchen and another in the bath I was thinking.

[boonelsewhere]

thanks for the links.

Originally Posted by msina

From what I've read that must have improved.
EERE Consumer's Guide: Demand (Tankless or Instantaneous) Water Heaters
Tankless Water Heater Buying Guide
I appreciate any info you do come across about the electric models, I have been reading a bit, one in the kitchen and another in the bath I was thinking.

[carrental]

Sue,
My opinion, and you can tell it is a personal one is this. If you live in an area that has natural gas, I believe that will become the wave of the future. Second, for now is electricity as we move as a state to wind generation, and third is our dependance on oil. So blunt answer to a blunt question. In order (if possible) gas, electric, oil. Good luck.


John