Baseboard Heater Recommendations?

[nwagner (Nick Wagner)]

With the skyrocketing cost of fuel oil, my 40 year old fuel oil furnace having one foot in the grave, the alarming cost to be put on the natural gas grid coupled with the not so attractive gas rates have lead me to consider installing electric baseboard heaters. Does anyone have a system that has been good to them?

[iniquette (Ian A. Niquette)]

@nwagner

With the skyrocketing cost of fuel oil, my 40 year old fuel oil furnace having one foot in the grave, the alarming cost to be put on the natural gas grid coupled with the not so attractive gas rates have lead me to consider installing electric baseboard heaters. Does anyone have a system that has been good to them?

You have ductwork now, or water heat? This is the brand of boiler I bought 3 years ago. oil fired, but very nice. Even with the cost per gallon, I still pay about half of what friends and neighbors are paying. Just thought you might be interested in this.
http://http://www.weil-mclain.com/products/list/2-Oil-fired%20boilers

[mlarson (Michael Larson, WI Lic. # 1672-106)]

@nwagner

With the skyrocketing cost of fuel oil, my 40 year old fuel oil furnace having one foot in the grave, the alarming cost to be put on the natural gas grid coupled with the not so attractive gas rates have lead me to consider installing electric baseboard heaters. Does anyone have a system that has been good to them?

Nick,
Run some fuel cost comparisons first.

Here is a Heating System Calculator to help.

[nwagner (Nick Wagner)]

@mlarson

Nick,
Run some fuel cost comparisons first.

Here is a Heating System Calculator to help.

Interesting …

By choosing the new system over the current system, you will save (on average) $96 /year in fuel costs.

[nwagner (Nick Wagner)]

@iniquette

You have ductwork now, or water heat? This is the brand of boiler I bought 3 years ago. oil fired, but very nice. Even with the cost per gallon, I still pay about half of what friends and neighbors are paying. Just thought you might be interested in this.
http://http://www.weil-mclain.com/products/list/2-Oil-fired%20boilers

Is your distribution system composed of radiators, radiant floor panels or a hydronic furnace?

[iniquette (Ian A. Niquette)]

Water heat baseboard style. I’m sure you’ve seen them. I used Mike’s calculator, and I would pay an additional $375.00 by switching to elec. baseboard. Good link by the way Michael. I gotta go to inspection in half hour, but if you want some more info on this Nick send me a message. I am very happy with the system I have now, very nice.

[cbottger (Charley L. Bottger)]

I need to go ground source heat pump:( as compared to my present propane forced air furnace

BTU*/Unit of Fuel91,6003,413Space Heating Cost
( Per Million Btu)33.558.92Operating Cost/year ()2,056.61546.80**By choosing the new system over the current system, you will save (on average) $1,510 /year in fuel costs.****

[mlarson (Michael Larson, WI Lic. # 1672-106)]

Here is a more complete calulatorSpread sheet for either open offic or Excel.

[jallingham (John Allingham)]

@nwagner

With the skyrocketing cost of fuel oil, my 40 year old fuel oil furnace having one foot in the grave, the alarming cost to be put on the natural gas grid coupled with the not so attractive gas rates have lead me to consider installing electric baseboard heaters. Does anyone have a system that has been good to them?

I have them at my cottage, but it’s closed up right now so I can’t tell you what make they are. On the plus side they are perfectly quiet and require little or no maintenance. They are 20 years old now and I expect they will last a lot longer.

On the minus side they are expensive to run and provide no air circulation. If someone farts it hangs in the room for an hour.

It would be tough to wire in the new circuits on an existing house and you would have to make sure your service was up to it.

[Marc_D.Shunk]

Have you broken down your price in therms or per million BTU’s and compared the proposed electric heat to fuel oil (or any other fuel), considering appliance efficiencies? Comparing a typical 80% oil furnace with electric baseboard, and typical gallon and kilowatt-hour prices, you’d save all of one dollar per million BTU’s of heat by switching. If I was you, I’d stick with the type of equipment you’re already set up for.

FYI… in terms of cost per million BTU’s of heat, and with heating appliance efficiencies considered, coal is the cheapest heat right now, followed by dry hardwood.