Need Opinions On This Electric Heater

[19Dawn76]

We were just having to make a decision about what we were going to do this winter. Last year our light bill was 200.00 in addition to the 400.00 we spent on gas. This year we had decided to get one of those crystal heaters you see all over the place and I googled it and got some really bad info on them. We are still doing research.

 

[Ridgerunner]

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As a thought for something that might be better. Could your utility company or someone around there do an energy audit of your house? Our electric company does. They do a visual inspection and use a thermal gun to find out where the big leaks are. They can usually find things that can be fixed for a small amount of money and a little elbow grease that could make a big difference. Our elecric company charges $100 for the audit but if you implement some of the suggestions, you can get the $100 back. Probably a state program. Big Brother at work.

I was recently talking to a man that owns and runs a company that installs solar heating systems. He said that doing the energy audit is the first thing they do before they start designing a solar system. Part of that is to see if a solar system wil pay out for that home. As an aside, he said it was not unusual for hot water to account for 20 to 25% of the average monthly electric bill. Hopefully yours is insulated.

 

[PurpleChicken]

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There are many electric heaters that market themselves this way. It's doublespeak and not true.

The math(based on CT numbers):

An electric heater (being 100% efficient almost) will produce 3200 btus per 1000 watts of electricity used.

Propane will produce 92000 btu's per gallon of propane.

1 gallon of propane is around $3.

To produce the same amount of heat using electricity would take 30KW which would cost $6. ($.20 per kw here).

So, an unvented propane heater costs half as much for the same heat. A vented model throws 25% away in lost heat but only increases the fule cost to $4 for the same amount of heat.

I have forced air heat in my house and use small space heaters for zone/comfort heating only. My propane stove heats my house for half the cost. I could show you my bills.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Now on the green talk...

Geothermal is cool but it's way too expensive to install and maintain.

Thermal solar is CHEAP and has a very quick ROI(return on investment). Every house should have thermal panels (not photovoltaic).



The cheapest way to heat is wood, then coal, then pellets, then oil, then natural gas, then propane, and finally electric being the costliest although it's the cheapest to install and maintain.

 

[tdgill]

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where does kero fit in this list

 

[PurpleChicken]

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where does kero fit in this list

Between wood and oil. Kerosene heaters are extremely efficient since they don't waste heat up a chimney. We always had one going when I was a kid. I'm not too comfy with safety and breathing the fumes though. I wouldn't use one around children, especially one with asthma.

 

[Boyd]

The reason I am looking at this is I have an old farmhouse (OLD) that does not have forced air heat. If I did, well my bills wouldn't be so bad. What I have instead is about a mile worth of copper pipes and a big ole boiler

As far as a woodstove, pelletstove etc, I tore the one out I had because it was too much of a risk with all the kids I have here, now thermo-solar sounds good... how well does that work with Michigan type winters? You sort of live in the same type of weather as I do don't you PC?

I might be able to get a thermal solar hookup for my waterheater/boiler??

 

[PurpleChicken]

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I was hoping you had a circulated system with a boiler. That's the PERFECT system to add a few panels to and possibly and extra insulated holding tank. The solar panels would reduce the workload of the boiler and therefore reduce fuel usage.

Our winters are a little milder but we can get 3 months under 30 degrees. My forced air system is electric, not oil or gas so it's not that great. It would cost me $350 in electricity to heat my 900 square foot house (half a two family). I use the propane stove as my primary source to keep the house above 50 and use electrics in the bedroom and bathroom on an as-needed basis. This year, living alone, the dogs are going to freeze and I'll be able to unplug the fridge.

 

[Boyd]

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I was hoping you had a circulated system with a boiler. That's the PERFECT system to add a few panels to and possibly and extra insulated holding tank. The solar panels would reduce the workload of the boiler and therefore reduce fuel usage.

Our winters are a little milder but we can get 3 months under 30 degrees. My forced air system is electric, not oil or gas so it's not that great. It would cost me $350 in electricity to heat my 900 square foot house (half a two family). I use the propane stove as my primary source to keep the house above 50 and use electrics in the bedroom and bathroom on an as-needed basis. This year, living alone, the dogs are going to freeze and I'll be able to unplug the fridge.

I'll look into the panels, i googled it. I don't know if I want to do that this year vs that heater though. In the short term that heater may be a lifesaver. I've got close to 3000sq feet of house that's been added on to a million times, and with the walls being all cinder block and old 2x4's (real 2x4's not the milled size) I know it's inefficient. I am going to be on a caulking mission here in a couple of days, then plastic, then turning the boiler on.

PS, propane is 1.79 a gallon here now a days and I go through close to 450 gallons a month in the winter.

 

[ChickBond 007]

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We paid about $14,000 for our geo installation in a new home, but we did all of the trenching/line installation ourselves. We ran 5 horizontal lines in 100 ft trenches for a 1000 total line length for the lines (out & back 100 ft = 200 times 5 lines = 1000). My hubby stood by an old trencher for a month to save us about $6500. It was worth the time/work.

We built a very green home system. We live in a styrofoam house (love to say that) using Structurally Insulated Panel systems (SIPS). Each 8' piece of wall is 6" of foam surrounded by OSB, no studs, no air space, no heat loss. The ceilings are 12" thick foam. No attics, all vaulted ceilings. It's like living in an upside down beer cooler.
(I will tell you that electricians don't love SIP panels but my heat bill is well worth his discomfort.)
We also did on-demand water heaters, and in-floor radiant heat pipe in the basement concrete. We did the in-floor ourselves as well for about 25% of retail cost. We run the water pipes over the geo compressor to collect that heat and get much of our water heated for free through that process.

Expensive to maintain geo? well I haven't seent that yet, but the house was new in Feb 2007 so time will tell on that issue. I am unsure of the cost difference to maintain forced air over geo. But I think the geo is a healthier type of heat than the forced air.

Kermit was wrong, it's easy being GREEN, but it's probably not cheap.