# Electric heat upstate



## speedster123 (Oct 18, 2006)

I think i finally decided to go electric heat. Presently there is an ancient low boy oil warm air furnace, and a 40 plus yr old oil tank in my 1/2 basement. [holy crap, if that leaked into the lake....]
I brought up a nice wood stove which i could then use the chimney [access in the liv/dining area.] ray:
This would give me the needed room for support columns underneith.
The other option would be a propane furnace, then i am dealing with the propane tank.
The new Rudd oil furnace that i brought up would be sold.

Yea, i think electric is the way to go...take it easy on me National Grid.:sigh:


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

What is the Kilowatt cost up there?
Are you thinking forced air electric or electric baseboard?
Here it out of sight and not affordable, Nat Gas isn't too but, Propane is more then oil.


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## speedster123 (Oct 18, 2006)

Electric baseboard. I had a service upgrade some yrs back, but a 150amp box was installed instead of a 200. The line coming to the house i think would be the same, so i guess i could just change out the box to be able to install the needed circuits.
I dont know the rate, but it is lower than Long Island. Any place is lower than Long Island.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Vacation house?
If that's the case and your not using it all the time then yea it's the cheapest up front cost.


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

You are talking (have installed electric baseboard in two new houses and love it) more than the cost of electricity here. Electric baseboard is about as good (with each room a separate thermostat) as it gets and not expensive *IF*...and this is the most important thing you have to think of. You *MUST *have a lot of insulation in both the walls and the ceiling if you want that kind of heat to be cost effective. Otherwise, you will find the cost is prohibitive. 

If you are lacking insulation, then natural gas is normally the least expensive (although none are cheap) you can get in this area (midwest). Oil is very high in the midwest and propane is less expensive than oil, but more expensive than natural gas (at least in this area).


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

I thought about electric here in Va, but forced air oil burner is still my best bet unless I go steam, I could build that the boiler is no problem but I don't have the money for all the pipes I'd need for the house. But I definitely have enough fuel around here to heat the boiler  ( got kids)


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## speedster123 (Oct 18, 2006)

The second floor is framed out, 2 beds and 1 sitting room, so i will buy the 3 1/2 dense insulation that gives the nice 'r" value. I need to wire it first. [i cant seem to get enough time, and i am lacking energy] 
There are no pipes up there, which is a nice feature of the electric baseboard.
The windows and skylites are modern. I had the house vinyl sided last year, and the house wrap was put on.


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Be sure to purchase some of that foam in a can and seal around all windows first. That alone can make a big difference as well as around receptacles and wall plugs (TV, etc) for a good seal which electric baseboard heat needs. I also recommend sealing around the inner walls at the floor before you put wall board up. I use silicone seal cauking for that at the bottom of the wall board.


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## speedster123 (Oct 18, 2006)

good info, maybe it will help to keep the mice out also. 
I often wonder if i could live up there permenent, the open resentment the local folks exhibit lately, [they used to hide it better], is obnoxious. We are refereed behind our backs as "flat landers" or "city-its".....:laugh:


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Foam is good around the windows and any electric boxes (where the wire enters the box). Just don't go nutso with it and use spreaders to hold the window jambs in line.....that stuff swells and can make the windows hard to operate if the jambs get pinched in. 

If provisions have not been made for ductwork the baseboard heat will be the easiest way. BUT, if you are considering AC in the future you will need the ducts. Another alternative is doing the ductwork and using a heat pump (I know....bad word) with electric furnace as a backup in cold weather. That was the only alternative when I built my house.....oil was outrageous and a propane tank is something I did not want. Nat gas was not available for over 20 years..... when they put a 24" line across my property...:laugh: I had just replaced the whole system and they put the gas line in a year later...:upset:

While you're at it put at least R-30 (10") in the ceiling. The 3 1/2" will give you a R-13 value in the walls.... make sure you use a vapor barrier if you are using unfaced batts (and plenty of baby powder on yourself to cut down on the irritation). I have never used the "encapsulated" batts :4-dontkno If the batts are faced still use the baby powder....:grin: Depending on the ceiling joist spacing..... 5/8" DW for anything over 16". 

Got ahead of myself with the DryWall comment....:laugh:


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## Stedman (Jun 4, 2006)

Why is heat pump a bad word?

Personally i think baseboard heaters are probably the most comfortable heat a person can put in a home. Aside from a wood stove i dont think there is any other way to make a cold house feel like a warm home.


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

I lived with an electric heat pump for 19 years. When gets down to below freezing it is better to use the electric furnace. The heat pump in cold weather hard to keep the house at 66º F inside. It would run almost 24/7.

I moved and this house also has a heat pump but never use it in the winter as I have gas furnace.

BG


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## Stedman (Jun 4, 2006)

ah i understand now. Living in the south it doesn't stay below freezing here for more than a few weeks out of the year so heat pumps with either an electric or gas auxiliary heat source work great.


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