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House Tech - Going from Central Propane heat to Electric ???

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  • House Tech - Going from Central Propane heat to Electric ???

    Well the honest and cheaper propane company in town has sold out to it's crooked competitors and I want no part of their buisness (their prices were 20 cents higher per gallon and are known for short filling, full billing). Their HQ is in CA, and it's the local guys that are crooked. Anyways.

    Since we have a diverse background here and a seemingly infinite wealth of knowledge, has any one here ever done a switch from propane/natural gas furnace heat to electric? Thoughts? Costs? Any particular electrical heating system better than others? I don't really want to tear out my floors if I can help it.

    Electricity here is already cheap, like .06/kW, and I've already been told to get a separate meter for the heat because it's a lower rate (I'm not the only one in town working on the swap, so the local electricians will be busy :-\). I got a wood stove this summer, better get to installing it and making a decent stack of wood!
    Escaped on a technicality.

  • #2
    Re: House Tech - Going from Central Propane heat to Electric ???

    What about Geo Thermal?
    Neal

    Drag Week 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

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    • #3
      Re: House Tech - Going from Central Propane heat to Electric ???

      We've been using a pellet stove for 17 years...works ok, not near as much hassle as a wood stove. Of course you have to be able to buy pellets for a reasonable price.

      My fabulous web page

      "If it don't go, chrome it!" --Stroker McGurk

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      • #4
        Re: House Tech - Going from Central Propane heat to Electric ???

        Originally posted by squirrel
        We've been using a pellet stove for 17 years...works ok, not near as much hassle as a wood stove. Of course you have to be able to buy pellets for a reasonable price.

        Not to Hijack, I have a pellet stove as well, was able to get them for $175/ton in the spring. I like mine for a secondary heat source up hear in NE Oh.
        Neal

        Drag Week 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: House Tech - Going from Central Propane heat to Electric ???

          Originally posted by TheSilverBuick
          Well the honest and cheaper propane company in town has sold out to it's crooked competitors and I want no part of their buisness (their prices were 20 cents higher per gallon and are known for short filling, full billing). Their HQ is in CA, and it's the local guys that are crooked. Anyways.

          Since we have a diverse background here and a seemingly infinite wealth of knowledge, has any one here ever done a switch from propane/natural gas furnace heat to electric? Thoughts? Costs? Any particular electrical heating system better than others? I don't really want to tear out my floors if I can help it.

          Electricity here is already cheap, like .06/kW, and I've already been told to get a separate meter for the heat because it's a lower rate (I'm not the only one in town working on the swap, so the local electricians will be busy :-\). I got a wood stove this summer, better get to installing it and making a decent stack of wood!
          Are you talking about getting a Heat Pump or furnace that uses an electric heating element??

          I'm not sure how good a heat pump will work with the temps that you get, it's something you can talk to your Electric company about. Up in Show Low we have Brick heaters, basically it's a big cabinet that is filled with bricks, they are heated and then it as a fan to circulate the heat. It does a good job at heating the main part of the house where it is stationed, but in the bedrooms we use those radiator style heaters you can get at Home Depot.

          Check with your local electric company, they will be able figure everything out for you, they even got us a discount on the heaters. ;)

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          • #6
            Re: House Tech - Going from Central Propane heat to Electric ???

            I just got back from hitting up both Electrician companies, both essentially can't make it here for a quote until monday, which is ok, gives me time to think and research some.

            Yeah pellet stoves are nice, but I got this wood stove for free from my neighbor during the summer. I have it set in the place I want it in, but still have to run the pipe out the wall and up the side of the house.

            Right now I'm looking at all my options for electric heat other than floor heating. Anyone have experience with the electric central heat? I had an apartment the first year I lived here with base board heating and it work pretty for that little apartment. If I can simply replace my gas furnace with an electric one that does the job, I'd be happy there for the simplicity.
            Escaped on a technicality.

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            • #7
              Re: House Tech - Going from Central Propane heat to Electric ???

              Geothermal is completely electric, and gives you almost free AC.

              It's not an air to air heat pump which only work in a certain outdoor temperature range.

              They are an expensive initial investment - you're in sandy soil yes? No huge nearby water sources right?

              So you're looking at a closed system - basically you need a well drilling rig for a couple days to drill holes in a grid that will be filled with U tubes, then connected with straight pieces in trenches - all below the frost line. Back fill with what came out. That essentially turns a portion of your yard, as deep as 100 feet or more - into a big heat exchanger.

              In summer - it pumps fluid (glycol? not sure) through the pipes in the ground, exchanging the houses heat for the earths cool (55F ish out there?) temperature - then blows air across the exchanger inside the house.

              In winter - it's a bit more involved - like a heat pump there's a compressor cycle which creates heat that is sent through an exchanger and air blown across it into the house - the "ground loop" is then used to cool / condense the working fluid so it can repeat the cycle - basically a traditional AC sytem run backwards - instead of a big unit outside blowing heat with a huge fan into the atmsophere while the house cools down, you're doing the opposite - heating the inside while "cooling" the outdoor in ground loop.

              Expensive initiall install for sure - You're going to stay there a while right? I would imagine you're looking at a payback of out towards 10 years.

              Next question is what else in the house is propane?

              water heater?
              Dryer?
              Stove?

              Then you're looking at swapping all that over to electric - which may likely require upping your service to the house and adding an additional service panel if you don't have sufficient circuits in your current panel.
              There's always something new to learn.

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              • #8
                Re: House Tech - Going from Central Propane heat to Electric ???

                I like electric as it's an easy medium to create (propane is a bit tougher ;)). before you drill holes in your yard, check out the pricing on solar panels - with the various power company, state and fed incentives it can be a very attractive alternative.

                As for heat sourcing... I hate electric baseboard heaters - they are a fire hazard in all circumstances; however, electric fired boiler and radiators can be a very efficient want of heating, or retro-fit heat tubes in the floor (if you have a basement or crawl space). I like heated floors, it is the best kind of heat as it doesn't dry the air. A wire-heat electric furnace is terribly inefficient, but a sound alternative if you are only going to stay electric until the crooks go to jail.

                Last, but certainly not least (and John, I'm surprised you didn't mention this one) - waste oil furnace, with the mine nearby you probably could get more oil then you'd ever use for free.
                Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                • #9
                  Re: House Tech - Going from Central Propane heat to Electric ???

                  first off what u pay per kil watt hour. and is your house insulated good with nice tight windows..
                  electric heat is very costly.(here) and in storms your at there mercy as when u'll get it back..
                  if u do go electric.. have it(house) wired for generator while they are there.. as you'll need one on site..
                  when they come for a quote ask about solar panels. as the electric company kicks in a little and the fed's kick in 30% of the total cost with no cap on that 30%

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                  • #10
                    Re: House Tech - Going from Central Propane heat to Electric ???

                    The geothermal I think will be very cost and time prohibative. My only two appliances that run on propane are the furnace and the water heater. I have no qualams about buying a new water heater (even though mine is only two years old...).

                    My current breaker panel is only 100amps. I'd intend on hooking the heating system through a separate meter (cost break on electricity), but it probably would be a good idea up up the service amperage since I intend on building a garage with electricity.

                    As for solar, my Mom and Step-Dad went solar a couple years ago in So. Cal., and I have a few things working against me for that to be economic (it was definately economic for them). A) Electricity here is dirt cheap, electric bills in the summer are ~$20-25/mo, the payback would take forever. B) I don't have a south facing roof, nor my plans for the garage unless I want snow and ice falling where the doors are. C) When my highest electrical demands are coinside with the shortest days.

                    I do have a basement and crawl space, but half the basement has a finished ceiling that would have to be tore out for floor heat.

                    The mine is under constant scrutinty on environmental things and unfortunately can't just hand out waste oil, otherwise I'm sure a whole slew of our mechanics and others would already be taking advantage of that. The mine I believe is looking at setting up it's own waste oil furnaces to replace the propane ones and just a cost savings measure.
                    Escaped on a technicality.

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                    • #11
                      Re: House Tech - Going from Central Propane heat to Electric ???

                      Ok, my electricty is double what I thought. I grabbed a bill, 166kW last month cost $14.75, so $0.1125/kW and having a meter just for the heat has a cost break, don't know how much but does.
                      Escaped on a technicality.

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                      • #12
                        Re: House Tech - Going from Central Propane heat to Electric ???

                        seperate meter cost savings?

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                        • #13
                          Re: House Tech - Going from Central Propane heat to Electric ???

                          Originally posted by IRONHEAD
                          seperate meter cost savings?
                          Yeah, the power company installs a second meter that is just wired to the house's heating, and it's billed at a lower rate. I know several people that have this.
                          Escaped on a technicality.

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                          • #14
                            Re: House Tech - Going from Central Propane heat to Electric ???

                            add in the cost of a generator.. and the switching panel.

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                            • #15
                              Re: House Tech - Going from Central Propane heat to Electric ???

                              Originally posted by IRONHEAD
                              add in the cost of a generator.. and the switching panel.
                              I'm not sure if I'll go that far. I don't know anyone that has. I've been in this house for four years and the only time my power has gone out is during summer lightening storms. We don't get big snow/ice storms. Worse case, if I loose power at the house, I'll have the wood stove or shut the water off and go camp in my office at work (they have dedicated lines to the mine, odds of both going out are even lower).

                              And heck, now that I think about it, my propane furnace wouldn't work with out electricty anyways (it's pilot-less and the fan), so this house has gone without a back up generator for decades.
                              Escaped on a technicality.

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