Cost of Heating System? (floor, roof, dishwasher, furnace)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Need some advise. We currently have an oil boiler with hotwater baseboard heat. The boiler is 32 years old and the oil tank is original with the house 45 years old. The boiler also supplies us with our domestic hotwater. We were told that we should consider replacing the tank soon, bottom of the tank is a bit moist, but not leaking. Cost of replacing the tank approximately $1,300.
3 years ago when the price of oil went through the roof we put a pellet stove on the main floor of our house (its a ranch) and it heats the whole living area nicely.
Should we replace the oil tank? We know its just a matter of time before we will need to replace the boiler as well. Is this a wise idea, since we only use the oil for hotwater and as a backup if the pellet stove isnt working? We dont have the money to replace either the oil tank or the boiler so we would have to finance it. Gas is not an option in our area. Is there another type of boiler that would be less expensive to replace the oil so we can use the baseboard heat if needed? We can easily convert our hotwater to electric for a few hundred dollars.
Do they make electric boilers and are the efficient? The only other option we can think of is propane gas, but we were told by some friends that if you dont use a certain amount a year the price per gallon is super high. We also have central air and wonder if getting a heat pump would be less expensive.
You do have most the options outlined, the costs of operation can vary considerably due to local trends. There are some web sites that allow you to input your info and they will give an estimate based on local energy rates and temperatures.
In general the use of either natural gas or propane tends to be better than straight electric heat. If your house is very well insulated and / or you have mild winters you be able to get by with converting the current system to heat pump, but if you have very cold weather a traditional heat pump won't be ideal.
If you are worried about the $1300 cost I think the costs of conversion will also be a huge negative to you...
Some times the county / state has info on this sort of conversion, especially in more rural areas. Famers tend to use lots of energy and if they can save by using different fuel that really helps tom keep them viable....
I went with an all electric house on my new build. The electric boiler was a great investment , even heat, and the cost was less than any forced air system I looked at, about half. Using hydronic -pex tubing, and infloor in basement , provides us with the best of both worlds, even in a cold climate ,like here in Upper Michigan.
A lot depends on your electric rates. We are coal fired enegery power plants , currently the lowest rates along with Nuke power, all across the country.... The problem most folks have is the lack of amps. to run an all electric home. I had to install a second 200 amp line , at a 3,000 cost , but it was worth it. I have about 9,000 in my sistem for a 3,000 sq. ft total including the garage and basement. Last month my bill was 60.00 , last Jan. it was 400.00....in the overall , all electric is the way to go, especially if you have a very well insulated home.
Some things to consider. You're likely now enjoying all the DHW you need. It you go with an electric tank, that will no longer be the case. A 32 year old boiler is likely not very energy efficient. Replacing it with an efficient furnace will likely save you money.
Our furnace was about 30 years old when we replaced it. At some point it provided DHW for the house, but a prior owner converted it to electric. With the electric, we were able to get 3 quick showers in the morning with the third turning to cold by the end. We converted it back with the new efficient oil furnace and now we almost never run out of hot water (only time was during 2 showers, dishwasher and clothes washer going at the same time). We also had a 40-45% savings in oil usage.
$1,300 seems low to me. Granted prices vary across the country, but I'd think the cost would be between $2,500-5,000 installed for an efficient furnace.
Some things to consider. You're likely now enjoying all the DHW you need. It you go with an electric tank, that will no longer be the case. A 32 year old boiler is likely not very energy efficient. Replacing it with an efficient furnace will likely save you money.
Our furnace was about 30 years old when we replaced it. At some point it provided DHW for the house, but a prior owner converted it to electric. With the electric, we were able to get 3 quick showers in the morning with the third turning to cold by the end. We converted it back with the new efficient oil furnace and now we almost never run out of hot water (only time was during 2 showers, dishwasher and clothes washer going at the same time). We also had a 40-45% savings in oil usage.
$1,300 seems low to me. Granted prices vary across the country, but I'd think the cost would be between $2,500-5,000 installed for an efficient furnace.
Hot water and hydronic heat are two different things. A hydronic pex tubing or a radiator heating system is closed , does not use hot water to take showers. The new electric hot water heaters on the market now are way more efficent...and if installed correctly , you should never run out of hot water.
Diesel fuel is dirty, and very costly let along unpredictable when it comes to price fluctuations. It does burn very hot , and can be a choice , but not for most installs.
Hot water and hydronic heat are two different things. A hydronic pex tubing or a radiator heating system is closed , does not use hot water to take showers. The new electric hot water heaters on the market now are way more efficent...and if installed correctly , you should never run out of hot water.
Diesel fuel is dirty, and very costly let along unpredictable when it comes to price fluctuations. It does burn very hot , and can be a choice , but not for most installs.
I was addressing the OP who currently has a oil fired system providing both their baseboard heat and DWH. If I were building new or doing a major remodel, I'd consider a pex hydronic system. As to the fuel source (electricity, oil, propane, etc.,), it would depend on a cost benefit analysis.
For instance, our electric company just increased rates by 20% because they built capacity that is currently not needed. We have all electric friends with past winter bills averaging $600-700/mo. So they're looking at another $120-140/mo., while were looking at another $20-30/mo. Granted that when the price of oil went up a couple of years ago, our bill went up, but it still was $200-400 less than their bill.
Is there another type of boiler that would be less expensive to replace the oil so we can use the baseboard heat if needed?
If you're in the Northeast US consider a coal boiler, I know.... Coal? LOL
Seriously, a modern coal boiler is not much different than a regular boiler and the long term cost savings are substantial. In a lot areas much cheaper than wood pellets so you could just get rid of it. Since you're familiar with the operation of a pellet stove it's not much different. Put fuel in one end and take the ashes out of the other. A coal stoker does require a lot less maintenance though, usually once a year. Most people witha boiler likie this one burn them year round for the DHW and it will add many decdes to it's lifetime. Burned 24/7/365 it's a lifetime worth of heat.
Quote:
Do they make electric boilers and are the efficient?
Efficiency is part of the equation but it's not what you want to consider when comparing costs, electric is 100% efficient because 100% of the heat generated is utilized. For solid and liquid fuels since we need to vent the combustion gases you're losing heat out of the chimney so it's not as efficient. Coal stokers are in the 80% to 85% range and one almost reaches 90%.
What you need to know is the cost per BTU adjusted for efficiency. There's calculator I have here that will do the calculations based on the costs of fuels in your area:
The electric boiler was a great investment , even heat, and the cost was less than any forced air system I looked at, about half.
What's the long term cost though? It's an important point to consider, electric is going to be the most expensive in many areas of the country. What's the longevity of the unit?
As far as the coal boilers go the one I posted above is $9K but it's lifetime investment for heat and DHW, you never have to buy anything else again. There's minor things like pumps and motors you might have to replace but overall it will outlast you even if you're a young guy. Another considertion is the fuel cost, coal is going to be substnatially lower than most fuels in the Northeast US. For a real world example we were heating a 100 year old 4000 sq. ft. home that was insulated fairly well for $1500 a year, that includes DHW year round.
So true, generally if your electric power source uses coal to generate power , your rates maybe cheap enough to go with an electric boiler. The nice thing about my electric boiler is , no mess , no venting required , and overall less expensive to purchase and install. I don't have to worry about running out of fuel, home delivery's , and all that dependent stuff, that always goes wrong or runs out at the worst times. Our power plant gets their coal by freighter ships direct to the plant, and we also have Hydro back-up. Getting good electric rates makes a lot of difference. Ether way , I would never go back to LP gas, even if it became cheaper...just too many problems and breakdowns as well., If cost became a factor, rate wise, I would consider a wood source back-up with an outdoor boiler tied into my electric system. Around here , many people heat with the wood fired outdoor boilers, its the lest expensive, but does require feeding the boiler everyday. As we get older , things like this become less acceptable, many homeowners are starting to add electric boilers to their system.
We are in the north woods , so , wood is plentiful, so is the snow, keeping it simple is the best way to go, always.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Since you're familiar with the operation of a pellet stove it's not much different. Put fuel in one end and take the ashes out of the other. A coal stoker does require a lot less maintenance though, usually once a year. Most people witha boiler likie this one burn them year round for the DHW and it will add many decdes to it's lifetime. Burned 24/7/365 it's a lifetime worth of heat.
