Electric Furnace

DaveNay · Aug 31, 2005

Does anyone have any information regarding all electric furnaces? Our house is heated with oil, and the heating costs this winter are going to kill us. Our electricity rate has remained pretty stable, and I am considering switching to a new furnace. The payback may even be only a season or two. My biggest question is if an electric furnace can handle the heating requirements of a 2500 sq ft house with minimal insulation (another project I am working to fix this fall) and located in the windy midwest winters (0 deg F is not unusual with 40mph winds).

Any first hand knowledge or links are appreciated.

(oh, and other fuels such as wood or corn are not really an option.)

Thanks.
Dave

kenmac · Aug 31, 2005

YES, You can heat your home with elec. faf. Go with high eff. heat pump condenser unit with back up heat strips.in the air handler .Have your house inspected by an HVAC contractor to calculate what size unit you will need.

Junkman · Aug 31, 2005

Can't answer the question specifically, but remember, they use oil to make electric, so if you have a fuel adjustment on your electric bill, I don't believe that it will be more economical. The most economic thing that you can do now, is to fix the insulation problem ASAP. That means even if you have to pay someone else to do it, it will save you money every day going forward. Also, if your home is old and has leaking windows, consider using clear plastic to encase them so they don't leak air and heat. This might not be pretty, but it will save you money. If there are any windows that are not in living space, consider covering them with 1" Styrofoam board. I cut the 4' x 8' boards into sizes that will push into the window opening and stay there by friction fit. Cut down on the heat loss through the window immediately. Then I taped plastic sheeting to the window casing to complete the job. Didn't look pretty, but it did work. In times of rising costs, you have to make every dollar count, and not worry so much as how it will look for the winter. I can live with ugly better than I can live with cold. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

kenmac · Aug 31, 2005

I didn't know they use oil to make elec. Thats news to me . Down here they use coal/ nat gas.

Junkman · Aug 31, 2005

My mistake.... I was thinking that you were in the upper central states, like Ill, etc. Either way, all energy products are going to cost more this winter, no matter where or what they are. Everything follows the price of oil... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

follow up.....
My sight is failing, so I thought that you were Dave... now I understand .... I am now reduced to being a feeble old man with poor eyesight who has to rely on memory.... and even that isn't very good any more... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

DaveNay · Aug 31, 2005

Thanks for the ideas Junk.....the plastic on the windows is something we already do, but I had not thought of the EPS cut to fit unused windows. I have been working on the insulation problem, but believe it or not I have called more than a dozen contractors requesting quotes, and only ONE has called me back, and he still hasn't been out for a survey.

Regarding the cost of electricity, Illinois is in the unique position of getting a very large percentage of our power from nuclear generating plants. This means that our electricity is indeed very stable in price. Amazingly, if Illinois became an independant country, it would be the eigth largest producer of nuclear energy. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Dave

DaveNay · Aug 31, 2005

As of 2003, Illinois only gets 1% of it's electricity from petroleum fuel vs. 49% from nuclear and 47% from coal.

Dave

kenmac · Aug 31, 2005

You are correct . Just wait , in a couple months nat gas is going to reach record highs. You know, I don't care how much you try to save, these companies are going to make a certain profit. If everyone saved and used less, they would just raise their rates. Case in point our local water co. stated they needed to raise the rates. The reason , they say is that usage went down compaired to last year! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif