Electric Heat to Oil Heat

TYT512

I’m looking for help about if it’s possible to convert electric heat to oil heat. The situation is that my basement has electric heat but the rest of the house runs off of oil heat through baseboards from an oil tank. Electric heat is more costly compared to oil. So we never have the heat on down in the basement during winter and it’s cold. I’m wondering if it’s possible to convert the basement electric heating to oil heating. Does anybody know? I’ve only seen about converting oil to electric but can’t find anything about from electric to oil. Please help. Thank you!!!

STEVEusaPA

You would have to add hydronic baseboard or panel radiators and remove the electric ones (or keep them for back up). The basement can be it's own zone-own thermostat, own circulator or zone valve and piping as needed/required.

EdTheHeaterMan

The hot water will not flow very well thru the electric baseboards. I don't think there is that much room inside the electric elements. You should consider Steves's idea. Remove the electric baseboards and install Hydronic baseboards. Then instead of trying to run the water thru the wires, you will need to connect the new baseboards with copper or PEX tubing to the boiler. Make it a separate zone with a separate thermostat. Don't use the electric heat thermostats, get a thermostat that can operate the hydronic zone valve or circulator pump.

There are several ways to create a separate zone. This booklet will give you some insight as to whether this is a job for a contractor or a DYI project. http://media.blueridgecompany.com/documents/ZoningMadeEasy.pdf

426hemi

You must be in a really cold climate around here (New England) the heat leakage from a boiler and the heating pipes keeps the basements nice and warm if you have pipe insulation on the heating pipes removing it will may make a big difference in the basement temperature without having to add radiators or baseboards but it’s not a big job to add a zone and some radiators if needed my basement is around 50 degrees with the house at 60 and I don’t have any radiators in the basement but I don’t have pipe insulation

TYT512

I am in Massachusetts and the basement is usually around 50 in winter. We do have a strange room that is suggestive of a wine cellar that’s not insulated and the barrel looking door has gaps so air is definitely coming in from there also. We bought this house less than 2 years ago so still trying to make things work. 

Thank you all for your help!!!

Rock

My house had electric baseboard and I converter to heat pump/ AC, very happy.

Robert O'Brien

Rock said:

My house had electric baseboard and I converter to heat pump/ AC, very happy.

Where are you located? Thanks!