Electric or Hydronic

Nick_16

of hydronic baseboard over electric baseboard?

Steamhead

Yes

In most areas, electric is very expensive to run. However, it's cheaper to install.

Hydronics or steam, on the other hand, is more expensive to install but much cheaper to run. Right now, in most areas oil is cheaper per BTU than gas.



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Nick_16

In my area though...

electric is much cheaper. Electric $1.06/therm and gas $1.30/therm. If I did hydronic baseboard, I would put in an electric boiler. I just wondered what the advantages were to hydronic baseboard over electric other than fuel costs.

hr

Electric is catching and passing

lp in terms of lower operating cost in my area. We are at 6 cents a KWH currently. Although coal, and the cost of the diesel to handle and ship, it promises to raise electric prices real soon.

Install hydronic baseboard and two boilers one fossil fueled of your choice, and an electric. Play both sides of the fence that way.

It's only money

hot rod

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JohnWood1

Been there.........

Techmar 262 set to lead on whichever boiler is cheaper to run at the time. (and not rotate)

Munchkin on LP and a Seisco electric into radiant. Both sized at about 60% of design load.

Uni R

Electric Baseboards

I find electric baseboards noisier, drier and they run quite hot so they emit a smell. They are however all on their own controls, are very simple to install and they last just about forever with no chance of leaks. I'd still go hydronics with electric for the comfort factors. Thermolec has an electric boiler with outdoor reset that can be used in conjunction with a non-electric boiler.

jerry scharf_2

be careful

Nick,

The long term economics are that electicity is less cost effective than fossil fuels for heating. There have been skews like this before, and people built heating systems thinking it would last forever. Boy did they get burned.

Given it's almost impossible to retrofit from electric to anything else, I'd be really careful. I love the idea of two boilers, and if you can't swing that, at least have something that you can swap out should the price structures change.

jerry

Joe Brix

back in the early 70's

I saw whole developments build with 100% electric heat. Interest rates were high so anything to make the house cheaper. Within a few years everyone had to convert to gas/oil or they were worthless on the market after electric costs skyrocketed after the oil embarbo in '73.
I think we'll start to see big jumps in electric cost this year. Many utilities have been eating the fuel price increases. Takes time to file the rate inceases. Mine added a fuel "surcharge" that will probably never go away.

Don't forget the added safety of hydronic heat. Fires are easily started if anything gets inside an electric baseboard. For spot heating a cold area or an addition it might be fine, but I don't think most houses have that many extra AMPs available to heat a whole house without service upgrades.

M Ransley

It depends on where you live and your electric to gas costs per Btu. Im in the midwest and electric is currently 3x the cost of gas. It varies state to state.