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Electric baseboard vs. Radiant

Nick Dearing
Nick Dearing Member Posts: 30
in THE MAIN WALL
Hi everyone. I installed a new forced air furnace in my home last June along with a new air conditioner. My old furnace and air conditioner were about 30 years old. They were in fine shape but VERY unefficient. I replaced them with both Carrier units. The new furnace is 92% efficient and the old one was about 60%. However, because my gas rate almost trippled(!) as most people's did, my gas bills really haven't changed. Electric is very cheap in my area, only $1.05/therm and the cheapest gas price is $1.55/therm and keeps going up. I don't like forced air heat at all. I have lived in homes with electric baseboard and hot water baseboard before and either is much better than forced air. I am still going to keep my forced air unit for air conditioning but want to change my heating system. I planned to install electric baseboard and bought most of the stuff to do it. (Thermostats, wire, junction boxes, etc.) Then, I bought Dan Holohan's book, Radiant Hydronic Heating and it really opened my eyes to radiant. So, now I am debating...electric baseboard or hydronic radiant. The only reason I don't want to switch to radiant is because I have almost all the supplies for the baseboard. Is there a really big difference between the comfort level, savings, etc. Please let me know any thoughts. Also, please note, no matter what, the water or air will be heated with electric. Thanks!

Comments

  • techheat_2
    techheat_2 Member Posts: 117


    Where do you live that electricity is cheaper than gas on a BTU basis? Comparing radiant to electric baseboard is like comparing a Hyundai to a Mercedes

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  • Nick Dearing
    Nick Dearing Member Posts: 30
    I live

    in Northeast Ohio. Our electric company is First Energy and they are the best!
  • Nick Dearing
    Nick Dearing Member Posts: 30
    Gas

    Gas company is Dominion East Ohio.
  • Weezbo
    Weezbo Member Posts: 6,232
    Nick ,there are indeed elecric boilers....

    and there are ways to make the best out of a guys dollar,meaning that when we all put our dollars together it speaks alot louder ...Electric boilers are like having steam heat exchanger in a burg with an abundance of steam...quite often the infrastructures all in and the cost is not even in the same leauge as nat gas or oil prices...it really does depend in that sence...however regional prices vary alot so it isnt usually the first avenue we explore in hydronic radiant...some time ago depending upon your age you may remember a time when Electrical distribution systems were spreading out all over America and the electric companies offered various "Incentive Programs and contracts" to GO Electric! i know a gentelman who purchased a 99 year contract at 99 dollars a year, tell him thelanding lights on his runway andthe stainless steel all electric kitchen :) etc etc didnt possibly work out in his favor :)
  • Nick Dearing
    Nick Dearing Member Posts: 30
    Well...

    the fuel source will be electric for sure because it is the cheapest bet in my area. However, I wondered if it's worth it to change from putting in electric baseboard to radiant.
  • Nick_16
    Nick_16 Member Posts: 79
    Actually,

    I was looking into it and electric has been much cheaper here for a long time.
  • Nick Dearing
    Nick Dearing Member Posts: 30
    Has anyone...

    ever lived somewhere that had electric baseboard and then moved or switched to radiant?
  • Weezbo
    Weezbo Member Posts: 6,232
    i have changed electric baseboard out for some friends...

    to radiant....and one guys electrical bill dropped over 700 dollars a month...the other guys financed the boiler and a cheezy mixer and radiant and the cement in about two years off the dollars they saved ..we live in a very harsh environment and may not be quite as large a change in your area of the land...
  • Nick Dearing
    Nick Dearing Member Posts: 30
    WOW

    That's impressive savings! What about the comfort level? I enjoy hearing everyone's thoughts
  • Nick Dearing
    Nick Dearing Member Posts: 30
    WOW

    That's impressive savings! What about the comfort level? I enjoy hearing everyone's thoughts
  • Nick Dearing
    Nick Dearing Member Posts: 30
    WOW

    That's impressive savings! What about the comfort level? I enjoy hearing everyone's thoughts
  • Weezbo
    Weezbo Member Posts: 6,232
    well before i make a break for work....

    "Man! Iwish you had talked me in to this sooner!", and "my mortgage payment was lower than my electrical"and "Thanks, Weare in Hah- Y -YA and wanted to thank you again" and "would you please come over ? we have something we'd like to disscuss with you "'and "would you like these new electric baseboards ?" 'sorry ...i cant Give them away.' there are some othere peoples thoughts...now i would like to ask you would you maybe like to hear some other ideas on how to roll ? if so ask these purveyors of all things Hydronic...a new question...ask them were they going to install a heating system with radiant ...what would be thier ideas on producing a quality system for you and where to start......my first word is ...Insulate.
  • Nick_16
    Nick_16 Member Posts: 79
    Insulation

    I have an R-45 in my ceiling, R-4 in the walls, double hung-double pane windows, all brand new exterior doors, and no recessed lighting.
  • Nick_16
    Nick_16 Member Posts: 79
    Cost

    What would one say the opperating cost difference between electric baseboard and radiant floor heat? Just an estimate. Remember that it will be an electric boiler so the fuel will still be electric. I mean the savings of being able to lower the thermostat, heating water vs. air, etc.
  • jerry scharf_3
    jerry scharf_3 Member Posts: 419
    Off topic

    > in Northeast Ohio. Our electric company is First

    > Energy and they are the best!




    The low budget clowns who blacked out a good chunk of the north east and Canada? The folks who find it much better, though not clearly cheaper, to spend a ton of money lobbying in Washington to prevent themselves from spending a dime of plant modernization or environmental impact. Must be a different company.

    jerry
  • Nick Dearing
    Nick Dearing Member Posts: 30
    Must be

    a different company. We were out of power just as you were. First Energy has some of the best electric equiptment avaiable.
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