# Types of heat



## LoveLabs (Oct 26, 2009)

I am in the process of building my own house here within the next 6 months and I have a few concerns about what type of heating system to use. I will be living in the country so I am stuck with either propane heat or electric heat. I have asked around and most people are telling me that it costs roughly $600 for six weeks of propane. Does anyone have any experience with using just electric heat? I would think that would be alot cheaper than a $100 a week for heat. So I am open to all options for heating that will save me a few bucks.

Thanks.


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## oldfireguy (Jun 23, 2005)

I'd suggest you spend some time with a general heating contractor. There are many factors they can go over with you.
Ex:
What kind of heat do you want, forced air (ductwork allows for central air), or hydronic? The most comfortable heat I've ever had was with hydronic elements in the floor.
Then there's the two choices of how to power your system, electric or propane. The contractor can help estimate your BTU rates and calculate the cheapest cost for you.
My camp in ND has electric available at a straight 8 cents per kilowatt. My home in MI has an electric rate of 17 cents.....I use propane for my boiler at home.
Lots to consider, but a major component like your heating system deserves the time to work out with a professional.
Good luck.


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## Kelly Hannan (Jan 9, 2007)

If you are building, look into putting hot water tubing in the floor of the basement, this can be heated in several ways. We have hooked them up to Water Heaters, small boilers, and even though not recommended tankless water heaters. You can also run the tubes under the floor of the main levels. We did this to a house that had a remodel done and they wanted to remove the old baseboard heat. They really like it, the floor is nice and warm, the ceramic in the kitchen and baths is warm. It is heated by an LP boiler. The problem with this is the cost of AC. You will need a seperate Air Handler, and the cost of a boiler.

My opinion, and I'm no expert, but I would build 2x6 exterior walls and blow in the insulation, maybe add a couple extra inches in the attic and skip the fireplaces.


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## duckmander (Aug 25, 2008)

Just my .02 but I would put extra insulation in the whole house. then ue either gas or elec heat. then add an external wood heat. As you said in the country you should have some wood around. (hopefully)

This type of wood heater sits outside of the house. you fill it from outside may hold around a quarter or a half of a rick of wood. then the heat is pushed into the house with a fan system like the standard heat/ac system. only needs filled once per day. many in use around here. they all love them.

Also with it being outside of the house if you have a clod morning and a warm day simply turn off the fan and it doesnt continue to heat up the house.


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## templey_41 (Jul 19, 2008)

Spend the extra $ and go geothermal. it will pay for itself in no time flat.


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## the professor (Oct 13, 2006)

select a reputable hvacr contractor and sit down with them to discuss your ideas, concerns, budget, etc. depending on where you build, you may be elegible for incentives such as off peak, equipment rebates from your co-op, etc.

i work for a commercial building automation contractor, and am a huge fan of anything hydronic for heat transfer. be it geothermal, infloor hw heat, or reheat coils in duct work.


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## LoveLabs (Oct 26, 2009)

templey_41 said:


> Spend the extra $ and go geothermal. it will pay for itself in no time flat.


If I went geothermal could it also heat my water heater, provide AC as well? About how much is one to install it?


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## templey_41 (Jul 19, 2008)

I know it is your ac as well. see it uses the 58 degrees that is constant 8 feet down below the frost line and uses that heat to heat your house and to cool it. not sure on cost, but trust me in ten years you will thank yourself for putting it in. Fossil fuels are only going to get more expensive.

As a rule of thumb, a geothermal heat pump system costs about $2,500 per ton of capacity. The typically sized home would use a three-ton unit costing roughly $7,500. That initial cost is nearly twice the price of a regular heat pump system that would probably cost about $4,000, with air conditioning.

You will have to, however, add the cost of drilling to this total amount. The final cost will depend on whether your system will drill vertically deep underground or will put the loops in a horizontal fashion a shorter distance below ground. The cost of drilling can run anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000, or more depending on the terrain and other local factors.


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## LoveLabs (Oct 26, 2009)

thank you for your help. I had planned on it costing around 15,000. Guess I was not too far off.


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## muskat (Mar 5, 2002)

Having a little expertise in energy conservation in industrial/commercial/residential facilities I would recommend some of the items mentioned above.

2 x 6 construction for sure.

Add extra insulation in your attic (dont short yourself here). Energy efficent windows are a positive too. Lots of tax credits out there for other items too.

Geothermal still has a long payback period for most installations. Have someone price it out, and have them do a payback calculation for you. Less than 10 years, I would go with it. Most are 15 or greater.

Electrical costs are going to be raising in the near future more than propane. Carbon credit tax legislation will put a pinch on most power companies and they will have to pass that on to the consumer. I had a house in rural MN for one year. The house was poorly inuslated and I paid on average $300 during Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. The house had a forced air electric furnace.

Hope this helps.

Ryan


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## jrp267 (Dec 17, 2007)

Also skip the fiberglass insulation and have it spray foamed. You can get a lot more r value in less space.


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## Iamhunting (Oct 24, 2005)

When we built our house 3 years ago. We installed both propane and eletric heat. We have a propane furnace and installed a plenum heater. So we can use the blower from the furnace but heat with electic or switch to propane depending on what is cheaper. I had to have a seperate meter for the electric heat. But I am paying 5 cents a kwh for heat. So at this time it is cheaper to go with eletric. Your eletric coop might also give you a rebate for going with eletric.


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## alleyyooper (Jul 6, 2007)

Our home was built in 1979. It was built with electric heat in mind 2x6 walls 2 feet of insulation in the attic and all that happy stuff. Actualy fell for the cheaper to heat that way crap as we would only need to heat a lot during non peek times. For 3 years we bled & froze in the winter with monthly heating bills or $450 to $500 per month. I bought a wood burning add on furnace for the 4th winter, I cut my own wood from our back yard wood lot and up at deer camp and truck it home. Natural gas was recently ran by our house and some day when I am really old and decriped I will install a natural gas boiler, maybe with a corn burner to help with the cost.

Way I see it if you can't make your own electric leave it alone.

 Al


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## slipstream (Dec 29, 2006)

I have a two-story turn of the century (not the last turn, but the one before) house with poor windows, very poor wall insulation, and may leaks, and I am able to heat my house for the entire winter for anywhere from $500 to around $900, depending on the price of ....corn. I have a whole house corn furnace that is hooked to the existing duct work that was served by an old oil furnace (kept for backup). For me, corn is a happy medium between the low cash but high labor cost of burning wood and the low labor but high cash cost of LP or electric.


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## swampthing (Mar 15, 2010)

Down here in south GA, I just close the windows. If it gets real cold, I put my shoes on.


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## alleyyooper (Jul 6, 2007)

:rollin: We've seen it on the news, oke: Ya'll just go freaking nuts when it snows. Were told the sucide rate triples when the snow gets over 2 inches deep and triples again if it last more than a day.

 Al


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## dogdonthunt (Nov 10, 2005)

does anyone have any thoughts on the small wind turbines that go on or next to your house... Ive noticed many different versions and prices... Ive often thought about something like that... and you can never go wrong with a couple different types of things to heat your place...


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## swampthing (Mar 15, 2010)

alleyyooper said:


> :rollin: We've seen it on the news, oke: Ya'll just go freaking nuts when it snows. Were told the sucide rate triples when the snow gets over 2 inches deep and triples again if it last more than a day.
> 
> Al


I've been in south GA 5 years. Never seen snow. It would not bother me if it did snow. I'm from Iowa origonally.....I would hate to be on the road if it did.....I was hauling a load of cattle through Dallas one time when an ice storm hit.....Geez, it was something in the movies....cars and truck going every which way.....


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