Electric Baseboard Heaters
The seller of the building that I just purchased left behind 8 electric baseboard heaters and 8 90% efficient gas furnaces.
The HVAC guy I have on the job said that these baseboard heaters wouldn't be able to provide adequate heat, and furthermore, the electric cost that I would push back to the tenant would drive them out of the building.
Do any of you most knowledgible folks know an approximate utility cost difference between gas and electric on a monthly basis?
I would like to incorporate the materials that were included in the purchase, but if it doesn't make sense, it doesn't make sense.
Thank you.
baseboards heaters work great depends on the sqft your heating and how well insulated the units are.
Thank you for the response.
It is an older building so the insulation is lacking.
In terms of space, I have 1 BR units of about 650 sq ft and efficiencies which are approx 550 sq ft.
How about the energy costs? Exhorbitant?
I would say it depends on the part of the country you live in. In some areas electricity is way more expensive than gas, and vice versa. In the West for decades gas heat has been traditionally 2-3 times cheaper then electricity, however on the East coast the differences aren't that great.
Thank you for the response. The more people that I speak to, the less sense these electric heaters make. So, now its one more thing that I am stuck with in this building.
Hi,
I have put baseboard heaters in Nashville properties because the tenants complained to codes. Well now there electric bill is at least $100+ higher per month (serves them right) but yes, they work well but are expensive and in Tennnesse electric costs are very high
They are much too costly to operate. In the units you describe, your tenants will all have to seek secondary employment just to pay the bills.
I have modified some electric wall heaters with secondary fans and mounted them low on the wall. They also are a bit more expensive but the fan drives the air out and across the floor. The first law of thermodynamics then intrudes and the air rises. Works well, but my favorite of all times is a radient heating coil system under the floor. You just let the hot water flo along. Your toes are toasty. I also utilize the same water for hot water and run it with two tank system. One tank of about 80 gals and a little tiny 30 gal booster to top the temp as necessary. My tenants love me and the cat who therein resides has named me his mentor of the year. There is a new type of coil for the water, it is oval and thus lies tighter and closer to the floor.
When electric costs are high it pays to revert to old primative systems. Hot wa wa is one. I put a sensor or two on the lines and a master for when you are gone away. My dream is to have a good sun line and put the panels on the roof, line up on the sun line and let god do his thing and heat the house and the water. Damn I might even tith. Well at least a quick Hail Mary.
Lucius
You will have to run the numbers yourself using the price of gas and electric in your area but I think you will come up with the same conclusion as mentioned above. It generally costs a minimum of 50% more to heat with straight electric. I'll throw out one suggestion that I always use in smaller units like the ones you are talking about. I install gas space heaters. They are cheap to buy, there is virtually nothing to break, there are no filters to change or motors to oil, and they are actually more than 100% efficient(in a sense). How can they be more than 100%? Well, not only does 100% of the heat go into the house(I'm talking ventless heaters) but the combustion process throws off a great deal of water vapor. This obviously increases the humidity and further reduces the need for heat. Now, the added moisture can actually be a problem in new homes because they are so airtight, but they are just the ticket for older homes.
Newbie here:
Just my 2cents no matter what type of heating source you should get the proper amount of insulation in all your units. This will cut heating costs but since spring is almost here you do have time to decide and have installed a different heating system. Did you not get a utilities breakdown from the seller (if owner paid heat) or from a tenant to show what the costs were?
Awesome.
Thank you all for your suggestions, but my building has made my decision for me. Throughout the course of the week, I have had several steam radiators blow out on me, which, of course has led my contracting team to redo some of the work that they had already completed.
Therefore, I have decided to purchase and install individual 80/90% efficient furnaces in all the units. Not only will this allow me to eliminate the dated boilers and radiators, but also to separate the gas. This solution is costing me more up front, but hopefully, in the long-term, I will run into fewer headaches with the boiler elimination as well as being able to accurately predict my monthly expenses.
Do you folks have any thoughts on this solution.
Again, much appreciated.
Matt