WHAT TYPE OF HEATERS DO YOU RECOMMEND???

Question

I recently purchased my first out of state investment property in PA. I am currently having my handyman fix up the property & I am replacing the heating system from oil to electrical. Since I live in Miami & I am not familiar with heating systems, what electrical baseboard heating systems do you guys recommend that are cost effective & get the job done. My handyman stated to not go with the cheaper ones because they do not heat efficiently but says the ones he recommends cost 200+ each.

Colleen F. · Answer

If natural gas is available use it, if only  propane then  electric is probably better.

For electric you sound like you want baseboard but there are some different electric options.  The first difference is location you have baseboard, under the floor, ceiling mount, and some wall mount. It is easier to go with one type but we have used a hybrid approach in one house.   For a really tight room we went with under the floor electric (thermosoft).  A bit pricier but we were able to get enough under the floor to not have to add any other units , it is more comfortable and we were doing the floor anyway.  For another room we moved the unit to mount high on the side wall (Qmark? maybe), that one is a cove style bar high towards the ceiling otherwise it was difficult to put furniture in the room.  For the rest we left baseboard with remote thermostats. That is the one point I would make, if the thermostat is not easily accessible it is a pain.

Really if you are going to rent it  renovate for space. The electric baseboards we have are really not high end and we have had zero problems. For tenants though they never get that they are paying for heat in their electric bill so you will always have that challenge. My electric bill doubled - umm it's January.....

Steve Babiak · Answer

@Andy Robison - in PA, any utility supplied by the municipality is lienable to the landlord when the tenant fails to pay. Which means that natural gas could be lienable; in the City of Phila, PGW is the municipality's gas service, so gas is lienable in Phila.

Steve Babiak · Answer

Did you consider natural gas, since it tends to be the more affordable fuel choice?

Roy N. · Answer

@Xing Zhu

That's a little vague.

You are unlikely to see enough "very cold" days in Raleigh-Durham ... and definitely not in Florida ... where a cold-weather rated heat-pump {with an HSPF rating >=12}  would require use of its auxiliary heating system enough to be a significant cost differential.

If you are someplace where it gets cold (our highs this week have been around 0F) and are using a ducted heat pump, your auxiliary heat could be provided by electricity or gas.  Then there are absorption heat-pumps, but I've yet to see/study a residential installation.

While heat-pumps do become less efficient as the temperature lowers, until it's performance drops below a COPS of ~2, it will be more cost effective {on a BTU or Therm basis) than most high-efficiency oil or gas furnaces.  The units we are using have a performance on-par with a high-efficiency gas furnace down to the -17C to -15C (0F to 5F) ... below that, the auxiliary heat is recruited.

Xing Zhu · Answer

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Roy, you are absolutely right. However, if the area is very cold, I'd prefer to invest a little bit more for a dual fuel system. As you know, when temperature is very low, the heat pump becomes inefficient. The auxiliary heat, if used often, it can be expensive as it works just like regular heaters.

In NC, heat pumps work very well, a lot cheaper than propane in my experience.

Roy N. · Answer

Xing:

Even if you are someplace cold, you can still install a cold-weather rated air-to-air heat-pump, either ducted or ductless.  Such heat pumps will provide a COP >1 down into the -5F - 0F range, at that point auxiliary heat - typically electric coil or base boards - kick in to support the heat pump.

Xing Zhu · Answer

Assuming you must  go electric, if the area is not too cold, you can install a heat pump, which is far more efficient than room heaters. You may also qualify for a tax credit.

Rob K. · Answer

If natural gas is available, that is by far the most efficient way to go.

John Moore · Answer

In my area of Pennsylvania, there are few areas serviced with natural gas, most use propane which can be expensive..  The disadvantage of propane is the tenant has to purchase the fuel before he uses it, with electric he pays after he uses it. and can control his budget a little easier.   Another advantage,  is that each room has it's own thermosat and you can reduce or turn off the heat in the rooms that you don't utilize and it some instances it provides better creature comfort as you can control the temperature in each room.  In all instances you need proper insulation and good windows to make the home is energy efficient.  I would put in a good quality heater and make sure they are of sufficient size to heat the square footage of the area you are going to heat.  More food for thought.

Andy Robison · Answer

@Steve Babiak

Good to know!

WHAT TYPE OF HEATERS DO YOU RECOMMEND???

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