How do you heat your home?

[Grimnar]

So here in Virginia, USA it's getting colder. Time to heat the house. What do you use for heat?

I have a "heat pump" which is dual unit providing air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter. However, for the winter it's not very efficient. Once it gets near freezing it can't keep up.

So for good old honest heat I have a pellet stove. For those not familiar with them they are sort of like a wood stove but they burn recycled wood formed into small pellets. The pellets are purchased in 40 lb bags and loaded into a hopper in the top of the stove. It has a regular thermostat that I set to control the temperature of the room (or house).

When it needs to heat, it turns on, an auger feeds the pellets into a burn pot where they are ignited. A heat sink it heated and when it's warm enough a fan turns on to push the heat into the house.

The only downside is the fan is sort of loud. At least on my unit which is probably 9 years old now. Oh, and you have to store the pellets inside so you better have room. I'll burn anywhere between 100 and 150 40lb bags per winter (2 to 3 tons).

Here is a pic of my stove:

[pedagogue]

I don't think we even have a heating system down here. (S. FL)

-p

[abtchonamission]

We have oil, I think it's forced hot air but not sure...but since oil companies here in NC are estimating (by my inquiries) $300 every 17 days (which totals more than my rent!!) I'm using a kerosene heater. My place is tiny, so that will heat my house all winter long. And kerosene seems to be cheaper than oil.

[2dayzmuse]

I have a wood stove. I try to never turn on the electric heat. The wood heat takes some work, but is very cost effecient and well worth it.

[MamaGoose]

I'm in NJ and we have an oil furnace that is hooked up to hot water pipes all over the house (my Dad's idea). The good thing is unlimited hot water when you're taking a shower.
I lived in Wyoming for ten years and we had natural gas and a wood/coal stove. That gets dusty but we needed two sources of heat for the days when the high was -13 degrees F. Also we only had pine to burn so every two weeks we had to climb on the roof and clean the chimney. And then there was the fun of cutting the wood.
I have a friend here in NJ whose furnace died and they went to wood heat. More power to them.
I like flipping on a switch.
MamaGoose

[CarolD]

I use natural gas in my small apartment.

Bit.... the most comfy thing is my electric blanket.

In real cold weather I sleep in a sock cap.

Living alone has many conpensations!

[Time2Surrender]

Originally Posted by pedagogue

I don't think we even have a heating system down here. (S. FL)

-p

I have Natural Gas at my house and during the winter my bill can go from $20 in the summer to over $100 in the winter.

[bahookie]

Heating, like everything else in the UK is really expensive and we live in a draughty old house on top of a very windy hill.
We turn the gas central heating on for a few hours but mostly it's the coal fire in the livingroom that keeps us toasty. We burn logs and coal - probalby about 2 tons of coal and a couple of trees a winter. It's all very very usty and our nice cheery yellow walls have big black streaks up them now, but there's no point in cleaning it off in the dark winter months!
I agree with CarolD though, it's the electric blanket and flannelette sheets that really do it! Nothing nicer than a roasting bed and a cold room.

J

[Grimnar]

Originally Posted by 2dayzmuse

I have a wood stove. I try to never turn on the electric heat. The wood heat takes some work, but is very cost effecient and well worth it.

Yes wood is very cost efficient. I almost got a wood stove. Pellets are just a little more expensive and I don't have to worry about cutting and splitting wood.

Lots of different ways that people are heating.

[gelfling]

When we first bought this house, (in PA) it had electric heat only. It was costing us 300/month in the winter for the electric heat alone. Took me 5 months alone to play catch up with the utility company. And it was still colder than a witches *** in January. We than got a coal furnace. Lots of work. Carried in 4 40 lbs buckets of coal every other day. Then had to take the burnt stuff and toss it in the ditch in the woods. Not nice like burning wood that leaves ashes only.

We were finally able to put in a fuel oil furnace with central air. 2 years ago, I paid $1.29/gal. This year filled up in August in a panic when I saw how the prices were shooting up. Paid $2.12/gal. Now it's up to $2.65. Our thermostat is down to 60 and we're wearing sweats and using another blanket.

Fortunately, we've only had several freezing nights so we've used very little fuel. And this week, it's supposed to get up to 65-70. So the weather has been cooperative. But January................

[splendra]

We use wood and are thinking about getting a geothermal system....

[Greenbug]

Whats the temp in Splendraville?

Originally Posted by splendra

We use wood and are thinking about getting a geothermal system....

I do both pellet stove and central gas heater. I did a cost comparison and its a wash really to use just the pellets alone. A bag costs me 4 bucks but lasts 24-36 rough hours, and it doesnt heat the back of my house. I then used the central propane heater and my bill for 90 days was 171 so its actually costs me less to use the propane heater and it heats the whole house.

~GB

[Blake]

Natural gas cetral heat.....

I never turn it on though.....maybe 1 or 2 weeks a year it gets cold enough (in the 50's ) to turn it on, but other than that.....If I cook dinner on a cooler night it usually warms my house enough.

[PlanoTexican]

Warning! The following is a very long, but useful post on home heating and cooling.

As a former Heating and A/C man the geothermal system would be my choice for a colder climate without a second thought. As with anything you buy, have the contractor/seller explain "how it works and why it works".

This works with anything you purchase, if they can’t tell you "how and why" it works, hold on to your money and run (grin).

Here in Texas, I use a Heat Pump now and for heating in a temperate climate they are great.

I will be putting a geothermal system in my new house that I will build in a few years. They are also great for cooling needs.

Get your supply and return lines apart as far as possible to take advantage of a larger part of your water table. Some systems use a single bore hole for both supply and return lines. Yes, single bore systems are cheaper.

With a single bore system you are just short cycling the water in the ground for a shorter time. It doesn’t have as much time to warm up, of cool off in the case of cooling.

That is not the type that I will be installing in my new house. Those systems don’t take advantage of a larger water table and are not as efficient.

Basically you are using water from the water table to get your heat. With a two bore system you are taking water from one part of the water table and then returning it to the water table in another.

As the water travels through the water table it has more time to warm up from the ground, or cool off in the summertime for your cooling needs.

A geothermal system is a basically a Heat Pump that uses the water table in place of, or in addition to outside air to provide heating and cooling needs.

Check the references thoroughly of the contractor and supplier of equipment you plan to use however. It doesn't matter how good the equipment is if it is installed poorly.

[Greenbug]

I concur with PlanoTexican,

As a home inspector most problems I see are from installation. You can have the best equipment in the world but installed wrong, might not work, wont be as efficient as intended. Spend the $$ and do it right the first time.

As far as system, I would contact your local contractor and find which system is most efficient for you geographic location. Some systems my work great but the cost benefit would take years for any break even point.

[Grimnar]

Originally Posted by splendra

We use wood and are thinking about getting a geothermal system....

splendra, do you have any good websites for geothermal? Yeah, I could google it but I am just wondering. One day I'd like to live more "green" and have less reliance on outside sources.

Edit: Thanks for that infor PlanoTexican!

[2tough2die]

I have the world's most annoying heating system. Electric wall units in every room so I run around all night adjusting them b/c they seem to have two settings; 'Blast Furnace' and 'Off'.

It's an apartment though in a rowhome. So I'm hoping electric bill wont be too bad.

[wolflet]

currently i rent & the heating is natural gas in one room (oh joy!) it's kinda pricey, but we have plug in oil heaters...the kind that look like the old stand up water radiators that you see everyone banging on in the movies- cost effective & if you leave them on low when it's cold they work nicely...also a little electric w/a fan in the bathroom for really cold morning shower time.......we put plastic on the windows in the fall & i hang heavy draps in my bedroom

currently i live in colorado, grew up in northern maine.....now that's COLD.....there we had an oil burning furnace that we set on 50 so the pipes wouldn't freeze while we were gone & used wood heat...there is NOTHING like wood heat to drive the wet chill out of your bones...alot of work, but cheaper & very pleasant......also we would plastic the windows & do something called "banking"...you put canvas or tar paper along the foundation of your house about 2 feet tall & then add spruce tree boughs (branches) several layers thick & then the snow adds to that insulation, this helped keep the cellars (basements) warm & the pipes to keep from freezing....& of course flannel sheets as the upstairs was kept mostly shut off & the rooms are chilly.....lots of quilts too........to this day i sleep best with the feel of a heavy weight of blankets & my head under the covers!

[Greenbug]

Thats hillarious!

I had the same heater when I lived in Frisco. either freeze or bake! Thoermostat never worked. I just used to walk around like the Michelin man!

Originally Posted by 2tough2die

I have the world's most annoying heating system. Electric wall units in every room so I run around all night adjusting them b/c they seem to have two settings; 'Blast Furnace' and 'Off'.

It's an apartment though in a rowhome. So I'm hoping electric bill wont be too bad.