Looking for recommendations as to which type of fuel would be best for a senior citizen for both ease and cost. Going to install an airtight wood stove to help heat the house. Should I choose wood, pellets, propane or something else as the fuel to be burned? Didn’t know where else to post such a question, so thanks for any and all input.
Home heating fuel recommendations
- Thread starter chartrue2
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if you dont have natural gas, A heat pump is pretty economical. Propane here(NE OHIO) costs about 11x as much as natural gas to heat with
Pellets require maintenance. but are less than half the price of propane to heat with.
Heat pump numbers vary by the outside temp. Its more efficient until you get COLD. I dont have a chart in front of me.. and it varies with exact model but I want to say the heat pump is cheaper to run until below 20F at least.
What is your current heating type?
The cheapest of course would be a woodburner if you dont have to pay for wood.. but that is also alot of effort and tool(s) needed.
Pellets require maintenance. but are less than half the price of propane to heat with.
Heat pump numbers vary by the outside temp. Its more efficient until you get COLD. I dont have a chart in front of me.. and it varies with exact model but I want to say the heat pump is cheaper to run until below 20F at least.
What is your current heating type?
The cheapest of course would be a woodburner if you dont have to pay for wood.. but that is also alot of effort and tool(s) needed.
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Lots of variables relating to the homeowner's physical capabilities (now and in the future), as well as local costs of the various fuels. Wood could have a huge spread - from friends/family sourcing it from the bush for the cost of running a pickup and chainsaw, to paying someone to source, split, deliver, and stack it.
Don't forget to consider any impact on insurance rates. I can't imagine a wood stove is viewed as lower risk than a propane furnace.
Don't forget to consider any impact on insurance rates. I can't imagine a wood stove is viewed as lower risk than a propane furnace.
We have a heat pump and like it a lot. Simple to use. Relatively low operating cost. We have a "hung below the floor" unit with typical vents for the living room and dining room. I change the air filter on that unit every 3 months or so. We also have 3 wall units and vacuum the filters on them on about the same schedule. In theory it's also a cooling system but our weather is so mild we essentially never need to use it (used about 4 times in 7 or 8 years, and 2 of those times were just checking to see if it still worked.). A modern heat pump is working just fine at -10C (14 F), which is about as cold as it ever gets here.
Natural gas would operate a bit cheaper but we don't have access to it in my neighbourhood.
We have a wood stove for backup but hauling wood and tending the stove for day to day heating gets old really fast.
Natural gas would operate a bit cheaper but we don't have access to it in my neighbourhood.
We have a wood stove for backup but hauling wood and tending the stove for day to day heating gets old really fast.
A wood stove option will be D I R T Y ...the wood brings a lot of dirt and "things" into your home.
With wood pellets, you'll be buying and hauling lots of bags of the darn things. Also, as mentioned above, they aren't maintaince free. Not as bad as the wood stove though.
With wood pellets, you'll be buying and hauling lots of bags of the darn things. Also, as mentioned above, they aren't maintaince free. Not as bad as the wood stove though.
Wood pellets are lousy for older people. How much is electrical power and would they be able to afford the capital cost of a heat pump.
If you gather up the cost of propane and electrical power we can help come up with the price per million BTU’s. Is there natural gas in the area?
If you gather up the cost of propane and electrical power we can help come up with the price per million BTU’s. Is there natural gas in the area?
A heat pump will also provide economical summer cooling. Torrid hot weather can be hard, even fatal, for old folks.
One note about heat pumps. I have one in my current apartment. I like it a majority of the time, but here in Michigan during the winter it can’t keep up. I have to use supplemental heat. The heat pump is sized correctly for the sq ft, but it is a cheaper model. Definitely look at heat pumps that can operate below zero depending on location. My heat pump starts losing steam below 32F and can’t keep up below around 20F.
You said help heat the house - so what is your current / primary heat?
My parents heated with wood mostly - all we had when I grew up. As they got older they switched to Nat gas which worked great for them. Presumably you don't have access, in which case I would likely go Propane if you can afford it - works well and is simple.
Carrying bags of pellets could become difficult in later years?
My parents heated with wood mostly - all we had when I grew up. As they got older they switched to Nat gas which worked great for them. Presumably you don't have access, in which case I would likely go Propane if you can afford it - works well and is simple.
Carrying bags of pellets could become difficult in later years?
Here we have oil, propane and wood. Propane is $1 per gallon less than oil but oil is 40,000 btu more per gallon more than LP. The wood is free minus the tools needed to process. Aged out of the process except for small stuff. Decided against pellets' and heat pumps for now so will reevaluate next heating season.
My mom is 84, uses a cold temp heat pump in VT. It works very well, and is inexpensive to operate. She has backup propane for the -10ºF nights. While propane is expensive, it is not used often. The propane is used in a wood burning stove "looking" device. So it provides nice radiant heat.
The one downside is that the propane unit has a pilot light. So if the propane runs out, she has to get a refill and relight it. But the up-side is that it is automatic, does not need electrical power and will work when ever the inside temp drops below the setting. That's good for remote Vermont where winter time power outages do happen.
I've spent time there in the winter, it's an epic good combo.
NOTE: As mentioned above, certain modern heat pumps have variable speed compressors and do produce ample heat down to below zero without engaging the power consuming resistance heater.
The one downside is that the propane unit has a pilot light. So if the propane runs out, she has to get a refill and relight it. But the up-side is that it is automatic, does not need electrical power and will work when ever the inside temp drops below the setting. That's good for remote Vermont where winter time power outages do happen.
I've spent time there in the winter, it's an epic good combo.
NOTE: As mentioned above, certain modern heat pumps have variable speed compressors and do produce ample heat down to below zero without engaging the power consuming resistance heater.
I'm thinking gas, natural or propane. Oil fired furnace requires annual upkeep (cleaning and inspection), don't think propane does. Then again, annual inspection may be a good thing, keep the system in tip-top shape.
I'm on my second house with my hot water coming off my furnace. Not sure why more don't do that. My furnace runs year round. If I have a problem, it's known immediately. And my hot water tank will never rust out (it's fiberglass).
I'm on my second house with my hot water coming off my furnace. Not sure why more don't do that. My furnace runs year round. If I have a problem, it's known immediately. And my hot water tank will never rust out (it's fiberglass).
Pellet stoves break down all the time , too. Augers and fan motors don't last long at all.
The way to handle question on oil vs propane is to bring out the dollars per gallon, the btu per gallon and the efficiency of the furnace, ie 70 % vs 90%. Once they are compiled they can be compared. spoiler: propane blows away heating oil.
People say the obvious (It is BITOG) that sometimes isn't obvious. I have a 500 gallon propane tank and we haven't filled it in over a year.
Of course if you have NG, use that.
But your best bet without NG will be dual fuel. Heat pump for 90-95% of your heating (plus you get cooling!!), propane for the the really cold and heat boost needed. Intelligent T-stat does it perfectly. Plus area heaters if really needed.
All that and you could still add wood/pellets.
Of course if you have NG, use that.
But your best bet without NG will be dual fuel. Heat pump for 90-95% of your heating (plus you get cooling!!), propane for the the really cold and heat boost needed. Intelligent T-stat does it perfectly. Plus area heaters if really needed.
All that and you could still add wood/pellets.
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+1 for dual fuel. Efficiency of a heat pump and the power of propane when you need it.
+1 - heat pump.
This is such a good point I edited my post to add it.
Hahhahahaha THIS really is the main reason we didn't even go one winter season on propane only heating without the capital spending on the whole new mechanical system (ducts the same). HE propane heat, HE heat pump. Our house is heat soaked hot box in the summer. I am unsure how the previous clowns survived. What's that smell?
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