Electric heat and insulation, insulation, insulation
I miss the days when coal, oil, and natural gas was abundant and one could find a 30% efficient furnace chugging away in the basement. There was no thought to waste. It was a quaint time.
But the world has changed considerably in the last 50 years. Oil resources have peaked and we are living in the era of the slide down where heating with fossil fuels is becoming increasingly unsustainable. Houses tend to be bigger than they were in 1940, though better insulated. But now the U.S. and world population has exploded to unsustainable levels. Global warming is affecting all of us.
I prefer baseboard heat because it makes no noise, there is no waste of heat, it's easy to control, no venting is required, and it doesn't require dangerous or dirty energy source.
But regardless of what ones favorite or familiar type heating is, making sure your living envelope is thoroughly insulated is key to economizing and being comfortable. Americans really need to focus on this as the oil resources continue to become more difficult to attain, prices will go up and solutions to staying warm (or cool) will become a prime goal. Something we in the U.S. take for granted these days.
Just like when you go outside, or get into bed, what do we do to stay warm? We get a jacket or blankets, and the thicker the covering, the warmer we are. The same principle applies to our homes, though it isn't as easy to apply. American's need help in insulating their homes, and for that matter, understanding the concepts.
Some solutions: windows are the greatest source of heat loss. Eliminate unnecessary windows by building over them and insulating the space. If you have thermopane windows, like a double pane window, add another one on the inside, so you have a double-double pane window.
Chimneys, flues, and vents: know where they are and how open they are. These can act like a stray, quietly sucking heat right out of your house when they are not operating. I once lived in a house with a 6" kitchen vent hood that had no baffles and the heat was literally just going right up and out. Fireplace chimney with no damper, or with an open damper will do the same things. We don't question what their doing because they are frequently associate with heating. A typical gas water heater with flue has an open vent and will freely suck any hot air up and out, including room air. When possible always chose closed combustion appliances that have a separate pipe that brings outside air in for the sake of combustion.
Dryers: a favored appliance for most people here, but when they are operating, the suck a huge amount of room air and push it outside. These should all have a separate duct that connects for fresh air in, so they use fresh clean outside air, instead of room air. Because they aren't usually used but for a few hours a week, their losses can be controlled by opening a near by window, or similar. In situations where they are used daily alternatives should be sought.
Best of luck to everyone securing their home for the heating season.
http://https//youtu.be/Q3uvzcY2Xug
