These recent posts
About CO2 fears, and oil burning, and chimney fires, .... and on and on. Those are all real issues and thank god no one was hurt. I've had or know people who've had equal problems.
My parents first house burned down shortly after they sold it in the mid 60s, because of an oil leak in the furnace.
I've seen the mess of creosote when it gets wet, runs down the chimney, and out on the floor. I've heard the stories and seen buried oil tanks that rusted and leaked and caused thousands of dollars in damages.
Then there is the "old" basement, filled with a boiler and associated pipes that were covered with asbestos in the 50s or 60s and that whole mess. Ughh. That's tens of thousands of dollars to clean up and remove.
As much as I love basements, I don't like them filled with spilled oil, coal dust, asbestos dust, wood dirt..... NO ! I doubt ANYONE does.
My parents, well meaning, but not the most practical, used to cut and burn wood for heat. It was awful. I swear the heat exchanger was cracked. The dust, the uncontrollable temperature, the air pollution, the smell, the mice, the work, the chimneys existing at all and the need to frequently clean them, the higher home insurance cost, the fire risk. UGH
Electric is so nice. There is no-o-o-o 'going to the basement' to service it because its just a 3'-6' long metal piece tucked compactly in each room. There is no noise, no chimney, no waste, no moving parts, no mice, no asbestos, no big expense, no dust, no ducts to clean, no air pollution, and it's always the perfect temperature just by turning the thermostat. And AND, if you are equipped adequately, it is possible to generate some or all of your own electricity with solar or other means, so you aren't dependent on an outside source.
Electric baseboards are cheap. A 36" is about $40.
I do have to say, though, I was brought up with natural gas FA furnace and we had central air installed in about 1983. Call it weird (that's a given here at AW.) There was something about the first time the heat was turned on in the Fall. It was like a reassurance that you'd be safe and warm. And there was something about the smell- the oils from the ducting heating up, the subtle scent of singed duct dust, I don't know what it was. I've smelled it in other homes as well. There is that history there.
Still, if I were in the market (and actually I am) for a 1000 s.f. ranch type house, in a cold climate, would I focus on the status quo of working out the typical gas furnace and little bit of caulking and storm door here and there,
OR
would I kick ass and say "Hell no! I'm not doing that every other year" and kick the gas appliances to the curb, shut off the gas, and go all Electric [take a deep breath]? Yes ! And most importantly INSULATE, INSULATE, INSULATE!
I already know how well Solar electric works.
I WILL NOT allow any gas appliances in my home based on political and safety reasons (even though I love me a nice gas stove)
So yeah, its baseboard heating, SUPER INSULATION, solar electric, and for cooling sleave/window unit or mini split with remote controls.
Really good insulation also makes cooling in the summer much easier and more efficient.
In the typical house, if the inside is fine and I don't need to remove drywall, I'm going to work from the outside removing the siding and all crap fibre glas, reinsulating the walls with ISO foam board cut and fit, then apply at least another 4" to the outside and then reside.
The windows would be reduced in size and number and the frames extended for the additional insulation on the wall. Eliminate roof windows, and most large windows. All windows to be DOUBLE double pane windows. So, Two double pane windows at each opening. Like one would acts as a storm window for the other.
Ceiling/attic- remove all old material if not iso board and reinsulated with ISO board at least 12", make sure sealed from vapor passage and attic has adequate ventilation.
roofing= metal roof.
Exterior doors eliminate any patio doors, install an air lock if possible, which is basically a double steel exterior door.
Basement sills sealed and insulated, possibly the first floor, also the basement wall down to the frost line (48" in Minnesota).
Chimneys and fireplaces= removed.
All gas appliance and lines= removed.
Electric service= make sure it is up to code with ALL breakers being GFI protected. No 220 volt double pole breakers allowed. Install some lines that can be connected to inverters. Install all 12 volt lighting and 12 volt outlets through out house. These can run directly from battery.
Water heating= Kitchen, dedicated 2.5 or 4 gallon under sink 120 volt water heater with timer/switch on wall.
Bathroom(s) dedicated 6 or 10 gallon 120 volt water heater with 60 minute timer on wall
Laundry- fed off one of the mentioned water heaters or have a 4 gallon 120 volt water heater with 60 minute timer.
refrigerator- 4 c.f. dorm style frig
freezer - 2 c.f. freezer only
dryer- either decorative (not used) or operating at 120 volts with outside air intake.
Whoo, I got on a tangent there. Idealist? oh yeah.
It's not as easy as throwing money at a furnace installer, but it's kind of a once and done proposition. Insulation Foam board doesn't degrade, unlike fibre glas. So it won't need service in 5 years. Its kind of like would you rather live in a big foam cooler or a big wood box with numerous holes in it (chimneys, leaky windows, poor insulation, etc.)
Still, I take my skills for granted and assume others can do it too. That really hurts because, I realize how vulnerable many others are.
