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Heating & Air Conditioning

Cheapest Replacement Heating System?

13 years ago

Howdy. An old horizontal oil furnace in a rental went belly up. Due to crawl space limitations it can't be replaced according to the furnace guy so I must do something else.

The house is 75 years old and not insulated. On top of that it has nine foot ceilings. A long term tenant will be moving out in a few months and I'm thinking of selling. I don't want to put any more bucks into it than I have to.

I'm in the WNC mountains near Asheville. It gets pretty cold at times. I have backup bottle gas logs in the fireplace. I had thermopane windows put in about ten years ago. I had the house rewired six years ago. I'm thinking of baseboard electric which seems the cheapest way to go although admittedly not very logical considering the house.

Does anyone have a thought about what I'm considering or what might be an alternative? Thanks, Gene

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Comments (4)

juliekcmo
13 years ago
More info please. How large is the house. 1 story or 2? Is there basement/crawlspace, or on a slab?

Do you only need heating, or heating and cooling?

Do you have adequate circuitry to add electric baseboard in every room, or will this need an upgrade to the electrical.

My gut says a standard horizontal gas furnace and a conversion kit and propane tank might work better if there is not gas service to the house.
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neohioheatpump
13 years ago
If you install electric baseboard any smart buyer will give you much less money for it. Thats probably the most expensive type of heating. I would recommend a heatpump if you don't have natural gas. They do a good job at heating during the mild temps (above freezing). When it gets cold they run non-stop and the backup (electric strip) only engage sometimes. Probably the cheapest option if you don't have nat. gas. These don't cost a ton more than cetral air either.
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tigerdunes
13 years ago
candler

electric baseboard heat is a terrible idea. it will not only hurt you in trying to rent the unit but also when you try to sell.

I would consider propane furnace with AC or a straight mid range HP with electric strip heat backup.

ductwork will need a good evaluation from a qualified dealer.

do it right the first time rather than a shortcut that you will regret later.

IMO
Good Luck!
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candler
Original Author
13 years ago
Hello, again. I know you're right. I didn't feel very good about electric baseboard units to begin with.

Too bad my problem couldn't have been at the end of a heating season. To buy a little time I'll probably pay for the tenant's bottle gas for backup heat (no public gas service).

The furnace crawl space was very limited in height. The furnace guy said today's regulations would not allow them to replace it. Tomorrow I'll talk to the propane people and ask if the space limits their unit.
Reluctantly, it seems I'll probably have to bite the inevitable financial bullet, doesn't it. Thanks. Gene
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