Forum
« Attractive Intercom Systems Carpenter »
February 24, 2005
Gas heat to electricity?
Is it such a crazy idea after all?
For 3 family brownstone: convert from gas boiler/waterheater to electrical baseboard heat and 3 topically applied tankless waterheaters. Do not remove gas supply from the basement, just conserve.
Contras:
1. Cost of conversion ( but we are planing to upgrade electric anyway and doing this very soon. Also, we will never have to buy new gas furnace or pay for service )
2. Cost of heat ( this is the real problem, but brownstones with a very thick walls and only 2 walls outside are very energy efficient, especially this is true for deep brownstones. Also, you can always improve outcome with smart design, like surrounding baseboard heaters with slate tiles on the wall and on the floor)
3. Air is dry ( but probably there are some
advanced baseboards with humidifier builtin)
This is basically all contras that I can think about.
Pros:
1. No more boiler room. For our layout ( very high windowed basement ) it is a potential to have the whole basement, 1200sf living space only for us ( save small entrance area where electrical meters are placed and where we can create common storage space for tenents ).
2. No boiler maintenance ever, no expences.
3. Independent heating bills. Now it is very hot on parlor floor where we live, but we sat it to 70 because tenants from the 3rd floor complains that it is cold for them ( windows are new ). We do not want to be the bad guys. Let them set it as they like and pay for this.
Alternative is to install 2 more gas furnaces with all the expences related to this.
4. We were thinking of converting our house to coop or condo. In this case it is only a plus to have an independent heating systems.
5. Now radiators are placed in some of the most inconvinient places that you can think of. We can place heaters where they should be - under the window. May be even create attractive cover that goes in synk with the period of the house.
So, what do you think of this?
Comments
I am in the planning stages of doing something
very similar - replacing my existing gas boiler/
steam radiators, but with separate hydronic
boilers.
Posted by: Gary at March 2, 2005 11:00 AM
I did a little of googling. Can you tell why you choose hydronic boilers? May be it is an option for us. Also, it would be really great if you will tell more about cost and timeframe of your project.
Posted by: Anonymous at March 2, 2005 3:02 PM
Simple answer as to why convert to separate
gas-fueled hydronic boiler system as opposed
to an electric system:
The significantly greater cost of electricity
vs gas. Your heating bills, I'm told, could
TRIPLE vs gas.
My building is an 8-unit (1,400 sf per) townhouse, and I'm probably looking at about $10K per unit to convert. I'm hoping to
break ground by the end of March, but my
project includes many other aspects, including basement escavation.
Good luck.
Posted by: Gary at March 3, 2005 1:07 PM
I've just been hanging out not getting anything done. What can I say? I've basically been doing nothing worth mentioning, but pfft. Not that it matters. Pretty much nothing exciting happening to speak of. I haven't been up to much these days.
Posted by: Sten48947 at January 8, 2007 7:19 PM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.