HELP! ALL ELECTRIC, NOW WHAT?

The radiant heat from the electric ceiling cables make the house feel warmer than the space heaters just as a radiant coal stove makes a space more livable. You need to find out what the real reason she only wants electric heat. If the issue is ugly piles in the yard and you have the space to build one, an outdoor coal boiler shed would solve the problem. This would keep the yard neat and pretty. You can drop by occasionally to make sure it is running properly. The boiler could feed itself coal and remove ashes automatically. You could then put a water to air heat exchanger in the existing ductwork and be done. You can replace all the old ceiling heat cable but that would get expensive as the old ceiling would need to be removed then replaced. Electric rates will be going up so a move to coal might be better. Do you have a winter bill comparison for the electric because you also replaced the compressor for the A/C and that is a variable in this equation?

Well it was last summer that I replaced the AC compressor. I know that she didn't have any AC for two and a half months last year until I got it fixed. But that would have been on the YTD bill. For years they were on a budget of $125.00 a month and my dad kept telling me that if I were all electric, I would save money too. Last year it increased to $150.00.

He would always question me as to why I want to bother with all of the coal and wood, especially since my budget electric bill was $175.00 a month. I started to wonder too. But I was not comparing apples to apples, it's more like apples to grapefruits, regarding the different size houses, year of construction and insulation factors.

So to prove a point, I installed an electric hot water tank to a coil in the duct work of my house for two months. I was surprised with how well it actually worked. I couldn't believe how much heat that 50 gallon hot water tank provided. Then I got sticker shock when my electric bill came in at $1100.00 a month. Well, needless to say, it isn't there anymore and I'm back to anthracite and wood. That was an expensive experiment. Those two months of easy electricity could have bought me a whole winters supply of anthracite.

So after that experiment, my dad helped me out with a more elaborate anthracite forced air set up. But, hind sight being 20/20, I should have purchased an anthracite coal boiler. I'm happy with what I have, but there eventually will be an anthracite coal boiler along with the existing units. There is a nice feeling to know if there is no electricity, I'll still have heat and hot water through the gravity by pass in the design.

Doug
Here is an DV oil boiler a plumber buddy used for heating his garage. Works great!
http://www.burnham.com/PDF/MPO%20literature092408.pdf
If you are staying with the electric all I can say is INSULATE.
Having built 3 of the most energy efficient electricly heated (superinsulated) homes in CT I know how to cut heating costs.
All were new construction, but there is much that can be done in the existing home area to save on heating expenses.
Charles