1. 

   Samkin
   

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   (I know there have been a zillion old posts on this, but not finding anything spot on in the archives... plus looking for recent feedback.)

   We've reached that time of year where I am painfully reminded of just how absurdly cold our house gets, even with the furnace cranked and new insulation in the walls... Hoping it's because of our lousy old furnace, and that upgrading will be both more affordable in terms of monthly bills & more productive in terms of keeping the house warm. So looking for recs on both brands/dealers & service/installation companies. (Unfortunately it has to stay electric; city wants $12000 to bring gas to our end of the street...)

   Posted 5 months ago #
2. 

   RichY
   

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   There is still Oil, propane and LPG - maybe much less expensive than electric.

   I had an electric furnace a few years ago, I must say I do not miss it, every lightning storm would fry one of the element control circuits ($$), not to mention the electric bills - the noise was about the same as any other forced air furnace.

   Did I mention the rewiring that was required to power the thing.

   I have gas now, but I did look at propane and LPG both affordable, clean , but, like oil, requires deliveries.

   I am sure that many others have good experiences -

   Posted 5 months ago #
3. 

   Cheese
   

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   In concert with a new furnace you really need to know where the heat is leaving your house. We have totally new insulation (which was needed as there was nothing in some walls!), but still the house loses heat like the dickens.

   Our next step may be to have a heat audit done where the hot spots of the house are infrared imaged. I want to *know* where the heat is leaking rather than just say "Oh, it's gotta be the windows"

   We have electric as well, it does a good job heating what it can.

   Posted 5 months ago #
4. 

   saffythepook
   

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   I assume you've also insulated the attic to R40+? If not, I'd put the money there first. It'll make a huge difference.

   Posted 5 months ago #
5. 

   Samkin
   

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   Saffy, funny you'd say that... this is all part of my master plan to remove a useless old chimney and fix up our attic - trying to do it all at once since the chimney runs down into the basement next to the furnace (but is not associated with it, just both taking up tons of useable space...) So better insulation in the attic is a definite plan... as is insulating our garage and installing a better garage door there, since I know we leak a ton of heat that way... Talk about some boring ways to spend money! :) Hopefully it pays off in coziness.

   Posted 5 months ago #
6. 

   Mondoman
   

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   As Cheese noted, it's worth really sorting out where the hot (and cold) air is going in your current setup. It might turn out that fixing or running some new air ducts will fix your issues, or even adding a ceiling fan might help. Spending a few hundred $ up front to have a whole-systems guy evaluate your house and spec any changes could both save you money and keep you warm and happy!
   If you email Ask This Old House, you might get to meet Rich Trethewey and have him design your system!

   Posted 5 months ago #
7. 

   RichY
   

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   Yes, there are rebates and programs available, one is City Light low cost audit
   http://www.seattle.gov/light/Conserve/hea/

   Floor and attic insulation will save a lot(!) of money for the cost

   Here are some that the city is offering (from Seattle Light http://www.seattle.gov/light/Conserve/default.asp):
   The following is a list of some of the incentives and rebates:

   $400 Energy Audit $305.00 discount (customer price = $95)
   Efficient Windows $6 - $8 per square foot
   Attic & floor insulation $.50 per square foot
   Wall insulation $.65 per square foot
   Duct sealing & insulation $250.00 maximum
   Air source heat pump $1,200.00
   Ductless heat pump $1,200.00

   Posted 5 months ago #
8. 

   saffythepook
   

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   Samkin,
   Attic insulation is relatively cheap and will pay for itself very quickly in energy savings, not to mention making the house seem way less drafty since you won't have big temperature gradients across the living spaces. I did my own attic in a weekend for less than $300 in materials. If your remodel is more than a year or two in the future, I'd go ahead and insulate now. I'd wager that even if you trash all the insulation in the course of your remodel, it will still have paid for itself.

   Posted 5 months ago #
9. 

   angeline
   

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   Last fall around this time we discovered a raccoon family had been living in our attic. All the insulation had to go. I can't remember why, but there was about a two week period when we had no attic insulation at all -- something to do with Thanksgiving and it being a busy time of year for insulators. Anyway, I am now REALLY convinced of the value of good attic insulation. First we had the cold, drafty house because the old insulation had been wet, trampled down and shifted around by the raccoons. Then we had the much, much colder house that felt like wind was blowing through it with no insulation. That first night with an insulated attic was heaven!

   Posted 5 months ago #
10. 

    ballardhandyman
    

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    Have you looked into a heat pump? No need for gas, oil, or propane. Heat pumps can be very efficient, and they qualify for all kinds of rebates. Definitely check out the City of Seattle's rebate program, Community Power Works: http://www.communitypowerworks.org All owners of old homes should pay the $95 for the energy assessment to see where your money will be best spent.

    Posted 5 months ago #
11. 

    Samkin
    

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    Handyman, we have been debating the energy assessment, good to hear an outside rec for it. One drawback with some of the rebates from the city is that you have to be currently using baseboards vs a furnace. The heat pump is the only one they said we would qualify for.... Anybody have one currently? How well does it work for those rare but really cold days?

    Posted 5 months ago #

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