A discussion on the heating cost of wood versus oil, propane, electric

[BrotherBart]

Back in the seventies I had a my first house built with the ducts running inside the living space. Ranch house so each room had a "box" duct chase down one of walls of each room. My neighbor did the same. We had central electric resistance heat and three months into winter me and him were comparing notes. His electric bill was four times what mine was. And his house was cold. We went over and climbed up into his attic and they had forgotten to enclose the tops of the duct chases and so he was blowing hot air right up into his attic all winter. THAT is a major duct loss. :ahhh:

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Yes, it is usually more efficient to run a space heater. Zone heating, no duct loss. The 15% duct loss figure is a commonly accepted figure.

I have been in many many new houses being constructed, I am a civil engineer working with developers, and the modern method of construction in my part of the country is uninsulated crawlspace, and an attic space with the ceiling insulated with loose blown in insulation. This leaves the unheated and uninsulated attic and crawlspace to run the ducts. Most often 100% preinsulated flex duct in an octopus configuration. We don't build basements and don't use drop ceilings. It's not poor practice, it meets all codes and is just the way it is done here. I fully agree that a superior build would include rigid ducts inside the heated space, you just won't find it done that way here in modern construction.

It is cheaper to build a home with high duct loss. This decision means greater fuel costs for the life of the home. Cheaper construction cost while still meeting code is a way for the builder to maximize profit. Do you really expect them to leave that money on the table?

Well Highbeam I thank you for educating me on your local building codes, if nothing else it certainly explains why I see these post about "duct heat loss". I am surprised that in the energy conscious times we live in that that sort of thing is acceptable there.
Even 30 years ago that wouldn't have been acceptable around here, and building insulation, vapor and air barrier sealing codes have gotten much stricter since then.
I know what you are saying about cheaper construction cost while still meeting code is a way for the builder to maximize profit, but Holy Cow! It only takes a few hundred dollars to insulate the average crawl space really well, when you are looking at spending possibly thousands on annual heating bills it doesn't take much economic sense to see that that "money being left on the table" as money well spent.

 

[szmaine]

[quote author="CarbonNeutral" date="1289280361"]
5. Heat (and heat for cooking) when the power is out.

This aspect plays a very big part for me. I wasn't in Maine for the ice storm of '98 but I certainly have heard alot about it.
I take great comfort in knowing that under such an extended period with no electricity my family will be warm and have hot meals. Add a few oil lamps into the picture and some good books and it even starts to sound kind of fun.

 

[firefighterjake]

5. Heat (and heat for cooking) when the power is out.

This aspect plays a very big part for me. I wasn't in Maine for the ice storm of '98 but I certainly have heard alot about it.
I take great comfort in knowing that under such an extended period with no electricity my family will be warm and have hot meals. Add a few oil lamps into the picture and some good books and it even starts to sound kind of fun.

I was in Maine during the Ice Storm . . . 14 days without power . . . well to be fair 14 days without power for my wife . . . I ended up going to the Fire Academy and leaving her behind (with a broken wrist even after she fell over my ATV plow in the dark). I was "lucky" to be one of the few that was able to buy a gasoline-powered generator and with help from a co-worker was able to wire up my boiler to run off the generator . . . but after that event having a "back up" to my oil boiler was definitely one of my long term goals for the house . . . of course now the oil boiler is my back up to my woodstove.