I have been thinking about the cost of heating and the choices, discussed many times here and there is a site "Calculator", but one thing I don't recall being discussed is the number of BTUs one needs to be comfortable.
I had a geothermal heat pump installed 15 years ago and it just now needs some $1,000 + repairs and this caused me to wonder about how much the system has saved me compared to other fuels. The site calculator is helpful in this regard, so long as one has all the numbers....but it doesn't tell one what their total usage is or how well that relates to others. The installation of the HP included an "engineering" evaluation of my heat load which is stated to be about 60 Million BTUs for one heating season...or about 3 cords of hardwood well seasoned and in burned in an efficient wood stove...about right I think, albeit I do not heat with wood 24/7. I use only about 1.2 that much wood.
Anyway, for central NJ typical heating temperatures are in the upper 30s to 40s during the day, and upper 20s to 30s at night, with a large number of nights (perhaps 30) with temperatures in the teens, only rarely does the temperature go down into single digits or lower.
My house is a "all electric" design of 25 years ago. R38 in the ceiling, R19 in walls, all glass is double pane. I have about 2,000 sq feet on two floors.
So, at 60MBTU heat load it would cost me about 500 gallons of heating oil, three cords of hard wood, or 17,000 KWH (4,426 KWH with GHP).
For calibration I'd be interesting in any input on what your BTU load is and some general indication of your heating size and outside conditions. This may be too general.
This is not an attempt to compare cost of wood to oil or electricity, that is provided for nicely using the provided calculator. I'm looking more for a discussion on how heat load experience in BTUs.
I had a geothermal heat pump installed 15 years ago and it just now needs some $1,000 + repairs and this caused me to wonder about how much the system has saved me compared to other fuels. The site calculator is helpful in this regard, so long as one has all the numbers....but it doesn't tell one what their total usage is or how well that relates to others. The installation of the HP included an "engineering" evaluation of my heat load which is stated to be about 60 Million BTUs for one heating season...or about 3 cords of hardwood well seasoned and in burned in an efficient wood stove...about right I think, albeit I do not heat with wood 24/7. I use only about 1.2 that much wood.
Anyway, for central NJ typical heating temperatures are in the upper 30s to 40s during the day, and upper 20s to 30s at night, with a large number of nights (perhaps 30) with temperatures in the teens, only rarely does the temperature go down into single digits or lower.
My house is a "all electric" design of 25 years ago. R38 in the ceiling, R19 in walls, all glass is double pane. I have about 2,000 sq feet on two floors.
So, at 60MBTU heat load it would cost me about 500 gallons of heating oil, three cords of hard wood, or 17,000 KWH (4,426 KWH with GHP).
For calibration I'd be interesting in any input on what your BTU load is and some general indication of your heating size and outside conditions. This may be too general.
This is not an attempt to compare cost of wood to oil or electricity, that is provided for nicely using the provided calculator. I'm looking more for a discussion on how heat load experience in BTUs.
