What's Your Home Heating Source?

[Pramrider]

Thought this might be a hot topic (pun intended) to discuss since so many members are in the deep freeze at the moment. Might be interesting to hear what heating methods are employed in different parts of the world, if seasonal heating is needed. Our house has a conventional heat pump as it's primary heating source, but we had the builder add a solid fuel (wood/coal) masonry chimney. Even though technically a back-up source, we're mainly using a radiant wood heater to help keep the electric bill down. Rates have increased a lot since we first moved in. When temps are this cold the heat pump kicks into backup (electric) heating because not enough heat can be extracted from the outside air which gets expensive. Geothermal heat pumps are less costly to use, however they basically require an extra well be drilled which raises the initial installation cost significantly.

I know straight electric heat isn't specifically mentioned in the poll. Just list it under *other*. I have rarely seen a home with it lately due to the cost. If you have steam or forced hot air heat, the primary fuel source would be whatever makes the steam or heats the air.

So, what heats you up? Poll to quickly follow...

 

[quattrus]

Most of the private houses in Italy, like the one I live in, use natural gas for heating. Another quite widespread heating source is diesel fuel (the same kind used for engines, but de-taxed for domestic use), exp. for larger/older buildings or in areas not reached by the natural gas distribution net, although natural gas is preferred if it's possible to use it.

I know that a few old buildings were still using coal till not long ago, although that has been made illegal since some years because of the pollution it produces.

Using an heat pump system powered by electricity would be quite inconvenient, exp. since Italy doesn't use nuclear power to produce electricity, ends up buying a lot of it from neighbor countries (i.e. France - which uses nuclear), and the electric bill people have to pay here is probably one of the highest in Europe.

 

[FluffyFluffers]

1. My left hand.
2. laptop(dman thing keeps my room around 80-90)
3. 2 space heaters
4.heater eletric
5 outside flamethrower gas(the thing from the pump) style heater
6 long eletric heater
7 karosine heater tower.
8 wood burning stove
9 fire place.

 

[Nexeon]

Natural Gas heats the apartment building I live in. I think most places are heated by natural gas in my area.

 

[Butterfly Mage]

I used to have diesel and it did make the house smell like a truck stop. Even five years after getting the system replaced by natural gas, the basement still smells slightly of diesel fumes. Anyone considering oil heat beware!

 

[Boogeyman]

I burn shit in my fireplace. It works out well.

 

[tedster]

Bog standard natural gas central heating, here. Although at present my boiler doesn't want to bother heating the water, rather it just prefers to pump cold water round the system instead - how useful. Good thing my computer is an effective space heater!

 

[LilRabbit]

Pretty sure we have natural gas here.

Which... at the moment, isn't working very well. Dunno if our heater is messing up from working so hard the last few days (it was -7F yesterday morning) or what. But right now it's freezing in here.

 

[LittleAdam]

Natural gas here as well. At school we have radiators that are heated with hot water from a boiler. At home we have traditional forced air which is in the majority of new construction houses these days.

 

[Pojo]

My own sexy body can heat up the whole neighborhood

 

[Jon]

I picked 'Other'. I have electric space heat in my house.

EDIT: It was -5F when I came home from poker last night, and this morning when I turned on the heat in my car, snow blew out the vents... It's really cold up here

 

[Peachy]

My own sexy body can heat up the whole neighborhood

Gotta be pretty cold in your place then :tongueout:

I clicked "Natural Gas", provided the Russians and Ukrainians ever get their head out of their asses and stop bickering over who stole how much gas while the rest of Europe is freezing their (sexy) asses off!

Peachy

 

[Pojo]

Gotta be pretty cold in your place then :tongueout:

Dur hur hur hur hur

 

[moocow]

i believe here on campus we are heat pump but i am not sure what type.

 

[mm3]

We have Oil and a fireplace, but in my room my computers keep me warm at night, lol.

 

[Diapered Rabbit]

- I come to a Baby/Diaper site for an off topic subject like this? - You folks are too bored - or just looking to up your post/thread count. I also say what kind of cheese you like (Say Cheese thread) .

While stoking my wood stove (my house's primary heat source) : This thread is perfectly appropriate and is within the off-topic forum. I apologize to Pramrider and to the community for my insensitive post. I have edited out the most offensive parts for civilities sake, and will become a kinder and gentler poster.

 

[Ace]

Believe it or not, my apartment is all electric heat. I know it's supposed to be about the most expensive heat source there is, but where I live our town has it's own electric department and thanks to some deal with Quebec or something, we have one of, if not the lowest electrical rates in the country. I love these utility rates, even with electric heat, my electric bill is never more than $100, though might be a bit higher this month with the cold snap, yesterday morning is was -24F when I left for work.

 

[Valentine]

I actually chose all electric heat for several reasons. I remodeled my home, and would have had to put in all new duct work, which would have involved working underneath my mobile home. It also would have meant a lot of heat lost to under my home, cutting a hole in my roof, which would lead to possible leaks, cutting holes in the floor which would lead to insects and mice. Plus I can turn the heat in each room. My bills can get a bit high, but considering that friends of mine that have a house about twice the size of mine and their utility bills are about 3 times what I pay, I am not complaining.

 

[Nam Repaid]

I put combo, I have propane forced air upstairs and waste oil hot air in the basement. As I get more oil than I can use I run the basement system as much as I can and save on the propane. Their both cranking right now and I'm still cold! I shouldn't have turned them down so low when I went to work this morning. 4degF outside, 43 inside downstairs 60 up when I got home a few minutes ago.

Nam

 

[Martin]

Central heating fueled by natural gas.