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HVAC guys - school me on the pros and cons of propane vs. electric furnace


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Okay, been doing some research and I think I'm going to go with a high-efficiency electric furnace and heat pump and a basement pellet furnace attached to the ductwork.

So does anyone have any opinions on brands of pellets stoves/furnaces? Has to be the type with a blower that will attach to ductwork. 1800 square-foot house.

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Good choice on the heat pump thing. My electric bill was $67 last month and everything's electric. Although all my lights are 90% CFL OR LED including the outdoor motion lights, and the water heater is an instant on type for the whole house. And I don't have one of those stupid dawn to dusk lights on the pole that the electric company pimps out, which cost in electric $25/month. And never opt for an additional electric meter for a garage. I finally piped 220 from the house to garage, eliminated the other electric meter and that reduced it by another $20ish. They don't really tell you about each meter having built in costs.

Edited by Gump
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My cousin's husband works for a local electric company and they did tell me about the $20 a month charge for each meter. We are using CFL or LEDs everywhere except the bathroom vanity. Those things look like shit when they're exposed.

Still got people trying to talk me into propane versus the electric even though it's really going to be a back up system. Can anybody tell me what the advantages are of paying for the tank and having to tend to the fuel level when I'm planning on using the pellet burning furnace the majority of the time?

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My cousin's husband works for a local electric company and they did tell me about the $20 a month charge for each meter. We are using CFL or LEDs everywhere except the bathroom vanity. Those things look like shit when they're exposed.

Still got people trying to talk me into propane versus the electric even though it's really going to be a back up system. Can anybody tell me what the advantages are of paying for the tank and having to tend to the fuel level when I'm planning on using the pellet burning furnace the majority of the time?

not being locked into a contract is the #1 reason. If you do not have a contract with a supplier you can shop for the best price and get new customer pricing. I believe I may have mentioned this but I bought my tank for $750 + tax from Amerigas. I made that money back within 7 months by being able to choose my provider and get preferred pricing.

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I guess what I'm asking is how significant is the savings over electric if you're barely using it?

I'm still considering propane, just doesn't seem like it's worth the extra expense of the tank and trouble of getting it filled if my main source of heat is going to be pellets.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Do we have anyone (HVAC people, maybe grape) that could send me a quote for a Lennox XP25 heat pump with installation?  I'm having a hard time finding numbers online!

or, if any of you have a guy, please send his number my way!  Thanks.

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