what type of heating system?

[Aaron Sardinha]

Hey Guys,

   So we are in the midst of a single family gut renovation project that we will be renting out long term. We will be paying the utilities since its for subsidized housing. 

    We are trying to figure out what to do for a heating system. We were originally thinking to do heat pumps, then we got a quote and it was around $10K installed, which is not in our budget. We found a company called MR Cool which offers DIY systems within our budget but they are only effective down to -5 F. I've heard that heat pumps are meant to be supplemental systems which is concerning but I'm not sure if that's true and this house is up near Bangor, ME which gets colder than -5 F.

    So we're not sure if we should bother with the heat pumps and also install inexpensive hydronic electric baseboard as a supplement or if we should go all out on a run of the mill oil system. The house is under 1200 SF and the bedrooms are on the second floor. It's located in northern Maine and there is no natural gas access. We are considering going solar in the next few years.

Thoughts?

[Sean Sullivan]

While heat pumps are expensive upfront, they are within 25% total cost of a hydronic oil furnace + system install, and the benefit of heat pumps is that (as the one paying utilities) you do not have to worry about refilling the oil tank. Further, you avoid the potential of forgetting to refill it while tenants are away, having a single pipe freeze, and footing the bill for hydronic heat system busting open, flooding/ freezing the building (a not uncommon occurence). 

Heat pumps can be the primary heat source, and if your insurance agent or others want to see backup - I suggest electric baseboards that have built in thermostats. 

Lastly, heat pump installs in Maine can be eligible for substantial rebates (google Efficiency Maine rebates), and if your long term plan is solar, fit beautifully into the plan - being low energy use and able to be powered by solar.