Energy Saving Devices » Steam Heating http://www.energy-saving-devices.com Savings for Your Home Fri, 04 Nov 2011 21:14:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Switching Electric Resistance or Steam Heating to Hot Water Heating http://www.energy-saving-devices.com/switching-electric-resistance-or-steam-heating-to-hot-water-heating/ http://www.energy-saving-devices.com/switching-electric-resistance-or-steam-heating-to-hot-water-heating/#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:41:28 +0000 admin http://www.energy-saving-devices.com/?p=214 Electric resistance heating, also called electric baseboard heating, is the cheapest to install and the most expensive to operate, as it is the least efficient source of heat. Unfortunately, upgrading to ducted systems, as discussed below, will involve a significant expense for ducting. Another option is to switch to a hot water baseboard system. Baseboard heaters can probably replace electric resistance baseboards in the same location, but will still require extensive plumbing.

Steam systems are generally less efficient than hot water heating systems, but the efficiency gain of upgrading to hot water is probably not worth the expense; it would be better instead to upgrade or replace your boiler. However, it is sometimes possible to convert existing steam distribution pipes to hot water heating, which reduces the cost of the system to the cost of the boiler, the baseboard heaters, and the installation labor. This is generally only feasible in newer two-pipe steam systems (that is, systems in which two pipes go to each radiator, one for the steam and one for the condensate return). For some homeowners, the aesthetic and space-saving benefits of eliminating the large steam radiators may be worth the expense.


Source: EERE, US Department of Energy

]]> http://www.energy-saving-devices.com/switching-electric-resistance-or-steam-heating-to-hot-water-heating/feed/ 0