Heating Options (Update)

I've contacted many people over the last two weeks trying to figure out what I can do about my lack of healthy heat. It's a slow process trying to get people to come to the edge of civilization for estimates or evaluations. Some refuse to come as it's too far away (darn). Some don't show at all nor do they return my calls/emails (unprofessional). Some tell me there is nothing they can do since I can't smell the problem and the furnace is working fine (idiots). Some have treated me like I'm stupid (morons). Some have come for appointments right on time AND fragrance-free (awesome). It makes me want to give them money just for showing up. While I gather information, I've been using one small radiator heater located in a sectioned off 10 x 10 space surrounding my desk and computer. The concentrated heat and lack of air give me headaches yet the lack of consistent air quality and dead, recirculated flow keeps my fingers and toes freezing. So weird. The outside temperatures haven't dropped too low, but they will. I need to find a solution, yet be smart about it.

Options:

Portable Oil-Filled Radiator Heaters  This is what I'm using now. It's definitely heating the small space it's in, but I think I'd need at least five to heat the whole downstairs. They don't have built-in fans to circulate the warmth so they aren't very efficient. I tried this a few years ago for one month as I was trying to figure out how to not use my heating system then and my bills skyrocketed. I know it's not a permanent solution.

Fireplaces or Wood-Burning Stoves  I think these are great for emergencies or power outages, but my lungs can't handle the smoke. I have no desire to chop and haul wood daily either. My house used to have a fireplace years ago, but the previous owners removed it because it was such a hassle to maintain. A wood-burning stove or fireplace insert can run anywhere from $300 to $8,000 or more. My neighbor has the $8,000 model. She's an idiot. Spewing smoke into the already polluted air is not very responsible and cutting trees for firewood uses valuable resources unnecessarily. Another option are pellet stoves, but those offgas toxic fumes if they are not maintained regularly.

Radiant Heat  This is the type of heat that is supposedly the best for chemically sensitive people. It uses heated water in pipes so there are no fans blowing dust or toxic materials and filters don't need to be changed constantly. No risk of burnt dust which is toxic to many. It's usually under the floor, although old-style is above ground in cast-iron radiators. These are still very popular in Europe. Old-style also runs off gas or water heaters and is not as cost effective as the newer models which run off natural gas or oil. For new construction, this is a great option. For old houses, forget it. I've been told the cost to install it in a old house is astronomical.

Heat Pump/Furnace  With this option, I'd have to replace what I have with a brand new system or repair parts of it to get rid of the cheap and toxic fiberglass duct board. I can't see doing this as I doubt if there would be anyway to avoid formaldehyde, plastics, fiberglass insulation, or other toxic materials that are used. I'd still have the forced air blowing dust around and it's expensive at around $2,000 to $3,500 depending on how much replacement I'd need.

Ductless Heat Pump  I have no idea why I never heard of this years ago when I was researching for a brand new central heating system. It's like a high-powered wall heater/air conditioner that runs on a heat pump from the outside. No ducts. No under-the-house-personal hell. One heater unit can heat the whole house and is about 40 - 50 % more efficient than a regular heat pump, or so all the salespeople and sales ads say. Unfortunately, installation is incredibly expensive to the tune of $3800.00 for just one heater unit. This is not an expense that thrills me since I want to sell the house in the next few years.

Wall Heaters   I got a quote for either one big wall heater or two small ones for two different rooms: $471 and $538, respectively. People love them and I've heard they are very cost effective. Wall heaters use fans to circulate the air which makes them a little more efficient than a radiator oil-filled heater. I have them upstairs in my bedrooms so I know they work fine. I think my heating bills would go up, but more importantly, I really don't want to be cutting open the walls and adding heaters.

Infrared Portable Heaters  When my two elderly neighbors told me they had space heaters I envisioned the radiator-style and wondered how they could ever afford it. As I mentioned above, I know these expend a lot of energy and I worried how much more their bills are than mine. Finally one day I got the nerve to ask. I know it's rude to ask people about finances, but I couldn't help myself and both their houses are about the same year and size as mine. I needed to know! Both replaced their oil furnaces with these little infrared portable electric heaters although they do also have wall heaters that are used on occasion. Their electric bills are a little more than mine during the winter, but not that much. They invited me over to have a look. One of my neighbors had three of them on her main floor and her house was at least 80 degrees! BUT the heaters were awesome. EdenPure is the brand.Very quiet and efficient. They highly recommended them so I started researching. Most cost about $400. Our local hardware store carries them with $60 tacked onto the online price just for the fun of it (UGH!) and several of the store employees use them. One of those employees is a friend of mine and offered to loan me his for a few days to try it out:

 

Toasty! I have it on the lowest setting and have had to turn it off every now and then because it is so efficient. Reviews online are about 50% love them, 50% hate them. I'm not sure if there is a pattern, but everyone I know doesn't run them on high and it makes me wonder if the naysayers do? Some claim it doesn't heat a small room, but confess they have old-style windows and not very good insulation. Some claim if it breaks down, sending it back to the company for repairs is a nightmare, but anyone I've spoken to who has had problems (the bulbs burn out after about a year and need to be replaced) say it was easy, fast and painless. There is a 5-year warranty on the larger unit. I really like that if I get one I can take it with me when I move so it's not money I will lose when I sell the house. And, it's made in America! How rare is that?

I wonder how much this will affect my electric bills? Will this little unit use less energy than my whole central heating system? My two elderly neighbors' bills are a little higher than mine but they also use multiple heaters plus their wall heaters. Others have said it saves them money especially if they are using a furnace as this little unit keeps the inside temperature stable so the furnace doesn't kick on as often.

Time will tell. I'll update this post when I discover more.