Replies

1. 
   junkhound | Jan 20, 2004 03:36am | #1

   no,

   I^*R remains constant in the present universe.

   Get a heat pump

1. 
   Wahlyman | Jan 20, 2004 04:22am | #2

   people like you are why people like me don't bother with these forums.

1. 
   HammerHarry | Jan 20, 2004 04:28am | #3

   Okay, here's the long version.

   No, newer baseboard heaters are no more efficient.  Any power going to the element creates heat; there is no wasted heat.  Buying new would be a waste of money.

   If you wanted a more efficient heating system, a heat pump would be an excellent choice; however it would involve a major expenditure in ductwork.

   (That's the long version.  You're welcome)

1. 
   Mooney | Jan 20, 2004 04:50am | #4

   That shoulda done it .

   Short version ; yep.

   Tim Mooney

   Edited 1/19/2004 8:51:15 PM ET by Tim Mooney

2. 
   gatno | Jan 20, 2004 04:51am | #5

   if ya want em to work as well as they can, be sure there`re clean clean clean. Dust is a great insulator

1. 
   Sphere | Jan 20, 2004 05:12am | #6

   Gee..I thought I was bad..shame on you JH..spookin the new guy so fast, goodthing we aint fishin..<G>..

2. 
   WorkshopJon | Jan 20, 2004 06:20am | #7

   SPHERE,

   Doesn't you wife ever have a bad day?, Personally there may be a little truth in what JH said, but sometimes.......it's not what you say, it's how you say it.

   Good nite all,

   Jon

3. 
   junkhound | Jan 20, 2004 06:32am | #8

   OK, sorry to the new guy.

   Anyway, for a REALLY long version starting from the basics:

   Electricity in baseboard heaters, no matter if straight resistance coils, resistance coils in a water or oil loop -- you may see some like this advertised as the "best", etc-- generates heat by electrons colliding with metal atoms inside a conductor.  Typical baseboard heaters have nickel chromium resistance wire or similar wires as they provide a lot of collisions for short wire, but a longer length or silver, copper, gold, whatever will provide the same amount of collisions. The I^2*R is a variation of Ohms law (after Frederick Ohmstead, correct me if I remembered his first name wrong) modified by Joule (can't recall his first name) which states that the heat produced by ANY piece of wire is the current squared times it's resistance (resistance is measured in ohms and equals the voltage drop across the wire divided by the current, or rho*L/A -- oops too complicated again)

   Anyway, what Newton ( maybe even heard of him) and Ohmstead and Joule figured out mor'an a hundred years ago (before Edison), is that it aint gonna do you no good to replace baseboard heaters. 

   Edit PS:

   wahlyman : Anyway, the first post I ever did here was about fogging in thermopane windows, and got a gob of trash from a guy named Gabe, exceedingly sorry if I came across the same way. 

   PPS: DO NOT let your kids skip high school physics!

   Edited 1/19/2004 10:37:23 PM ET by JUNKHOUND

2. 
   rjw | Jan 20, 2004 06:42am | #9

   JH - do you feel heat pumps are appropriate/efficient/worthwhile in all climates?

   I see very few heat pumps in my area, and tend to fall behind on their current status.

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1. 
   junkhound | Jan 20, 2004 07:03am | #10

   No info on where he was, I'm in Seattle area, obviously one of the best areas for HP.  Ground source is for anywhere, but maybe payback periood/cost is too long/high without DIY capability.

   Climates that need AC anyway should probably consider use of air source HP for the spring/fall transition seasons (outside 30F, -2C) with Nat gas/oil prices what they are now.

   PS: I'm surrounded by trees, hence, only once in ten years will run HVAC in cooling mode. Jim B had  mini fest at his place a couple of years back (August) and Prodeck took a bunch of Pix and posted - a lot of people asked why most were wearing jackets!