Oil/electric domestic hot water hybrid??
Like everyone else, I am trying to reduce my household energy consumption, starting with the cost of to heat hot water.
My current setup is multi zoned electric heat pumps with hot water coil air handlers as a back-up heat source. My boilers are twin Weil Mclain oil fired,with a Plus 60 super insulated domestic storage unit. Unlimited hot water-we never run out!
The big advantage to the heat pump configuration is that my local electric utility gives us a 50% discount on our entire household electric bill from Oct-Mar, since we are considered an electric heat home.
However, I am probably using 300 gallons of oil to heat my hot water,and would like to set up a hybrid system to take advantage of the lower cost of electricity.
I thought I would use electric as a “pre-heat” source, and if the demand was such the boilers would fire to keep us with a consistent supply of hot water. I would place the electric system in-line with the oil fired system.
Among my questions are;
1. Tank type or tankless?
2. Should I heat only the domestic hot loop or the master loop which in turn heats the Plus 60 storage tank? I am concerned about the boilers going cold in the summer.
I would welcome all professional comments; Please keep the wit to a minimum.
Replies
How large is your home??
5bdrms,7baths,8000sf.Baseboard been VERRRY good to me