is heating my home cheaper with propane or electricity?

Q. im going to add a heater to heat the bedrooms portion of my house (about 1000 sq. feet) 3 bedrooms. Would adding a propane wall furnace cost less to operate or would an electric fake fireplace be better?

A. It depends where you live. In Hawaii electric is around 47 cents a KWh and in Missouri it is around 6 cents. However when the gas/oil went up so did the propane cost and for a while electric was cheaper here. Propane gas kind of has a set price with the whole USA with in a few cents here and there, but electric is different where ever you live. Idaho has the cheapest electric rate so there electric would be cheaper where as California propane may be cheaper.

To run a stove on a 5 gallon size (25 pound tank) will last about 2 months. This is cooking two meals a day for 4 people and running the oven once a week. So it does go a long way I am sure you can ask your sales person about BTU's and how long it will last on the size of tank you have.

If you looked at propane this way as liquid form one eye dropper size of liquid will be 64 times larger in a gas form and will cook about two pots of Top Ramin soup or two pots of macaroni and cheese. It also depends on your altitude as well.

An electric heater can be plugged into the wall where as propane will have to piped in and it must meet building codes and when the tank is empty you will have to take to have it refilled. However if you already have propane to your home it maybe worth you while. to run a pipe a few more feet over to your bed room, and have the truck come out to refill your large permanent tank. The other thing with propane is it will have to be vented to the outside and electric you do not.

They both smell like a dry vent when you first turn them on. A gas heater may last longer where as an electric may need repairs after a while.

If you have the time to research it I am sure you will find that a Geo thermal system will best the best option and then you can have central heating and cooling throughout your whole home. The new systems now days are tax deductible and they are very clean and efficient to use. Here is a web site that you can see if your state offers a program for this system. http://www.dsireusa.org/index.cfm?EE=1&RE=1 Geo Thermal is considered a renewable energy like solar or wind power.

I hope, I have gave you more information then what you asked for. I hope I did not forget anything?

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How expensive is Hawaii REALLY?

Q. We're going to honeymoon in Hawaii from April 19th to May 4th, split evenly between Oahu (Honolulu), Maui, and the Big Island. Which island is the most expensive? Is it expensive just to eat out at moderate-level restaurants? What about take out places, and supermarkets? How about souvenirs and such?

I've done my research on activities, tours, luaus, golf and spa, and we've booked a few expensive dinners (it is our honeymoon after all) but would like to know how much the day to day would be.

Thanks!

A. First, there's the cost to get there and get around. And, that depends on where you're coming from. Right now, you can get round trip tickets from San Diego to Honolulu for about $550 or so per person. And, interisland flights range from about $60 to $90 per person per flight, depending on what time you fly (middle of the day is most expensive). A rental car will run you about $250 a week, more if you have to get it on a daily basis (you only get the weekly rate for 5 days or more).

Figure about $150 - $200 a night at least for a hotel room. More if you get a suite or rental condo. A decent 1-bedroom condo on Maui, for example, might run around $250 - $300 a night. More at the big resorts.

Moderately priced meals would vary depending on where you went. If it's a burger place or something, you're maybe looking at about $10 per person. If it's a sit-down restaurant, maybe more like $15 - $20 at least per person, not including alcoholic beverages. A nice restaurant would set you back $30 to $40 or more per person. And, you'll probably want snacks, drinks, etc., throughout the day. Figure that groceries are going to be about 1-1/2 to 2 times the price on the mainland. So, even if you're in a condo and making some of your own meals, it's more expensive than at home.

Souvenirs, I wouldn't know. I don't buy them.

For activities, figure a luau or sunset cruise is going to be about $75 per person. A snorkel cruise on a boat will run you about $125 and a scuba trip will be more like $175 per person.

My wife and I went to Maui in February and stayed in our timeshare in Kahana, north of Lahaina. We bought most of our food and drink at the grocery store (no expensive restaurants) and took a couple of boat trips (sunset cruise and snorkel cruise). Otherwise, we mostly went hiking in Kapalua and Perouse Bay.

I would say - not counting accomodations, airfare, and rental car - we probably spent about $1200 during the week. If we paid market rates for the condo, that would have been $1500. Air fare for the round trip was about $1600 (bought the non-refundable tickets when prices were high due to fuel costs). And, the rental car was about $400 (rates were jacked up, because there were two druise ships in town). So, the whole trip was about $4700 for the week.

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what color flooring should I use?

Q. I want to install vinyl plank flooring in my two bedroom apartment, but I don't know what color to choose. I originally wanted bamboo color because it's lighter and might make my place look bigger, but now I'm thinking about a darker chocolate wooden color because it can hide dirt, but I'm afraid it will make my place look smaller. It might be significant to note that I have teal colored marble in my kitchen and bathrooms so it will have to compliment that. Any suggestions from interior designers or experts? Mahalo!

A. I think you should use the lighter colour unless you have an awful lot of natural light to keep the place looking bright in the daytime. It will make the place look bigger if you have a lighter colour. Unless you have a lot of dirt coming in, which you don't usually get in apartments, keeping it clean won't be a big problem. I've got two colours of vinyl plank flooring, maple in the kitchen and cherry in the living room and bedroom. The cherry looks wonderful and warm at night with lamps on, but my place doesn't get much sunlight and it tends to look dark in the daytime with that floor colour. A lighter floor would probably have been a better choice in my house, though it would certainly show the hair my two black dogs shed. The maple is the floor we walk into at the front door, and it does show dirt but I have a lot of tree needles around here and they get everywhere. Are you in Hawaii? I'm sure you usually get a lot more light in daytime than I get here in the cloudy Pacific Northwest.

Keep in mind that it isn't necessary to choose the same colour for every room. If you have an entry hallway where most of the dirt could come in, and there's a logical transition point to go from one colour to another, there's no reason you need to use one colour throughout. Depends on how your place is laid out. It makes a place look bigger if all the floor you see at one time is the same colour, but making, say, a dining area a different colour can help set it off from the rest of the place if you want a different feel in that area.

I know the maple colour I have would look nice with teal, and bamboo was my next choice after that. The cherry in my living room looks really nice, very warm and cosy, with the teal area rug I have, but I'm not in a warm climate so warm is good in home decorating for me. Teal goes well with a warm wood colour so stay away from a wood colour with any grey tones in it. Keep to the yellow/red range. They will probably let you bring a sample home to check how it looks at home.

It's excellent flooring, too. I'm very happy with mine and it has stood up well to me and the two dogs coming in with sandy feet. Easy to install. If you have a rolling chair, make a chair pad with some of the planks. Sand and wheels weren't a good combination around here.

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How should i paint my bedroom??

Q. k,I love any thing exotic that remind's me of hawaii and i love pokadotts !What should i do???PLZ HELP!!L:)
PS:My favorite color's r blue ,green and purple and turquiose

A. I myself love color. Paint the walls one of your favorite colors mentioned. If that makes you a little nervous then just paint one of the walls that color. I wouldn't go stark white with the other walls but something more of an off white. Look in your local department stores for a hawaiin print comforter or duvet set. Use solid color pillows, sheets, etc. to bring down the print a bit. Throw a polka dot pillow in the mix that are in the same color scheme as the bedding. I have a picture in my head and it looks fabulous! Good Luck!

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