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Furnace repair and installation is no easy job if you want to do it yourself, especially now when the cold weather is just around the corner. This way you know you're getting the guarantee of a quality job and the safety you need, especially when it comes to gas furnaces. These are more dangerous because they are not fail-safe even if they have control shutoffs to prevent gas leaks. You run the risk to be forced to call the fire department or the gas company if you smell gas in your house. First rule if this happens is to get out and leave the door open.
That's way, an alternative to gas furnaces are the oil furnace. The initial furnace installation costs somewhere between $2000-$5000 for basic models but depending on your needs their price can go up to $10,000. Yes, it's a lot of money, but they also have advantages that make them cost this much. One of them would be their lifespan; people say they could use them for 15 to 20 years, even if the manufacturers usually guarantee a lifespan pf 10 years.
Another advantage is their efficiency when it comes to the percentage of fuel that is converted to heat and we're talking here about an annual average of 83%. As of 2009 oil rates are around $1.50, so this is not an expensive way to heat your home.This is especially true in major cities where the natural gas rates are continually being increased, but, depending on the area you are in, price for gas can be lower than the one for oil; so be sure you make the right choice and calculate your costs first. In some areas an environmentally friendly mixture of fuel and bio-fuel similar to what cars use is also available. they are also clean burning and the exhaust is contained within the furnace.
And now we've come to the disadvantages of using an oil furnace. One problem they might have are the leaks, so it's possible you need regular maintenance and furnace repair. Also, the contained exhaust requires maintenance to keep the furnace running efficiently. Before you go for furnace installation think about the inconveniences you might run into because the fuel must be delivered to your residence. In these type of cases electric furnaces or heat pumps might be a better solution for you.
Regardless of the type of furnace you are using, you should call a specialists if you need furnace repair and installation and keep in mind that there are some things you can do to keep your heating system in top condition and avoid calling the furnace repair company. However, some aspects of furnace upkeep can be complex and would be best to leave them to the professionals. One of the things you can do is to make sure the air filter is cleaned or changed on a regular basis. This may be required every quarter or as early as every month, depending upon location and requirements of the home. You better make sure you won't be freezing this winter and call someone who specializes in furnace repair and installation if you run into any kind of problems.
Your at the mercy of oil prices, if there a spike in oil prices, expect a spike in home heating oil prices.
If you oil tank leaks, the environmental clean up costs can be Very expensive.
It creates Carbon Monoxide, which can be deadly if your unit malfunctions.
Advantages:
High availability, oil heat is available anywhere, unlike Natural gas which require gas lines under your street.
Is the OP advertising here? When I read the first few paragraphs, I thought it was a post from 3-4 yrs ago, but nope, it's recent. I've only heard of people doing oil-to-gas conversion, never the other way around. Why.... hmm.. having seen $4 a gallon oil and the slim chance of ever dropping below $2/gallon again.
Your at the mercy of oil prices, if there a spike in oil prices, expect a spike in home heating oil prices.
If you oil tank leaks, the environmental clean up costs can be Very expensive.
It creates Carbon Monoxide, which can be deadly if your unit malfunctions.
Advantages:
High availability, oil heat is available anywhere, unlike Natural gas which require gas lines under your street.
I believe you would play heck getting heating oil delivered in the south. I have lived west, south, east, north and the only place I recall seeing a lot of heating oil was in the northeast.
The main advantage for any type of boiler or furnace is the price per gallon of the fuel used to run it. So, first figure which type of fuel is the most readily available and cheaper in your area.
I have used oil-fired water boilers for over 30 years, and do most of the maintenance myself. Just like propane or natural gas-fired boilers, oil-fire boilers don't leak if the fuel lines and components are properly installed and tight. The only time you may smell fuel is when outdoors near the stack when he boiler starts, and for the following reasons: when the blower starts running it first establishes a draft, and within seconds it sprays fuel in the firebox and ignites the fuel. That initial draft picks the smell of fuel (or just the smell of burning fuel), and that's what you smell. If you smell fuel inside the house, then the boiler is not working properly, or something else.
Ive taken care of everything from NG, FO and even a waste oil burner and there are advantages and disadvantages. Cleaning out the stacks and keeping the switch clean of soot is yearly required maintenance. Replacing nozzles and aliging it correctly is also something you can learn to do if you are a handy. I also had a NG boiler that I had to learn to clean out and it was about the same amount of work. I never really had a preference and just learned to work with what I had in the homes ive lived in. One thing I did learn is that the price of any kind of fuel is related to the cost of producing electrical power. In peak periods of summer AC and winter furnace plants that produce power use NG and fuel oil to back up their primary source of fuel, coal or nuclear wind what ever. The price of fuel oil will go up until it is more finiancially advantageous for the power company to go to NG and the reverse. So the cost of NG and fuel oil is tied to the production of power neither will go up to much without power companies going to the other
Heating oil is virtually unavailable in southern states; the only options other than natural gas would be propane, electricity, or a heat pump.
A natural gas furnace will cost less to operate than an electric, oil, or propane furnace, assuming natural gas service is available in your area. A heat pump is the most efficient and greenest option in warmer climates, however, depending on electricity rates, it may or may not have lower operating costs than a natural gas furnace.
FYI, the new efficiency standards for furnaces and heat pumps will come into effect in 2015. Here is an overview of them: Current minimum for furnaces (all fuel types, nationwide) - 78% AFUE Current minimum for heat pumps (in heating mode, nationwide) - 7.7 HSPF 2015 minimum for non-weatherized natural gas or propane furnaces ("Northern" region - AK, CO, CT, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, ME, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NY, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WV, WI, and WI) - 90% AFUE 2015 minimum for non-weatherized natural gas or propane furnaces (all other states) - 80% AFUE 2015 minimum for weatherized natural gas or propane furnaces (nationwide) - 81% AFUE 2015 minimum for non-weatherized oil furnaces (nationwide) - 83% AFUE 2015 minimum for weatherized oil furnaces (nationwide) - 78% AFUE (unchanged from current standards) 2015 minimum electric furnaces (nationwide) - 78% AFUE (unchanged from current standards) 2015 minimum for heat pumps (in heating mode, nationwide) - 8.2 HSPF
The new efficiency standards for boilers came into effect as of September 1, 2012: Old minimum for hot water boilers (all fuel types) - 80% AFUE Old minimum for steam boilers (all fuel types) - 75% AFUE New minimum for natural gas or propane hot water boilers - 82% AFUE New minimum for natural gas or propane steam boilers - 80% AFUE New minimum for oil hot water boilers -84% AFUE New minimum for oil steam boilers - 82% AFUE
Last edited by Pink Jazz; 10-01-2012 at 09:34 PM..
Reason: added boilers
That's way, an alternative to gas furnaces are the oil furnace. The initial furnace installation costs somewhere between $2000-$5000 for basic models but depending on your needs their price can go up to $10,000. Yes, it's a lot of money, but they also have advantages that make them cost this much. One of them would be their lifespan; people say they could use them for 15 to 20 years, even if the manufacturers usually guarantee a lifespan pf 10 years.
My new 96% efficient natural gas furnace installed was only $2200 (included in the price was also a 3 ton AC coil) and has a 20 year warranty.
Quote:
Another advantage is their efficiency when it comes to the percentage of fuel that is converted to heat and we're talking here about an annual average of 83%. As of 2009 oil rates are around $1.50, so this is not an expensive way to heat your home.This is especially true in major cities where the natural gas rates are continually being increased
The average efficiency for a NG furnace is well over 90%, that is way better than a heating oil furnace average of 83%. NG is so efficient that most new homes built with a NG furnace don't even have the extra expense of a chimney because one is not needed. I would LOVE for you to post up a place NOW that has heating oil for $1.50 a gallon. Prices from 3 or 4 seasons ago are meaningless. Cheapest I have seen Heating oil lately is $3.79 a gallon street price and just under $3.50 if you pre-paid for the season, but that was a couple months ago, the prices have risen since then. My average NG price has dropped every year for the last 4 years. Your arguments for oil heat over NG heat are WAY off in the real World. I have had both NG and oil and would NEVER go back to oil if there was a choice offered.
Ive taken care of everything from NG, FO and even a waste oil burner and there are advantages and disadvantages. Cleaning out the stacks and keeping the switch clean of soot is yearly required maintenance. Replacing nozzles and aliging it correctly is also something you can learn to do if you are a handy. I also had a NG boiler that I had to learn to clean out and it was about the same amount of work. I never really had a preference and just learned to work with what I had in the homes ive lived in. One thing I did learn is that the price of any kind of fuel is related to the cost of producing electrical power. In peak periods of summer AC and winter furnace plants that produce power use NG and fuel oil to back up their primary source of fuel, coal or nuclear wind what ever. The price of fuel oil will go up until it is more finiancially advantageous for the power company to go to NG and the reverse. So the cost of NG and fuel oil is tied to the production of power neither will go up to much without power companies going to the other
supply & demand
Agree with you 100%
It does not matter if one fuel burns more efficiently than another fuel, since what matters the most is availability and price per gallon. The cheapest the fuel, the more economical in the long run. For example, heating oil is quite expensive in the interior of Alaska, and natural gas is cheaper. But since there is no natural gas available in the interior of Alaska, we have no choice but to use oil. But over in Anchorage they have both heating oil and natural gas, and the later is a lot cheaper. For that reason people in Anchorage use natural gas.
A lot of people in the interior of Alaska are heating their homes with wood pellet stoves and wood stoves, in addition to the oil-burning boilers or furnaces. A coworker of mine heats his home 99.9% of the time with wood. The boiler is only used to heat water every now and then, and when he is on vacation away from here.
For heating only, there are very economical and efficient stoves that run on kerosene, or diesel fuel. A very popular one is the Toyo brand. This one is one of the most efficient oil-burning stoves on the market and worth a look. http://www.toyotomiusa.com
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