Gas and Oil Home Heating Furnaces - gas or oil?
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : gas or oil?
cmpanska
07-13-04, 12:01 PM
I need opinions on what heating system is better: gas or oil. I have recently bought a house which has an oil tank and very old furnace. I need to get either a new furnace or convert the system to gas. My major concern is cost/energy effectiveness. 2 contractors so far have suggested oil and a specific furnace: Weil McClaine, which they claim is very efficient. I'm not sure what to do, I've always thought gas is cheaper. Thank you for help. Magda.
hvac4u
07-13-04, 04:49 PM
look for fuel cost comparisons on line. ed has a link, warmair.net, i think
i am a gas man, others here can give you info on oil systems
i am a gas man, others here can give you info on oil systems
Ed Imeduc
07-13-04, 04:55 PM
You got it hvac4u http://www.warmair.net check gas oil and electric for where you live.
ED ;)
ED ;)
yudel
12-22-04, 11:41 PM
I just ran the numbers and it seems that here in New Jersey, gas is half the price of oil.
Is that possible?
Oil is about $2/gallon. PSEG is charging me $1.03 /therm.
Am I calculating something wrong?
Last year, my fuel bill was $3,000, so cutting that in half would pay for a new furnace very quickly. (My furnace is a converted coal-burner, with a water system). I know there's lot of heat to be saved by weather proofing.... but it looks like replacing a perhaps 60% efficient oil furnace with a 85% gas furnace, combined with the fuel differential, could pay for itself in less than five years.
Do these calculations ring true?
Is that possible?
Oil is about $2/gallon. PSEG is charging me $1.03 /therm.
Am I calculating something wrong?
Last year, my fuel bill was $3,000, so cutting that in half would pay for a new furnace very quickly. (My furnace is a converted coal-burner, with a water system). I know there's lot of heat to be saved by weather proofing.... but it looks like replacing a perhaps 60% efficient oil furnace with a 85% gas furnace, combined with the fuel differential, could pay for itself in less than five years.
Do these calculations ring true?
Ed Imeduc
12-23-04, 12:21 PM
If a oil burner is set right and clean you can get +75
% out of them all the time
ED ;)
% out of them all the time
ED ;)
yudel
12-23-04, 03:44 PM
OK, so I can push the boiler efficiency into a good place.
What about the poor patching on the boiler? How much is that costing me? (I suppose I should upload a picture.)
And the cost per btu -- can oil really be nearly twice as expensive as gas?
What about the poor patching on the boiler? How much is that costing me? (I suppose I should upload a picture.)
And the cost per btu -- can oil really be nearly twice as expensive as gas?
Ed Imeduc
12-23-04, 05:27 PM
I dont know what is the best fuel for you there. Its like over the years.I put in oil then put in gas then electric took and pulled electric out and back to gas.Then back to electric furnace. Then to heat pumps. Thats about all we sell in the center of MO right now. You have to go as to what works best for you at the time I dont have it here right now for Nat gas but the oil #2 is about 142000 Btu per gal, LP gas is 91,502 btu per Gal ,Butane is 102,032 Btu per gal
ED ;)
ED ;)