Gas and Oil Home Heating Furnaces - Curious

I have been reading the posts here for a couple of months and I notice that the majority of issues are with gas furnaces and heat pumps. Is this because oil units have fewer problems or that there are fewer oil furnaces in use?

I'd say the latter. And also oil is used with boilers and you'll see problems in that forum. Oil burners do have their problems and require I'd say more expertise. They require more maintenance to keep the fuel burning cleanly.

You have tanks that are subject to water and dirt getting in the bottom/tank bottoms rusting out after a while (maybe after years), filters, screens, a pump, coupler, bleeding involved sometimes, leaks sometimes resulting in oil and foul odor, possible sooted house if it malfunctions, nozzles that need replacement, electrodes that can screw up and require precise setting of gap for distance and spacing, 10,000 volt secondary :eek:, and electric eye sensor, relay switches, barametric damper, draft and CO tests to be done - if not burning right awful scary things happen like the fire wants to start puffing and can blow backwards, even blowing access doors open, or people who hit reset button one too many times and cause an almost uncontrolled burn inside, soot conditions inside and right up the chimney.

Other than that, some people swear by them. :) This is my take anyway. I'm sure you will get more opinions.

Retired Guy, Outside of the Northeast & to some degree Mid-Atlantic regions, oil fired residential equipment is scarce. As natural gas lines extend, oil is losing market share.

Oil is almost is unheard of around here.. Gas has taken over the market here in the Midwest.. Lot of the oil furnace may be found in the country around here, but they are being replaced with LP gas.