Propane vs Heating Oil

[czygvtwkr]

Anyone make the switch from heating oil to propane? If so what are your thoughts?

I have an old oil furnace (30 years) and am thinking of replacing it next winter and wanted thoughts.

 

[Gemmi]

I enjoy my oil heat too much to switch.

 

[desertrat]

Anyone make the switch from heating oil to propane? If so what are your thoughts?

I have an old oil furnace (30 years) and am thinking of replacing it next winter and wanted thoughts.

I think I would just upgrade the old furnace to a new oil unit. They are much more efficient now. You could also think about a heat pump with oil backup.

 

[Vince]

If I uprade it will be to a new energy efficient heat pump, but only because I burn a pellet stove for most of my heat.

 

[BS Gal]

We replaced our oil heater with a new one and went thru Besche (our oil company). I think it was $1800 with a year of interest free financing. Two summers later, our a/c was failing and that is when we went with the heat pump, with back up oil heat. The $ we have saved on oil and utility bills will have both of them paid off in no time. I think the heat pump/ac thing was around $4000.

 

[itsbob]

I think I would just upgrade the old furnace to a new oil unit. They are much more efficient now. You could also think about a heat pump with oil backup.

Oil is the cheapest and easiest to maintain and more durable..

A lot of times you can keep your furnace and just replace the guts..

 

[remaxrealtor]

Anyone make the switch from heating oil to propane? If so what are your thoughts?

I have an old oil furnace (30 years) and am thinking of replacing it next winter and wanted thoughts.

We have electric heat pump with propane backup. Efficient, clean burning, and when the backup kicks on (we have it set at 43 degrees) it keeps the house snuggly warm. We actually keep 1/2 the vents closed. Also, hooked the propane into our hot water...love that, and a gas fireplace.

 

[BS Gal]

Oil is the cheapest and easiest to maintain and more durable..

A lot of times you can keep your furnace and just replace the guts..

I think our original furnace was installed when the house was built, which, at the time, was 46 years old. Besche finally said "We can't get parts anymore." They kept it going for the 20 years we lived here. We should have purchased a new one years before.

 

[Dougstermd]

I think I would just upgrade the old furnace to a new oil unit. They are much more efficient now. You could also think about a heat pump with oil backup.

I got home from work and the oil tank was dry


so I turned on the propane oven does that count as a switch??

counting change now to go buy 10 gallons of kero.

 

[czygvtwkr]

I have a central air unit that is also pretty old, can they install a heat pump and use my old furnace as backup?

 

[Dougstermd]

I have a central air unit that is also pretty old, can they install a heat pump and use my old furnace as backup?

depends on how the coils are set up. probally not.

 

[Hessian]

Doug

I learned the hard way that if you run out of oil,...there is a good chance sediment got sucked in just before it went dry and then they have to drain the line and purge any filters.
As always: it happens near the coldest day of the year....on a weekend: YUP
good luck. (I put in a wood stove because I didn't feel like dealing with the untrustworthyness of an old furnace.---now: only one tank of oil per year.)

 

[itsbob]

I think our original furnace was installed when the house was built, which, at the time, was 46 years old. Besche finally said "We can't get parts anymore." They kept it going for the 20 years we lived here. We should have purchased a new one years before.

Well, what I suggested was instead of replacing the whole and messing with the ductwork (generally over time furnaces get smaller, and ones today are a LOT smaller then ones 15 years ago) is keep the same shell, just replace all the working parts inside.. You can keep the same duct work, the same blower (easy to switch out blowers) and just replace the burner.

 

[mingiz]

We just had to work on our oil furnance. It's 20yrs old and started quitting on us. Ended up replacing the electrods in it, now it's snug as a bug in the house. If you keep the filter and nozzles clean on these they run forever. I had propane heat in my first home and I didn't like it.

 

[czygvtwkr]

I had propane heat in my first home and I didn't like it.

Why not?

 

[mingiz]

Just didn't seem like propane heat warmed the house as well as an oil furnance does. JMO The only thing I like propane for is cooking.

 

[johnjrval424]

We moved into our current house from a house with two heat pump units. This house has oil heat. Needless to say, I am SOLD! I was always cold in our other house and this house stays nice and warm.

Of course, we have pretty much gutted the house, replaced all insulation, new windows, put down carpeting, etc., which I'm sure helps out a lot. However, even at first use, the oil heat just instantly felt warmer than the heat pump unit.

I would stick with the oil heat if at all possible. You won't like a heat pump for heat - trust me.

 

[Dougstermd]

I learned the hard way that if you run out of oil,...there is a good chance sediment got sucked in just before it went dry and then they have to drain the line and purge any filters.
As always: it happens near the coldest day of the year....on a weekend: YUP
good luck. (I put in a wood stove because I didn't feel like dealing with the untrustworthyness of an old furnace.---now: only one tank of oil per year.)

I know all the problems with letting it run out. just my money is funny right now.

I had to count up $20 worth of change to buy 6.5 gallons of K1 to get it started last night.

yeah when I bled it last night it had some nasty stuff comming out.

oh well that is the way the ball bounces.

I am weeks from being homeless a homeless man with a job how can that happen in America???

 

[johnjrval424]

I am weeks from being homeless a homeless man with a job how can that happen in America???

Much easier than any of us can imagine. I speak for myself when I say that I run way too close to the edge sometimes financially. Unfortunately, you have things that come up unexpectedly and you can't possibly plan for everything that can happen.

I hope things work out for you. I've been homeless - I know how it feels. I've also had to count change to buy the loaf of bread and couple cans of tuna fish...not a fun experience.

 

[czygvtwkr]

Just didn't seem like propane heat warmed the house as well as an oil furnance does. JMO The only thing I like propane for is cooking.

Hmmm maybe its this old furnace then, my parents house has natural gas heat and it feels way warmer than my house. The air coming out the their registers feels way warmer than mine.