we wish to convert-propane to oil heat

markinnh

My fiance bought this home and the previous owner installed a propane heat forced hot air furnace. We hate it. It is very costly and the installer did some things wrong. 1st there is no inlet air filter or a place to put one. Anyway this house has a crawl space where the furnace is and there is no chimney as the previous owner had it removed. My questions are: can we swap the propane furnace for a oil furnace and still use the duct work?

Can we install an oil furnace without having a chimney built? Can you folks point us in a direction to have this done?  What would I search online for this type of chimney free furnace?

Mac_R

converting

There are a couple of things that spring into my head for your situation.  The first thing I think of is putting in a boiler with a new air handler and a fan coil.  That is one thing I did at my home.  You get all the efficiency and expandability of a boiler and will still be able  to use your duct work. the nice thing about a fan coil is you do not need to run 180 degree water through the coil to heat your home.  The chimney thing is not necessarily bad.  If the boiler will be sitting in a basement and you have access to an outside wall you might be able to direct vent out the side of the home.  you will need to check your clearances from ground level, windows, walk ways, and doors.  Any high efficiency system can be direct vented.  I recommend a Buderus G115WS with their Logamatic 2107 control.  You will need to use a Riello oil burner.  you can run an indirect water heater from this system and use a mixing valve with their card to run the fan coil.  I am exstreamly happy with my system and have save a considerable amount of oil.  my home heats evenly and I don't get the dryness because I was able to install a humidifier into the duct work. 

billtwocase

That might be extreme

This is a crawl space, and probably has a horizontal warm air. Sounds like there isn't a lot of room, or height for boilers, air handlers, etc. You can power vent the new oil furnace. How is the propane furnace vented now? I'd like to see some pics of the crawl space. In most cases the air filter is located in the blower compartment, maybe yours is in there? i would go Thermopride, and unfortunately a power vent. Chimney would be ideal, perhaps all fuel chimney? Mason chimney is expensive. good luck

Charlie from wmass

There is also the issue of oil storage

Am I wrong to remember something about the oil needing to be stored on the same level or lower than an oil burning appliance? I am not a fan of warm air but it may be staying with LP and getting the system installed as it should be may be a better way of spending your money. There is also the option of going to force hot water with a mod con wall hung boiler in a closet so it can be serviced while standing up.

Jack

Before

changing anything I would strongly suggest you follow Charlie's advise and get a good guy to look at what you have. I bought a house that had a horiz lp furnace. The system had been added to an old 1400 sq ft house. In my case, the furnace wasn't the problem, other than not being able to get to it. The problem was the duct $y$tem leaked like a sieve. Air was going everywhere but to where the ducts were run. You may be in the same situation. Speak with the service manager of the gas supplier. If you don't get what you need there call the manuf of the furnace and find the local rep. Ask for his help in finding a good HVAC guy to analyze the install. Look before you leap. As well, look at your states programs for energy/system analysis. You may get some assistance there

CMadatMe

Heat Loss

I didn't see in any post the mention that you should have a complete room by room heat loss calculated for the home. That is the road map to any options that are available to you. Start with the loss. I agree with Charlie, would stay propane and go from there. You have available many more options on the equipment and design side with a propane piece of equipment then oil.

Steamhead

Oil tank location

"Am I wrong to remember something about the oil needing to be stored on the same level or lower than an oil burning appliance?"



Doesn't have to be. If the tank is higher than the burner, the oil will flow by gravity. For safety an OSV should be installed after the filter on this type of job.



The relative costs per BTU of propane vs. oil in this area is another thing to consider.

Charlie from wmass

Frank I was looking over my local code book

and it mentions no storage of more than 60 gallons of fuel oil if there is usable space underneath the tank location. I guess it would depend on what is usable space and it has nothing to do with the burner location in relationship to the tank. Yes the osv would be needed.

Steamhead

That was probably written

to allow a wall-mounted "day tank" in such a location. You pumped oil up from a larger tank to fill the day tank, which then fed the burner by gravity. The earliest ones were pumped manually, but Sid's used to sell an automatic version of this. But a tank located outside or in a crawlspace might still be above the burner in some cases- the latter is what I have. With an OSV. 

Unknown

hi oil price

considered wood pellets?

markinnh

pellets

Well we went to our local Home Crappo store and they had 3 pellet stoves out and some great prices so we inquired about one stove and the guy said " This is not my department so I will have to get the manager" the manager came out and realized someone put the wrong signs out and that the prices shown were for the wood stoves and quickly grabbed the signs and walked away. So we canceled our card and will never go to a home crappo again. Since then we have forgotten about the idea of a pellet stove since the cost of pellets are not good any more and I have read horror stories about the augers breaking as well as the storage factor of the pellets. The cost of propane combined with the BTU's in comparison  with home heating oil points me towards swapping over. 

billtwocase

decision first

oil or propane, then you can have heat loss calc. That's a no brainer. Proper install is needed either source