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Oil or heat?

Reg Gadson
Reg Gadson Member Posts: 5
in THE MAIN WALL
I have another issue. I have a problem getting enough hot water for showers etc., especially when the system is running or in the process of rasing the home temp. Would a new unit with a coil fix that or would I need to get a tank off the boiler?

Comments

  • Reg Gadson
    Reg Gadson Member Posts: 5
    Oil to gas conversion

    Does it make sense to convert from an oil burner radiant heat sytems to a gas system of the same? Is Oil better or id gas? Would the home heating be any better?
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,598
    Why

    would you consider changing? It really makes no difference as far as system performance goes. Is your oil-heating equipment very old? You can upgrade that for a lot less cost than changing fuels, unless there's some other reason
    Retired and loving it.
  • Reg Gadson
    Reg Gadson Member Posts: 5
    response to DAN

    I was only comsidering the switch because oill seemed to be less appealing when we eventually looked to sell. My current boiler is VERY old and must be replaced. I am having a hard time finding an objective opinion either way.
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,598
    We heat with oil

    and I have a modern system that's quiet and very well looked after by an excellent oil company, a family business that's been in the neighborhood for generations. I'd actually consider that a selling point!

    It's really up to you, of course, but whichever fuel you chose won't affect the level of comfort in your home. Pick a fuel and chose a good contractor. You can find some very good ones in Find a Contractor.
    Retired and loving it.
  • Reg Gadson
    Reg Gadson Member Posts: 5


    Thanks!
  • Frank Cheng
    Frank Cheng Member Posts: 22
    I feel indirect hot water tank is much better

    I have had a lot of luck using indirect hot water tanks. Those coils built in the boiler do not work well and are very easy to get clogged up by calcium deposit.

    Frank
  • Frank Cheng
    Frank Cheng Member Posts: 22
    my lessons

    I did make a couple of mistakes in choosing the two. Gas looks more appealing because it is clean and requires less maintenance, but it is not necessarily more economic. I found oil is often cheaper. Years ago, when I converted a house to gas using a new Burnham gas boiler, it cost me about 1K in hooking up gas line, another 1K in chimney liner (because the chimney used to work for oil cound not be used for gas). To my surprise, the monthly gas bill is higher than a bigger house of same age and quality of mine using an ordinary oil boiler (a 20 yr old McClain). From this lesson, I learned that oil boilers have their attraction, particularly these newer ones. If you can tolerate a little bit of oil mess looking, and yearly cleanup and maintenance cost about $50, I don't see the reason to convert to gas.

    BTW, no matter which one you decide, gas or oil boiler, contact Monitor Products for their condensing boilers. I bought two gas ones before. They work excellent. The boss, Pete Caruso, is very helpful and knowledgable. Check their website, www.monitorproducts.com. I am thinking buying a condensing oil boiler from them next year (I have not bought one before, but I trusted Pete a lot).

    Good luck.

    Frank
  • Reg Gadson
    Reg Gadson Member Posts: 5


    Thanks Frank!
    When you say "oil mess looking", what exactlty do you mean?
  • Frank Cheng
    Frank Cheng Member Posts: 22
    the \"mess\"

    is oil spillage around the oil filter and a little bit of oil smell and the soot. Every time the service man replaces oil filter, he may very likely to spill some oil there unless he is very careful. Mechanically, there is no much "mess" in the oil system. Another good aspect in the oil system is the safety compared with gas. If you have an old house, and the basement is black and dusty, then you probably can easily tolerate some oil spillage. Nationwide, home owners prefer gas mainly because of cleanness, not because of economics.
  • Dale
    Dale Member Posts: 1,317
    It depends where you live

    My company tracks the monthly cost of fuel oil compared to nat gas and propane. Once in awhile the oil is cheaper, so is propane in the summer. On the east coast in certain areas oil has been cheaper per therm that nat gas. Oil needs more service so it depends on how much cheaper. Nat gas is a north american product and has much less global political price fluxuation. If square feet for the tank isn't an issue in your basement, you live where oil is historically cheaper, you don't mind the occasional odor and you have access to a great oil service company oil might be the right choice.
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