Oil vs. Gas

Kimberly_2

I am new to the east coast and heating is very different here! How does everybody afford it? We bought an older row house and it has an oil heater that is at least 45 years old. It is a big house, three stories and we are thinking of replacing it. Is it cheaper to stick with oil or should be convert to gas.
Another question is that the last room on the third floor is so cold, is there any way to get the heat up to that room? I have a space heater up there now and that is killing the electric bill.

Thank you for any and all help!

Steamhead

Welcome to the East, Kim

First of all, what type of heat-distribution system do you have? If it has radiators, it's either steam or hot-water. The method of fixing that cold room depends on the type of system. Take some pictures and post them here, this will help us identify it.

Any new heating unit you get now will be more efficient than your present one. Right now, oil is cheaper per BTU than gas, and if the balance shifts you can usually have a gas conversion burner installed in an oil-fired heating unit. But you can't change a gas one to oil. So a new oil-fired unit will provide some degree of future-proofing as well as being cheaper to operate now.

You mentioned "rowhouse"- this is what townhouses are called in Baltimore. If you've landed in Baltimore, contact me. Our company specializes in older systems. If you're not in the Baltimore area, go to the Find a Professional page of this site to locate someone who can help you.

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Kimberly_2

Thank you and question about buying oil

We have water filled radiators. I had to "bleed" them when we first turned the heater on this winter. They get warm to the touch but the one in that top room rarely gets warm.

We got a lot of "to the New Homeowner" advertisements in the mail from heating oil companies, what is the best way to choose one. I got locked into one for a year but the rate in now lower than what I am paying!!! Makes me mad!

Thank you for your help and any more oppinions are appreciated.
Kimberly

Steamhead

Probably a circulation problem

where the hot water is not getting to that radiator. Also check the shutoff valve, someone may have turned it off. If it's stuck, don't force it- have it replaced.

Without knowing if you're in my area, I can only give some general hints regarding oil companies. Price is one factor but service is paramount. Ask some of your neighbors who they use. Ask if they really do open up the boiler and vacuum it out every year, or if they just spend a few minutes standing there and looking at it (the latter is NOT GOOD). Ask if they've ever let the customer run out of oil. Ask if their techs mind you watching them work (I sure wouldn't mind).

Those "Lock-in" deals sound good, but you never know which way prices will go. If they go back up, you'll be in good shape.

And if you're not satisfied with the company you use- you can always switch. This isn't possible with gas.

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Constantin

Like most things in life....

it depends....

Oil and gas prices have been gyrating quite a bit lately. The only way to tell which one is cheaper right now is to call the oil and gas supplier in your area and inquire. What makes the whole thing harder is that natural gas suppliers usually have you on several tiers of pricing, depending on consumption, which makes getting an average price for the gas all the more difficult.

However, current pricing is no indicator for future pricing. For example, historically in Boston, MA the gas prices were 40% higher than heating oil on a per-BTU basis (British Thermal Unit, a measure of the potential energy in a fuel). But none of us get to completely combust the fuel... Hence the efficiency of the heating plant in your home is also a very important factor.

For example, the most efficient gas systems are usually more energy efficient than the best oil offerings since US heating oil is too contaminated to reliably be used for condensing oil boilers/furnaces. However, the efficiencies are very close. While a gas system could achieve something on the order of 95%+ efficiency in my home (due to the radiant floor system we use to heat it), our oil boiler will make it to about 89%. That's pretty close.

I am of two minds regarding full-service oil firms. On the one hand, I could see why the concept is a great one for most homeowners that simply want one point of contact for all their heating needs. Sort of like the corner gas station that can also fix your car.

On the other hand, one can also consider splitting the two things apart, and have separate companies deliver oil and provide service. Which route makes the most sense is really a function of the service techs employed by the delivery company and the management focus on getting the job done right vs. getting 7 tune-ups done in a day.

When the time came to renovate our home and install a modern heating system, I stayed with oil because I happen to think that the historical price balances will re-assert themselves in the NE of the US. So, while the price of oil and gas are about equal in Boston right now, the price of gas is more likely to rise around here than that of oil, IMHO.

If you boiler is 45 years old, chances are that it's not terribly efficient and that you could save a lot of money simply by switching to a more efficient heating system. However, do not dicount the possibility of retrofitting insulation and weatherizing your home as that process can yield amazing energy savings.

joel_22

g vs o

When people call for a conversion I ask them why they want to convert. They always say "to save money" some are fairly depressed when i tell them that they may save but it's not because of the fuel. It's because they changed thier heating system. Your boiler id 45yold? think about that, That's like commuting in a 1960 chevy. also the best way to save is to tighten up your home. Not to trouble you or anything but you should adjust your budget for the upcoming months, so far we have had a very mild fall in the North east. you can excpect your heat bills to much higher when we start heading towards 0 f. probably double or tripple the last few months

Unknown

lock in deals are necessary. at worst you'll end up paying ten or fifteen cents a gallon more than you should have. On the other hand if you aren't locked in, you are looking at possibly paying $1/gallon more! Happened to me 3 years ago

Also, I really doubt oil prices are dropping much anytime soon. They could easily skyrocket any time though. Consider the lock in deal insurance and don't get mad!

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Kal Row

first - you will save the most ...

by upgrading to a modern system - there are really efficient a quiet new oil systems out there

however - if you don’t have a good person to service it, sticking with oil is a loss - because liquid fuel devices inherently require more maintenance

ps you can also get rid of the tank in the basement and put a stainless Roth double walled safety tank in the back yard or in the front yard – or wherever – it meets all sorts of safety standards
http://www.roth-usa.com/usa/pdf/ROTHDWT_tank.pdf

Constantin

I don't think they're stainless...

... at least their marketing literature indicates galvanized steel exterior construction with a plastic inner tank. Roth does offer a rain cap of sorts for exterior installations... even in some cold places like North Haven Island, ME oil tanks are frequently stored on the exterior. They must go to K1 in the deep of winter though, otherwise that stuff out there will gel faster than you can light a fire under it! :-)

Don't get me wrong, the Roth tanks are the way of the future. Just as tankers will be required to be double-hulled, so will residential fuel tanks. It's just a question of time. I have two Roth tanks, and I love them for their ease of installation (carrying handles, easy fill system, etc.). Plus, they ought to be leakproof as should either the inner or outer hull ever be breached, the tank indicates that too...