Converted from oil to gas...

[generator12]

Yesterday I had my ten year old Lennox oil furnace removed and a Bryant 95+% efficient gas unit put in its place. Oil heat had become excessively costly. I figure oil was costing me around $1900 per winter including the biannual "inspection and cleaning" and the extra electricity needed to run that big combustion blower. There appeared little chance that this cost would decrease in the coming years.

The Bryant is smaller, quieter, certainly will be cleaner (no soot dropping around it), and - with two heat exchangers - will transfer much more of the heat (95.6%) in the fuel it burns than the oil unit did. Gas prices have decreased in recent years and there is a chance that it will decrease a bit more as natural gas supplies in the U.S. are becoming more abundant. I figure that this change will pay for itself within five years.

I thought about selling the old furnace on Craigslist - figured somebody might pick it up to use in a hunting cabin or something, but when I looked - my lord - there were a couple of dozen already on Craigslist that were newer than mine and selling for less than I had planned on. Obviously I'm not alone in this type of venture. So I let my installer take it away.

Monday I'll get that 270 gallon oil tank out of my basement, increasing the usable floor space in my work area by about 18 square feet.

And so, ladies and gentlemen, I'm happy about a $4000 investment in home improvement and just had to tell you...!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

Just curious .......... Propane or did you have access to natural gas? Sadly we do not have access to NG here in VT but it would be nice.

Sounds like you did very good!

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

I did the same thing 40 years ago except opposite. At that time in CT oil was cheaper than LP. I think that was before OPEC.

 

[rbh]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

That is probably one of the best investment you could make in this day and age, congrats!

We burn wood so every time I go to the parents place, who have a natural gas furnace I notice how humid it is in the winter.
I am not sure if it is the built in humidifier in the unit pumping out way to much moisture or me with just a kettle of water on the wood stove for humidity in the winter, let me know how you find it.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

I would love to have NG available, but unfortunately where I live I am over 10 miles from any NG feeds, LPG is way to expensive, due to the fact, they will only put a 1000 gal tank at my location and only fill during the summer, winter access to my home is not easy and the LPG company will not come out in the winter. So I am stuck with wood and electricity...

 

[CVX20SPRINT]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

I'm burning oil right now which has gone completely stupid in price since I moved here in the early 90's.Was 34 cents a litre and is now $1.04 a litre.I've got NG a long stones throw from my house,but there is no way one person could pay to bring it that far.What I'm going to do is change over to LPG for now and when the gas line does eventually go by my house I'll change over to NG.It's just a nozzle change in the furnace.The price of the oil is bad enough,but now the insur. co. are now dictating when you have to change your oil tank out.Most are every 10 years,but I did talk to one co. that was 7 years.Doesn't matter if your tank is inside or outside.$700-$1000 for a new tank installed.You can't buy the tanks or install them your self.I talked to my guy about a plastic tank(which should be good fore ever)and it's about $1800.I changed mine out about 5 years ago and the 40 some year old tank was better than the new one we put in.

 

[generator12]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

Bob, thankfully it's natural gas I'm using.

rbh, if the place is around 1200 sq. ft., the outside temperature is around 30 degrees F, and the furnace set point is 70 F or higher, you can expect to put about four or five quarts per day into the house to keep a 40% RH. Lower temperatures would require more. (I realize I'm probably driving you crazy with non-metric units, but it's all I've got...!)

Years ago, in a prior incarnation, I had a furnace humidifier operating on a humidistat located in the return air duct. One time I set it to run any time the furnace ran, and wound up with water dripping off every window.

I don't use an in-furnace unit now because of the difficulties with well water - too much mineral build-up and attendant mold with it. I do use a free-standing Holmes unit near the return air duct entrance and it works fine. I fill it with distilled water. I actually collect the water from my basement dehumidifiers during the summer, store it in gallon jugs and use it in the Holmes during the winter. The hundred gallons I collected this past summer will last me well into February - maybe into March.

Chris, I've never heard of such an insurance requirement. Is that a Canadian thing? Man, that's AWFUL! How the hell will an oil tank degrade in ten years if kept indoors? Mine is ferrous metal but shows no sign of rust/corrosion. I could understand a mandatory inspection, even a metal thickness test. But outright replacement on a fixed interval sounds like an industry fix is in.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

I would love to have NG available, but unfortunately where I live I am over 10 miles from any NG feeds, LPG is way to expensive, due to the fact, they will only put a 1000 gal tank at my location and only fill during the summer, winter access to my home is not easy and the LPG company will not come out in the winter. So I am stuck with wood and electricity...

How about two 1000 gallon tanks?

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

How about two 1000 gallon tanks?

Holy Moses, I have a pretty good retirement from the military, but at the current rate, that would cost way to much to fill up, I didn't pay that much for the car I am driving!

Yikes!

 

[r.j.dawg]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

generator - Check with your insurance company. I did the same as you a couple of houses ago and when we removed the oil tank from the basement our insurance dropped substancially.

 

[CVX20SPRINT]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

Bob, thankfully it's natural gas I'm using.

rbh, if the place is around 1200 sq. ft., the outside temperature is around 30 degrees F, and the furnace set point is 70 F or higher, you can expect to put about four or five quarts per day into the house to keep a 40% RH. Lower temperatures would require more. (I realize I'm probably driving you crazy with non-metric units, but it's all I've got...!)

Years ago, in a prior incarnation, I had a furnace humidifier operating on a humidistat located in the return air duct. One time I set it to run any time the furnace ran, and wound up with water dripping off every window.

I don't use an in-furnace unit now because of the difficulties with well water - too much mineral build-up and attendant mold with it. I do use a free-standing Holmes unit near the return air duct entrance and it works fine. I fill it with distilled water. I actually collect the water from my basement dehumidifiers during the summer, store it in gallon jugs and use it in the Holmes during the winter. The hundred gallons I collected this past summer will last me well into February - maybe into March.

Chris, I've never heard of such an insurance requirement. Is that a Canadian thing? Man, that's AWFUL! How the hell will an oil tank degrade in ten years if kept indoors? Mine is ferrous metal but shows no sign of rust/corrosion. I could understand a mandatory inspection, even a metal thickness test. But outright replacement on a fixed interval sounds like an industry fix is in.

Yeah probably for now,but I'm pretty sure it will come for you.Environmental clean up gets real expensive for the insur co and they like to take all the risk out before they take your money.They claim they rot out from the inside.It can only be from the crappy oil they are pumping into your tank,so who really should be responsible?

 

[generator12]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

generator - Check with your insurance company. I did the same as you a couple of houses ago and when we removed the oil tank from the basement our insurance dropped substancially.

Dawg, I'll do that. Thanks for the tip.

 

[lakelover]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

And so, ladies and gentlemen, I'm happy about a $4000 investment in home improvement and just had to tell you...!

Thanks for that info. I'm in the process of trying to cinvince my wife that we should convert from oil to natural gas. (She's irrationally afraid because of the "gas explosion" stories you see on the news once in a great while.) It's available on our street, and everyone I've talked to says that they have cut their energy bill in half, or almost so, by switching. Even though I do most of my boiler service myself, the cost of oil is crazy and I can only see it getting worse. Over the last 3 years, we've averaged $1679/year for #2 oil; our house is not too big and is pretty well insulated.

I wouldn't mind re-allocating half of the heating budget toward something else! (like boats, maybe )

How do you heat your domestic hot water? I get both heat/hot water off the boiler now.

 

[rbh]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

Thanks for that info. I'm in the process of trying to cinvince my wife that we should convert from oil to natural gas. (She's irrationally afraid because of the "gas explosion" stories you see on the news once in a great while.) It's available on our street, and everyone I've talked to says that they have cut their energy bill in half, or almost so, by switching. Even though I do most of my boiler service myself, the cost of oil is crazy and I can only see it getting worse. Over the last 3 years, we've averaged $1679/year for #2 oil; our house is not too big and is pretty well insulated.

I wouldn't mind re-allocating half of the heating budget toward something else! (like boats, maybe )

How do you heat your domestic hot water? I get both heat/hot water off the boiler now.

Since furnace oil is basically diesel I can see the prices going up and up in the years to come.
NG, there is going to be a glut of it in the market place for years to come. (unless everyone converts their vehicles over)

Have you thought of keeping the old boiler and just getting a conversion kit from oil to gas?

 

[lakelover]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

I did look into that and my boiler manufacturer said there is no conversion for my model of boiler. I agree completely with you on the future of oil and NG prices; that's why I want to convert now, it seems to make a lot more sense in terms of my financial stability as a retired person. I'm sure we could save a bundle over the years.

 

[rbh]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

I did look into that and my boiler manufacturer said there is no conversion for my model of boiler. I agree completely with you on the future of oil and NG prices; that's why I want to convert now, it seems to make a lot more sense in terms of my financial stability as a retired person. I'm sure we could save a bundle over the years.

While the MFG of your boiler may not make a conversion kit, look to the aftermarket.
From what I read the actual burner can be either the ring style or pistol? there needs to be a liner for your chimney installed,
(that's pretty basic can be done in an hour or two)
and you will need a control unit, and since you need to get the LNG installed anyways they will bring in the proper size gas line.

 

[lakelover]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

Thanks, I'll continue to look into it while I "persuade". I've already installed a 6" stainless steel rigid chimney liner (Tubinox) a few years ago, I'd have to see if that would require any further modification.

 

[r.j.dawg]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

Thanks, I'll continue to look into it while I "persuade". I've already installed a 6" stainless steel rigid chimney liner (Tubinox) a few years ago, I'd have to see if that would require any further modification.

If you go high efficient gas you can vent it with CPVC.

 

[generator12]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

generator - Check with your insurance company. I did the same as you a couple of houses ago and when we removed the oil tank from the basement our insurance dropped substancially.

RJ, took your advice and called. Apparently AmFam doesn't see it that way..! But it was worth a shot.

 

[generator12]

Re: Converted from oil to gas...

Thanks for that info. I'm in the process of trying to cinvince my wife that we should convert from oil to natural gas. (She's irrationally afraid because of the "gas explosion" stories you see on the news once in a great while.) It's available on our street, and everyone I've talked to says that they have cut their energy bill in half, or almost so, by switching. Even though I do most of my boiler service myself, the cost of oil is crazy and I can only see it getting worse. Over the last 3 years, we've averaged $1679/year for #2 oil; our house is not too big and is pretty well insulated.

I wouldn't mind re-allocating half of the heating budget toward something else! (like boats, maybe )

How do you heat your domestic hot water? I get both heat/hot water off the boiler now.

LL, my water is heated electrically - cook that way too. It's not too bad - at least in non-premium season (everything but summer). Around here its about twelve cents a KW-Hour. So if my water heater is "on" for an average of an hour a day, that would be about 18 to 24 cents, depending on how "on" it is. I can live with that.