max power Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 About to buy a house with a fuel oil boiler furnace. Will be replacing it in the spring and have no idea which system is better and cheaper to run. espouse knowledge below, please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helmutt Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 NG ftw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max power Posted August 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Natural gas isnt an option. Propane or electric are the only options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Talk to Joe (mojoe). He just put a new system in that he really likes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whaler Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Go with hybrid system, which would be heat pump and propane. The heat pump will provide good heat down to 20-25 outside temperature, then propane can handle the really cold days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmh_sprint Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Go with hybrid system, which would be heat pump and propane. The heat pump will provide good heat down to 20-25 outside temperature, then propane can handle the really cold days. This ^. If I had to do it all over again this is the route I would have went and will go once the time comes. With propane prices all over the place you should recover your additional costs rather quickly. Does the new house already have a propane tank? If not find someone who will sell you a tank. Do not sign a contract with a specific supplier. Use the open market to your advantage. I bought my tank from Amerigas 2 years ago after tiring of their games. I saved enough in the first 2 fill-ups with another company to recoup the $800 the tank cost me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcat6183 Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Go with Geothermal, not kidding. if you can swing the upfront cost, it will pay for itself, unlike a lot of the other stuff that supposedly does, this does. Parent's were the first house in Richland county with it and within 12 years dad had it paid for in energy savings. The first unit lasted about 17 years, and that was because when they had it done, no one had any idea how long they lasted, now they know. He got it replaced with an even more high efficiency one that will last until long after he's gone, and he said it will take probably 5 years to recoup the cost. So he has about 2-3 more years until it's already covered the cost, plus he reused the previous lines so no cost there. They also had to invest nearly 2X as they had to dig their lines vertical due to trees not horizontal which is much cheaper. So guessing it would have taken even less time than the 12 years to recoup if that wasn't the case. Honestly man, I would call and get some quotes if you're planning to be in there a long time, which I know you are. I know when our HVAC goes, I will be calling to see if it's possible where we live or not. Guessing it wouldn't get approved by the building inspector or what not, but I will definitely try. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max power Posted August 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Not a bad option seeing as how the guy am buying the house from is one of my best friends and happens to be an excavator.I'll look into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max power Posted August 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Still have to pay to have all the ductwork put in on top of it. How much does the unit run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcat6183 Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Duct = not cheap BUT there's a great guy on here who does all this minus Geo, Grapesmuggler can do everything else though but I don't think they do Geo. I think dad said the newest unit was about 7,500. Originally with everything they dropped about 25,000 but like I said, they paid extra for vertical, and on top of that it was the newest fad out for new homes. If we had land and were able we'd 100% do it when the time came, but now with being where we are, have to check local codes blahblah, hate it. Blah blah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max power Posted August 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 25K would mean no pole barn, and that ain't happening. But if it's close to in-line with a new furnace system after we lay our own lines I might still be interested.I've already talked to grapesmuggler about doing it. I'm going to have him bid it after we get the place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcat6183 Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Yeah totally understand that aspect, that was 20 years ago when it was 25K, I think when I talked to Schumacher it was 20K max for geothermal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 The only issue I had with fuel oil is that my tank is outside (no basement) and when temperatures went well below zero for a week, my fuel froze, there are ways to fix it, but not an issue with LP. I'm working on a bio - diesel solution for my fuel oil, so the price might drop significantly if I can get it all lined up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohiomike Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 (edited) Over the years I have used Fuel Oil, natural gas and propane. If pricing and availability were equal, its a no brainer for me...Natural gas. Its cleaner burning, and I have found you get a better displacement of heat. Propane would be my next choice, then fuel oil. With LP I have found there to be cold spots in the house. Fuel oils works fine, but its a dirtier fuel to deal with all around. Down here Propane is far cheaper than ng, and ng is not available where we live, so LP it is. No experience with electric heat, but when we were looking for a house here several homes had electric heat, and the feedback I got was not good. Edited August 22, 2014 by ohiomike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helmutt Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Natural gas isnt an option. Propane or electric are the only options.Sorry, but aren't there CNG tanks for home use? We've been servicing CNG trucks for over a year now, so I just assumed the technology already existed to tank it to your home. Carry onI'd go propane over electric if geo isn't in the budget, could always electric space heat along side propane/wood burn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted August 23, 2014 Report Share Posted August 23, 2014 (edited) Agree that fuel oil is dirtier than lp.Conventional electric heat is effing expensive. Edited August 23, 2014 by magley64 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zx3vfr Posted August 23, 2014 Report Share Posted August 23, 2014 Geothermal with a heat pump and solar roof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zx3vfr Posted August 23, 2014 Report Share Posted August 23, 2014 Propane is scary. Especially when the pilot goes out and the gas doesn't shut off like it should. It all sinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max power Posted September 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 Propane is cheaper than FO. May try to use to boiler unit for a heated concrete floor in the pole barn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcat6183 Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 Propane is cheaper than FO. May try to use to boiler unit for a heated concrete floor in the pole barn.Get a pellet stove (internal or external) for the pole barn. One that goes inside with a exhaust, or one that is remote and you could even use it to supplement the house. Shit, I priced them at Menards lat year when we were looking in Ashville for the house with a pole barn and even with getting the flue vented it was going to be like 1,200 and save a metric shit ton of money over electric, gas, propane, anything of the sorts. Now if you're talking burning used motor oil, etc. hell yeah. That's how our race teams owner heats his actual business shop, and that's 6 14 ft door bays, all have 1 nonstop open floor plan with shit, 25ft cielings at least. But they also do probably 20 oil changes a day, so plenty to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max power Posted September 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 Get a pellet stove (internal or external) for the pole barn. One that goes inside with a exhaust, or one that is remote and you could even use it to supplement the house. Shit, I priced them at Menards lat year when we were looking in Ashville for the house with a pole barn and even with getting the flue vented it was going to be like 1,200 and save a metric shit ton of money over electric, gas, propane, anything of the sorts.Now if you're talking burning used motor oil, etc. hell yeah. That's how our race teams owner heats his actual business shop, and that's 6 14 ft door bays, all have 1 nonstop open floor plan with shit, 25ft cielings at least. But they also do probably 20 oil changes a day, so plenty to have.I talked to a guy who owns a mechanic shop. He told me it takes 1500 gallons a winter to heat his shop with used motor Oil.I don't produce that much in five years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcat6183 Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 Yeah I didn't think so, I'd def look into a pellet stove unless youre just moving the old boiler to the barn, in which case obviously it's a free item to reuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max power Posted September 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 Yeah I didn't think so, I'd def look into a pellet stove unless youre just moving the old boiler to the barn, in which case obviously it's a free item to reuse.That's the plan. I need to research how to use the boiler unit to work with a heated floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swingset Posted September 10, 2014 Report Share Posted September 10, 2014 If you can't swing the up front of Geothermal (which is considerable), go for a high efficiency 2-stage propane furnace & high efficiency (variable speed condenser) heat pump. With that system it will mean that only 2 of the coldest months will be hard on the propane bills, and the high efficiency furnace (if properly sized to your home) will only work at maximum output at the very coldest of days and likewise during all but the hottest days the HP will be doing light duty. This is what I have in my house, and I only go through 200 gallons of propane a year...rest of the time it's electric. The good heat pumps are good down to 25 degrees. If you go propane, look into the bulk services that let you buy a large quantity up front then deliver it as you need it - the cheapest way to buy and lock in your rate. If you have access to wood, an outdoor boiler would be ideal for multiple buildings and none of the hassle that woodburners bring. I am a partner in an HVAC company, be happy to give you a quote if you start shopping around (and there's lots of good advice and options out there). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcat6183 Posted September 10, 2014 Report Share Posted September 10, 2014 Swingset, just tried to PM you something, says you cant get any new ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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