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My wife and I saw a house for sale last night in Queens that we liked, but it was never converted to gas and still has an oil heating system. It's the first oil heated house we've seen in our search, and I was wondering if anyone had any knowledge about living in a house with oil heat. Are the bills and maintenance much higher with oil than gas? Is it much messier and more hands on? Is it very expensive to convert from oil to gas? I'm not sure how old the boiler/furnace is, but the tank is underground. We like everything else about the house a lot, but the question of this oil heating seems like one we really need to consider. I've tried researching articles online and they seem to point to avoiding oil heat. If anyone has any first or even secondhand knowledge they could share, I'd really appreciate it.
Fuel oil is a great deal more expensive than natural gas.
Fuel oil STINKS up a basement.
Eventually you will have to confront the buried oil tank either with replacement or removal. It's not cheap.
Oil burners require more maintenance.
I would not consider oil heat a deal breaker but it is definitely cause for devaluing a house.
If you love the house buy it. But the seller is responsible for the proper removal of the oil tank.
Then factor in a cost of at least $7,500 when you bid on the house to convert to gas after you purchase it. And if gas and oil prices stay the same for the next four years, you could probably recoup that $7,500 in four years. You don't want to pay $4.00+ per gallon for oil, believe me.
My wife and I saw a house for sale last night in Queens that we liked, but it was never converted to gas and still has an oil heating system. It's the first oil heated house we've seen in our search, and I was wondering if anyone had any knowledge about living in a house with oil heat. Are the bills and maintenance much higher with oil than gas? Is it much messier and more hands on? Is it very expensive to convert from oil to gas? I'm not sure how old the boiler/furnace is, but the tank is underground. We like everything else about the house a lot, but the question of this oil heating seems like one we really need to consider. I've tried researching articles online and they seem to point to avoiding oil heat. If anyone has any first or even secondhand knowledge they could share, I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks so much.
Gas is cheaper but there are a lot of variables. The behavior of the people in the home is one. How low can you set the control and still tolerate it? Also the other big one is how well maintained the heating appliance is. Also some people have a hangup about the combustibility of gas compared to oil.
Gas is cheaper but there are a lot of variables. The behavior of the people in the home is one. How low can you set the control and still tolerate it? Also the other big one is how well maintained the heating appliance is. Also some people have a hangup about the combustibility of gas compared to oil.
Doesn't matter if you keep the house hot or cold. You heating and hot water costs will be 50% lower with a new gas boiler than the existing oil dinosaur.
gas prices have skyrocketed this year. There was a long period when oil was cheaper than gas. Who knows what the long term future holds.
Of course gas > oil for home heating.
Gas prices may have skyrocketed this year, but my heating bill for a very cold January was $555. With my old oil boiler it would have been close to 2 grand.
And yes, oil used to be very cheap. In the winter of '98-99 I believe, my last fill up was for 79 cents a gallon. I'm not making that up. That was the time when gasoline was just over a buck, and everyone was buying gas guzzlers thinking it would never end.
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