How do you heat your house?

Nope just

 

I kinda figured that

 

WTF?

 

Chuck Testa

 

Those are stuffed right?

 

Nope , Chuck Testa

 

WOW hes da man then!

 

lol

 

thread revival... hope you guys can help me out.

I recently bought a house that has oil heat. The boiler is new and apparantly good. US made and energy star. Had the tank tested and it doesn't leak but I want to remove it ASAP because I don't want to deal with the EPA. I have a couple hundred gallons of diesel left, though.

What would you do? I was thinking to just install electric, should be quick and easy when I use up all the oil, but my parents think that would be dumb because it deminishes the value of the house. (I don't plan on staying in this house for more than 5-10 yrs)

its a ranch with basement 3 bed.

 

Is natural gas available where you live? Would be cheapest as far as monthly bills and if the boiler is new they should be able to convert it which would negate the need to buy a costly complete new system like you might normally have to do when switching to gas.

 

I'm not getting the connection between the oil tank and EPA? As for electric, depends on your wiring but you might need an electrical upgrade before you could put in an electric heater.

 

Yes there is gas, I didn't know you can convert the current boiler. Someone mentioned it costs thousands to get gas, so I that scared me away.

If the oil tank leaks you have to pay a lot of money to excavate. There are rumors floating that these companies make a hole upon removal so they can do the excavation and make more money. I would inspect that whole job, no doubt.

 

that is true I only have a 100 amp main.

 

Our house is mostly electric. We have a central air unit and the ceilings are wired with heating elements. The air unit is only effective down to around 40 degrees. So each room has a thermostat to the heating elements. Each room can be controlled separately, but ceiling heat isn't a very efficient way to heat the house. Fortunately, it doesn't get that cold here for very long (upper 30s at night in the winter).

This is the fireplace inset we have in the family room. I haven't used it yet but the prior owner said it will drive you out of the room.


We have a firewood storage box on the side of the house that can be accessed inside the house through a small door by the fireplace.

 

Woodstove

 

I'd have an HVAC contractor check out the boiler to see if it can be converted since most of the cost revolved around getting gas is associated with the equipment itself. I work for a natural gas utility in PA and while I cant speak for whatever the utility is there bit for our customers there isn't much cost passes onto the customer as long as the gas main runs in front of their house. For awhile we were running free services but even now its usually only a couple hundred bucks on the service line end. Granted your local utility may pass most of the cost to the customer in which case you'd be looking at a couple thousand dollars just for the service to be ran.

 

heat pump

only need it for a couple months in winter...

rest of the year we thank God for Dr. Willis H. Carrier.

 

That's a nice setup you got there. I will be installing central air next year. So perhaps I can install a heat pump for efficient heating for temps above 40*. Then put a oil tank in the basement for hot water and when it gets cold.

I have a fireplace I will be using for heat upstairs. I would put a wood stove like a small version of what you have in the basement, but people are afraid of wood here in NJ so I would have to take that stove with me when I sell the house.

That's seems to be the big question. I gotta get a quote to bring the line in. I know it was dirt cheap at one time, but I also know it went up. If it's not thousands it may be worth it.

Maybe I just cook up my own biodiesel lol


Does anyone know how long typically 300 gallons of heating oil will last?