Posted: 8/20/2007 6:08:13 AM EDT
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Furnace just crapped out, I am waiting for my plumber to come by to see if it can be repaired. Its a little over 20 years old, so even if the plumber can get it running it will need to be replaced soon. Right now I have an oil furnace that sends steam to my radiators and heats my water. My house is 1,500 square feet. What are my options if I replace the furnace with a newer and more efficient model, rough costs for unit + labor + parts. It has to be an oil furnace since there is no natural gas delivery in my area. I could switch to a coal furnace but unless they have been greatly improved I'm not interested in them. Looking for some credible advice to help me make the best decision. I cant afford to be mislead into purchasing a poorly made furnace or an inadequate furnace. |
| I'm assuming by what you are calling a "furnace" it is an oil fired boiler. If it is 20 years old you can definitely get a more efficient unit by upgrading to new equipment. If natural gas isn't an option other than another fuel oil fired unit your only real other option would be propane. I'd check and see what the costs are for LP versus Fuel oil are in your area for the most economical choice. Fuel oil is an eficient heat source when the burner is set up correctly but LP is a little cleaner option, and less apt to need the regular maintenance an oil fired sysetm requires.... not to imply you would never need to perform any maintenance on an Propane fired system since you still have zone valves, pumps, radiators etc on the steam supply sections... but LP uses burners is just like a Natural gas burner and no electrodes and nozzles are needed to be kept in tune and oil filters won't need to be regularly changed. Ideally a forced air LP furnace/Heat pump is your best bet but if there isn't any current ductwork it could be very cost prohibitive to add ductwork to an older existing house. I hope this helps |
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Thanks for your reply, My boiler was repaired, for free. My tanks had run dry and when they refilled the tanks some air got in the line and the feed tube just needed to be purged. Plumber knew what the problem was and once he told me there was air in the line and there was a bleeder valve I knew what to do. I bleed the system till all the air was out and the boiler fired right up. Called the plumber back and let him know everything was working and thanked him for his help. He just laughed and said its good stuff to know and that at least I dont have to pay for a service call. So many things to learn when your a homeowner. I started looking around at propane costs. Not too many around me, most people seem to use oil or coal in my area. I would love to switch to coal, most of my neighbors spend about a $1,000 for the entire winter using coal. Maybe I will find a clean coal burner when I do replace my existing boiler. |