Oil Furnace ? supplement gas fireplace

[Tammy]

I have an oil furnace that's only 82% efficient. I use 500 gal of oil for my 1,000 sf house yearly. Like everyone, I'm thinking alternative source of heat. I live alone and cannot pick up heavy pellet bags! Would it be worth converting my fireplace to gas? The price of gas vs oil now is about $1 cheeper but BTU-wise gas is a little less efficient. From the prices I've gotten so far, it would be abougt $3,000 to do the convertion. I expect to be in this house for about 4-5 more years.

I really appreciate the input guys. Any and all feedback is welcomed!!! Tammy

-------------------------------------

##-----------------------------------------------## Delivered via

Construction and Maintenance Forum Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup - alt.hvac - 24971 messages and counting! ##-----------------------------------------------##

[KJPRO]

I'd look into the advantages of a heat pump.

[Tammy]

Tammy had written this in response to

: Thanks for the input. I looked on the net a little. Forgot to mention I don't have duct work. No central a/c. Any other alternative or would you/could you still recommend same??

------------------------------------- KJPRO wrote:

##-----------------------------------------------## Delivered via

Construction and Maintenance Forum Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup - alt.hvac - 24973 messages and counting! ##-----------------------------------------------##

[Tammy]

Tammy had written this in response to

: Thanks for the input. I looked on the net a little. Forgot to mention I don't have duct work. No central a/c. Any other alternative or would you/could you still recommend same??

------------------------------------- KJPRO wrote:

##-----------------------------------------------## Delivered via

Construction and Maintenance Forum Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup - alt.hvac - 24973 messages and counting! ##-----------------------------------------------##

[geothermaljones]

I'd look at a Mitsubishi Mr.Slim mini split heat pump.

No duct required. It'll give you some A/C in the summer & it'll provide a bunch of heat in the winter.

goodluck geothermaljones st.paul,mn

:

[KJPRO]

:

The fuel oil furnace isn't ducted???

[over a barrel]

Kj its probly a wall or even a console unit ( which is very similar to a corn or pellet stove ) don't see many of those burning oil out in your area ?

[KJPRO]

Nope, normally the old oil units are forced air. The old units that are of the space heater (console) type are normally natural or LP gas fired. But, as always... area's vary...

[Stormin Mormon]

Where do you live? Warmer climate, or snow country?

No ducts? Does that mean the oil fired furnace heats radiators?

There are companies that make wall heaters, vented or not. With a wall heater and a couple fans, that might take some of the strain off the oil.

Here is one from Home Depot. I'd reccomend a HVAC tech to put it in, but it should be less than three G to get it installed.

Please let us know what you decide, and how it works out.

[Stormin Mormon]

Hydrionic; radiators.

[geothermaljones]

We've got plenty of these old freestanding fuel oil space heaters around here... Work great, cost lots & need yearly cleaning, if not more... More than once I've left covered w/soot. (I include "cleanup time" in my billing) I write off my shop-vacs...

geothermaljones

[over a barrel]

> -33593-.htm

Yeah back in the day ( Puget Sound ) most city dwellers had console oil burner, a pair of old 55 gal drums outside as above ground oil storage. Gramma had a wood cookstove where she burnt mill ends trash which kept the water hot....bath tub was usually gravity fed and located opposite wall from the stove or trash burner.

No wall mount gas furnaces there either well I'll be damned. IIRC usually used in homes less than 1000 sf mounted on a central wall absolutel no ductwork fairly thin yet tall say 6 foot say 20in wide or so mounted in the stud they stick out 8 in or so from flush....almost always vented into an existing chimney due to removal of an old wood burner.

Funny how things change as the time goes by, as well as differences by region.

[over a barrel]

Come to think of it, and certainly nothing to be embarrased about but pretty sure Ive NEVER even seen an oil burning forced air unit.

Like I said before :

See ?

And so nothing against say Nooner for instance, but.....him being in his own geographic region and with his comfort zone the concept of ADDING MORE heat pumps presents itself as a difficult concept....scary shit--OH NO!!! cant do that IT'S NOT GONNA PROPERLY DE-HUMIDIFY...

Okay then lets stage and zone then suggest chill out dude.

SEE........

[Stormin Mormon]

As you say, it's regional. In the western NY area, I've had the pleasure to work on several oil fired hot air units.

We have also at least a few houses with oil or gas fired hot water heat. Some use both boiler for resi heating, and a heater to heat the domestic water for showers and such.

I agree, oil fired is much more messy.

[Tammy]

Tammy had written this in response to

: Thanks. Just logged on and saw your response. I'll look into it! Didn't know about the ductless. Once again, Thanks Tammy

------------------------------------- geothermalj> I'd look at a Mitsubishi Mr.Slim mini split heat pump.

> :

##-----------------------------------------------## Delivered via

Construction and Maintenance Forum Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup - alt.hvac - 25137 messages and counting! ##-----------------------------------------------##