Having to clean any machine that works as hard as a boiler is no indication that oil is somehow "dirty". If that's at all meaningful, then I guess we have to weigh it against the far more serious problem of gas explosions. That REALLY makes a mess... and kills whole families.
Listening to a realtor for advice about a heating system is like going to the auto mechanic when you have a tooth ache.
ote:
radiators or is
yep but costs a lot to operate, and in a power failure a gnerator isnt likely to help much.
Then you haven't chosen the right one. Mine is knowledgeable and professional and just as quick to point out each home's faults as their strengths. Her business is based on repeat customers and referrals, so she won't sully her reputation just to make a quick sale.
On 5/19/2008 3:13 AM snipped-for-privacy@dog.com spake thus:
That (the possibility of gas explosions) is the one and only advantage of oil over gas.
What are you, a fuel oil dealer?
Yes, and compared to an annual cleaning, it's such a silly, trivial, disadvantage, too.
The gas industry has spread the idiocy about oil being somehow "dirty", when in fact, the homeowner will never encounter any such "dirt". The propaganda tries to fool folks into thinking it will make their homes dirty or smelly. That's complete bullshit.
No, I am not an oil dealer. You, however sound like a snake oil salesman.
On 5/19/2008 10:03 AM snipped-for-privacy@dog.com spake thus:
It certainly is dirtier in terms of what goes out the exhaust into the air. Natural gas produces (mostly) water vapor and carbon dioxide. Oil produces CO and other crap.
If you look at the total cycle of natural gas from beginning to end, it is no cleaner or less harmful to the environment than oil. In fact, it may be worse.
On 5/19/2008 10:16 AM snipped-for-privacy@dog.com spake thus:
Now that, my friend, cries out for a cite. Remember, you're the one making the claim, not me.
Do your own homework. If you don't agree with what I said, you can stumble along in ignorance, or you can research and find the truth for yourself.
QED
"QED"?? Oh grow up.
Any crazy thing can be asserted, with the demand that everyone scramble to disprove it. Therefore, it's up to YOU as the person who made the assertion to provide the evidence.
It's a basic rule of discourse.
Banty
???
I'm not the one who posted the nonsense that oil was somehow "dirty" compared to gas. That person has still not posted any evidence or cites to support that lie whatsoever.
You are correct that anyone can assert something crazy and then demand that everybody scrable to disprove it. That's exactly what David Nebenzahl and a few others have done.
Maybe I can help out...
Table 2. Pounds of Air Pollutants Produced per Billion Btu of Energy
Pollutant Natural Gas Oil Coal
Carbon Dioxide 117,000 164,000 208,000 Carbon Monoxide 40 33 208 Nitrogen Oxides 92 448 457 Sulfur Dioxide 0.6 1,122 2,591 Particulates 7.0 84 2,744 Formaldehyde 0.750 0.220 0.221 Mercury 0.000 0.007 0.016
Source:
A couple notable quotes:
"Natural gas is less chemically complex than other fuels, has fewer impurities, and its combustion accordingly results in less pollution."
"The combustion of natural gas also produces significantly lower quantities of other undesirable compounds, particularly toxics, than those produced from combustion of petroleum products or coal."
"Natural gas is not a significant contributor to acid rain formation."
"Natural gas use also is not much of a factor in smog formation. As opposed to petroleum products and coal, the combustion of natural gas results in relatively small production of smog-forming pollutants."
Cheers, Paul
It's has nothing to do with picking the right real estate agent. As I said, to get advice on a heating system from a real estate agent is like going to an auto mechanic for a tooth ache. A real estate agent isn't qualifed to give opinions of heating systems.
And if that isn't bad enough, most people don't understand that unless you have a buyers agent, who's supposed to be specifically working for you, the real estate agent is actually working for the seller. And even if you have a buyers agent; that agent is typically getting paid from the commission when the house is sold. That is an inherent conflict of interest.
Real estate agents need to be reasonably well versed in all home mechanicals and code related issues because that's an important aspect of their job. Can they take apart a burner head and clean it or diagnose a faulty control board? Not likely, but based on their training and professional experience they're in a better position than most to judge whether a furnace or boiler has been well maintained, is energy efficient and in good working order.
My real estate agent is paid a commission upon the closing of the sale and my lawyer and mortgage broker get their cut as well. She has been rather candid in her advice and understands that by protecting my interests she's also furthering her own. I trust and respect her judgment because she's repeatedly demonstrated her worth; it's as simple as that.
Oil is not "dirty." Like any fuel it needs to be used with a properly adjusted system in order to optimize the efficiency of the burner.
I am concerned about a patched oil tank though. The seller should correct this by replacing the oil tank. A leaking oil tank is no fun.
I've had electric, gas and oil systems and favor oil. With today's oil prices though I wonder if a wind turbine and electric heat might not be a better solution.
Boden
On 5/19/2008 7:31 PM Boden spake thus:
Just curious why you'd prefer oil over gas.
Absolute nonsense. Show me a reference where any of that is included in real estate training courses or licensing exams. The typical real estate agent is a housewife who has zippo experience or training in home mechanicals or code related issues.
Additionally, for them to get involved in giving opinions on any of that is likely precluded by professional ethics and legal issues. If you owned a realty agency, would you want your employees giving opinions on heating systems and structural issues that could get someone killed?
=A0Can they take apart a burner head and clean it or
Show us a reference where real estate agents receive training in how to determine whether a furnace is well maintained or not. Most are lucky if they can get the type of HVAC right on the listing.
You can trust her all you want. But there is an inherrent conflict of interest. If you're getting paid on a commission, you only get paid if the deal closes. Faced with the prospect of convincing you that the property is worth an additional $5K to meet the sellers price and get the deal done and be paid or tell you it's not worth the extra $5K and starting over, clearly there is motive for the real estate agent to be less than candid.
e:
I inspect a lot of chimneys and those with the most damage are the ones with oil fired heat. The roofs are usually dirty and the terra cotta is often crumbling on the inside. Much less so with gas boilers. Oil fired boilers have made local chimney sweeps and metal liner industry guys rich.
Be careful of what the local bylaws are concerning houses with oil tanks installed whether they are in use or not. Some jurisdictions demand the removal of tanks that reach a certain age.....found this out when looking for a house. The rational for this was that even "empty" tanks have some oil in the bottom and eventually the tank would leak and cause an environmental hazard.
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