Thinking of Upgrading or Replacing Your Residential Heating Oil Furnace?
How to pick the course of action that best suits your needs.
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Summary: Simply replacing a conventional burner with a high-pressure flame retention head burner can save the homeowner as much as 15% on their annual heating oil expenses. Replacing the furnace with a new high efficiency system may net savings of up to 40%.
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Furnace
Homeowners will find themselves in different situations pertaining to their heating needs. There are a lot of variables at work here. A family’s needs change over time. They grow in numbers; babies are born, the old folks move in and heating needs change.
Maybe it’s not the family that grows, but the house itself through an addition. The list goes on and on, but the question remains the same. Does my current furnace provide me with optimum comfort for my heating dollar? If the answer is no, then it might be time to consider an upgrade or even replacement of the existing heating oil furnace. So where do you start?
There are several things every homeowner should know or find out about their heating oil furnace.
- How old is the furnace?
- What is the life expectancy of a heating oil furnace?
- Has it been maintained properly since you have owned the home?
- What about the previous owners?
- What is the annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating for the existing furnace?
- What upgrades, if any, has it had?
- Has it become a ‘frequent service call’ concern?
All of these are legitimate questions that need to be asked and answered. If you don’t know these answers and can’t find them, it would be a good idea to consult your heating oil professional for assistance.
It is often difficult to determine the age of some equipment,
especially if it is an ‘old-timer’ . Try looking for these:
Check the serial number: Sometimes the date of manufacture is hidden in it.
- Check labels and tags: It might be able to determine the date of installation from these.
- Check owner’s manual: There may be some indication of the age there if you are fortunate enough to have this document.
- The life span of heating equipment is even harder to nail down. Some may last for decades while others fall well short of that mark. Aside from the original quality of the equipment and workmanship, the amount and types of service that the heating oil furnace has seen will be the greatest factor in the longevity of the equipment.
- Furnaces that have been exposed to regular services and annual tune-ups will, in all likelihood, ‘outlive’ those that have not.
It is estimated that about 35% of the burners in the field are over 20 years old. Many homeowners delay upgrades or replacement of their heating oil furnace until its failure makes it necessary.
Simply replacing a conventional burner with a high-pressure flame retention head burner can save the homeowner as much as 15% on their annual heating oil expenses. Replacing the furnace with a new high efficiency system may net savings of up to 40% . This can provide significant savings each heating season in this age of high-priced fuel oil.
If, after consulting with your heating oil professional, it is agreed upon that your system needs to be replaced or upgraded, what then?
He or she can help you select a system that fits the heating pattern of your home, meets your needs and falls within your budget. These are some of the things the energy professional will consider in making a recommendation:
- Size of your home and family. Are there any special needs or considerations?
- Additions and major renovations will alter the normal energy patterns within a home.
- Tell your heating professional of any planned expansions or alterations to home.
- Dry air may exacerbate respiratory difficulties of some family members. Additionally, dry air reduces the efficiency and effectiveness of the heating system; dry air seems cooler and tends to encourage pushing the thermostat up to a higher setting, using more fuel. It may be prudent to consider installing a humidifier to improve air quality and conserve energy.
- The addition of an air quality filtering system can further benefit those homeowners that suffer from allergies or other forms of respiratory distress.
As with anything else, knowledge is the key to success. Knowing your home heating requirements and the condition and age of your equipment will enable you to make sound judgments about you future heating needs. If your present system is approaching or already is 20 years old, now would be a good time to evaluate your heating oil system for upgrades or replacement.
If your looking for details on your furnace and heating system please visit Home Heating Articles
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