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The only advantage that comes to mind is the ability to cook with gas. If that's an eventual option. At least around here, fuel oil and propane costs about the same per BTU, and is about twice as expensive as NG. Only electricity (resistive heat) is more expensive, and that by a lot.
Tom
“This place smells like that odd combination of flop sweat, hopelessness, aaaand feet"
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I have made the switch. When we purchased our house, the water heater and furnace were both oil. When the furnace broke, we installed a propane unit and then switched the water heater to an instantaneous propane unit as well.
I prefer the propane, as it is much cheaper around here. We belong to a co-op that allows us to secure a pricing dependent on our yearly usage. It's roughly half the cost of oil.
We eventually installed an in ground tank as well.
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One of the biggest home builders in SO MD, uses propane exclusively. They put an in ground tank and it does heating, hot water and cooking. Everyone that I've talked to that has bought one loves it. I'm not sure if the houses are more efficient or what but the ones that I work in and very comfortable temperature wise. The heat seems to be very even throughout.
I no longer build museums but don't want to change my name. My new job is a lot less stressful. Life is much better.
Garry
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Haven't made that switch directly...
We had oil heat when I was a teenager living on Long Island.
Have had natural gas and now propane. Much prefer natural gas and propane. Even though electric heats our current house, propane heats the shop.
The same propane tank that fuels the shop also fuels my outdoor grill, backup power generator, and two gas fireplaces. Fuel oil won't do that.
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Location: Wapakoneta, OH
I've went both ways in different houses, though it was a few years ago. Broadly speaking, gas furnaces a somewhat less maintenance intensive, and I think (new technologies may have changed this) they are usually more efficient. In my slice of the world propane is quite a bit cheaper than oil, but that's just today...tomorrow it may be different. Also, propane suppliers have very different rules (amongst themselves) on tank rental and other details of being your supplier. I love gas heat, and only once in my life (I'm 68) did I have nat gas, so I've had LP for some time and likely won't give it up.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
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Location: Commerce Township, MI
I switched because I needed a new furnace and rumor was that NG lines were in our future. NG lines went 2 years later and our bill dropped by over half.
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Never had oil but have heard too many stories about old oil tanks leaking causing nasty messes. That's not to say that propane systems don't leak but they are required to be pressure tested periodically by fuel suppliers. And, should you ever have access to natural gas my understanding is that you can convert your existing equipment. But that's something you'll want to check with your equipment supplier/installer.
Just to throw a wrench into the discussion, have you considered geothermal? Yes, it'll cost you about double even after all the tax credits and discounts. We had it in our house in Des Moines and loved it. Bills for both heating and cooling were a third to half of what we'd had before the conversion.
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Thanks guys for the input.
Wife wouldn't mind a propane stove, we have electric now and we've thought about upgrading it.
Here in Massachusetts it's code to have the propane tank buried. Drawback is the mess it will make of the lawn, plus that project will likely mess up the irrigation piping, too. In our state the company you buy propane from owns the tank, not sure if that is unique or not. I guess that way they are responsible for leaks and corrosion inspections.
Getting rid of the oil tank would be nice though. Plus the oil furnace is noisy.
Still thinking
Best for the new year to all
Mike
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I didn't mention the noise since I don't know how quite the new oil furnaces might be....I do know the older ones are loud. In our state, the propane tanks can be owned by the homeowner, which gives you the choice of buying LP from any supplier as time goes on. The source agreements vary greatly among the LP distributors. Some want a certain usage to supply a certain size tank, some don't care one way or another, and the one I'm using now offers a "lifetime lease" which is about 1/3 the cost of buying your own (you are locked into his supply with this).
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
