Do You Really Need To Get Rid Of That Oil-Burning Furnace?
Posted on: 26 May 2016
If you're moving into a home with an oil furnace, you may assume you need to remove it and replace with a natural gas-burning model. After all, that's what all of your friends have suggested, right? The truth is, though, that oil furnaces are not quite as bad as they're typically made out to be. Sure, the oil-burning furnaces of decades past were dirty and inefficient, but modern oil-based furnaces are about 95% cleaner than before. And oil-based heating offers some benefits you may not be aware of. Here are some reasons to think twice before having that oil-burning furnace replaced.
Heating oil is not as eco-unfriendly as you may have heard.
Yes, burning crude oil is a dirty process that releases a lot of soot and pollution. But today's oil-based furnaces don't burn crude oil. Many of them are designed to burn waste oil, which has already served a function and would sit in a landfill or dump if it were not burned in your furnace. Versatile oil-burning furnaces can burn motor oil, used cooking oil, hydraulic oil, and even mineral oil that has already been used in other applications. Typically, these used oils are combined by an oil supply company and delivered to you in an oil tank.
Even if your furnace is not a model that's compatible with waste oil, the conventional heating oil used these days is very clean, and furnaces are designed to burn it more completely, resulting in very little soot buildup and pollution.
Oil heating is very safe.
If you have natural gas heating, you have to worry about the potential dangers of a gas leak. With propane, leaks are also a concern. Oil leaks, however, are far less dangerous to your family members. Even if a match is dropped in spilled oil, it won't ignite (it has to be vaporized first). Oil is a liquid, not a gas, so there's no danger of inhaling it if a line springs a leak. Yes, an oil spill will cause damage to the groundwater and soil if you don't catch it quickly, but the accumulation of oil on the ground is pretty obvious, so the issue is usually caught before it becomes too severe.
Oil furnaces heat up a home more quickly.
Oil burns at a higher temperature than natural gas or propane. This means that with gas heat, your home will heat up faster. If you live in a really chilly climate or simply hate being cold, oil-based heating will make you more comfortable.
So, before you spend thousands to remove that oil-burning furnace and replace it with a natural gas or propane furnace, spend a bit of time thinking your decision through. Oil heating is safer, more eco-friendly, and more comfortable than most people assume. Contact furnace companies like Greers Service Company Inc for more information.
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