In the Market to Buy a New Home? Understanding Oil vs Gas Heat
There are many reasons why we believe oil heat is the best decision to heat homes, but we also realize that when you’re in the market to buy a new home, sometimes decisions like that don’t come easy. Buying a home can be an overwhelming process with uncertainties (and hidden costs) that you may not think about until months down the road. Understanding oil vs gas heat is often one of those things.
Regardless of which type of heat source is in the home you’re considering, just make sure you explore all of your options before you buy.
Oil Heat
A home heated with oil is typically hotter than other sources of heat (heating your home and water faster than natural gas). Although they require room for storage, modern oil heaters are more environmentally friendly than other sources of heat; it’s 95% cleaner than it was in 1970. And as a popular choice among Americans (28.6 million use oil to heat their homes), it’s the safer and more efficient way to go.
Check out more great benefits of oil on our latest blog.
Gas Heat
Gas furnaces have high heating efficiency and require little maintenance. Since gas furnaces run off of natural gas they are an economical way to heat your home when temperatures drop below freezing but having a correctly sized system is critical for overall home comfort and cost savings. There are also often rebates or financing incentives available to homeowners who upgrade their systems to high-efficiency equipment.
Should I Replace The Existing System?
According to Smarter House, if the furnace or boiler is older than 20 years, chances are it is probably over sized, inefficient, and likely to fail soon. If it’s 10–20 years old, the decision to replace it depends on its age, size, condition, and performance. The best first step would be to hire a highly qualified home performance or heating contractor who can help you evaluate the home’s existing system and determine the best actions to take.
If you looking at a home with a gas- or oil-fired furnace or boiler and know its rated efficiency, it’s pretty easy to calculate the savings you will get by replacing it with a more efficient system of the same type, assuming both the old and new systems are correctly installed. It is paramount that systems are properly installed to ensure safety, reliability, and maximum efficiency.
The Lawes Difference
Like your new home, your heat choice and HVAC system is an important investment in your future. When considering such a vital necessity as gas vs oil heat, it’s important to find a company that will stand behind its products and services to service your equipment. Lawes Home Comfort Specialists has been in business for almost a century, originally delivering heating oil by horse drawn carriage.
We extend service and repairs on all brands and models of residential oil or gas-fired heating equipment: furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters, and indirect hot water heaters. If you would like to learn more about heating your home with oil or gas, contact Lawes Company at 732-741-6300 today!