Heating oil is known for its incredible efficiency and its environmentally-friendly nature. For many consumers it is far preferable to using natural gas, which is highly combustible and known to lead to serious explosions. Moreover, natural gas can be both costly and detrimental to the environment. This is especially true when considering how invasive pipeline installations have proven to be. If you want to know how to switch to oil fired central heating, the following information should help you out.
It is first important to determine whether or not this method of warming your home is actually a feasible one. This is true both in terms of oil accessibility and overall costs. Not only do you have to account for the price of the fuel that you will actually be using, but you also have to factor in the additional fees for delivery. Before making any major changes to your property, you have to make sure that this is ultimately, the most cost-effective solution.
Contact an HVAC service in your area to have them come and inspect your home. You will need to have at least one tank for holding heating oil installed. If you live in an area of severe winter weather, you may need to have a back-up tank installed as well. This is because some delivery companies may not be able to access your location in order to make emergency fuel deliveries. This is frequently the case in locations that are prone to heavy snowfall and icy road conditions.
Another important step in these efforts is to contact your current utilities service and to let them know about your intentions. They may be reticent to see you go, but there are still things that they can do on your behalf to expedite this process and to make sure that the transition is a smooth and seamless one. For instance, they will definitely need to shut off all natural gas supplies to your location before any work is performed.
Find out whether or not there are any other homeowners in your area who have recently made this transition. Given that they have already been through this process, they can let you know about some of the more challenging obstacles to look for. There is also a lot of helpful information that you can glean from other, local consumers online.
The next step in these efforts is to choose the appropriate heating equipment. In most cases, this should be able to blend seamlessly into any central air set-up that you already have in place. You will obviously be able to use the same ducting system and many other components. Only the primary equipment that is used to convert the fuel into heat will need to be changed.
Ask several companies to submit quotes for this project. This is an easy way to identify the most competitive pricing for the solutions you need. Keep in mind, however, that cost shouldn’t be your sole concern as you shop around for a provider.
Other factors to consider include whether or not a company has completed any conversions like these in the past. You can additionally look for any government or other incentives that are being offered to homeowners who are willing to make this switch. With the right, environmentally-friendly equipment, you may be able to get grants and other savings that greatly diminish the overall costs of this major project.
