Help with home heating question

[Howling]

We had oil tank start leaking few years ago. Couldn't tell from outside, hole rusted through inside bottom center. Tech put a magnetic patch on it. Couple weeks with oil smell in house because all the HVAC companies were dealing early spring heatwave and AC systems.

Gas in the street, but they wanted $10-20K to run because of the house is up on bedrock.

Ended up getting a Roth tank. Basically a plastic tank inside a stainless shell. If the tank fails the oil is still contained.

 

[Oaktree]

We are told that we have to get rid of our 20 year old oil tank by law. Our oil furnace runs great so the technician tells us. The home fuel heating companies are pushing us to go to propane, but we hear from neighbours and friends that it has cost them more to heat, not to mention the cost of converting to a gas furnace. There is very little info to help us make a decision. We could just buy a new oil tank. Our furnace burns at about 86% efficiency.

So I read the Gilmore P.C. regs and it seems Ontario wants your tank inspected every 10 years, no regs. for automatic age based replacement. I would ask the guy who "inspected" the tank where the leak is. Have him show it to you. If you can see it, replace it. If his company happens to sell replacement tanks he probably gets an incentive for every tank he sells. If it really is a leaker then you gotta do it. If he's a commission driven jerk get a different delivery company.
FWIW there was an old rusty oil tank in my basement for my oil burner when I bought this joint, I figured it was good for 2 or 3 years at best. 35 years later when we switched to geothermal it was still old and rusty and hadn't lost a drop.

I was suspecting the same thing myself. Much like auto safety inspections, many sleazy dealers have rather creative interpretations of laws, figuring the customers won't know the difference.
I get periodic inspections, but if an oil tank is protected from the elements should last way more than 20 years. Underground, maybe not.

You might want to check into ductless heat pumps, whether they're offered and will work in your area. They work more efficiently than almost any heating/cooling system, and here in Virginia anyway, do not require any emergency backup. Could back them up with oil heat; bet that would work. Put in a ductless system for our basement.Ralph

The OP is in Canada. A heatpump is fine for a climate with hot summers and mild winters, but I really doubt it would cut it in a northern climate where it regularly gets below 0 (-17.7C). He probably doesn't need A/C either, so there's functionality that would go unused.

I own my propane tank,, 1000 gallons,, we fill it every three years,,, I use ~200 gallons per year.

That broad of propane acquire time always lets me get the propane when it is low in cost

All well and good assuming you can find a supplier who will fill a privately owned tank. Many won't, and almost none will fill a tank that belongs to another supplier. Dunno if there's a law, or if it's just the way it's done in that industry.
Fortunately, you're not chained to one supplier with oil.

 

[Fuddy1952]

I'm probably repeating what others have said. When I bought my place 40 years ago I had oil furnace and 275 gal. above ground tank. It was constant maintenance. It would quit 2am and it was always a clogged nozzle, cracked electrode, etc. Last straw was tank growing this algae stuff. I tried additives.
When addition added and garage I had three propane furnaces installed, and 500 gal. above ground tank. Fuel oil roughly $3/gal...propane $2/gal., propane much more efficient. That was 20 years ago. Only maintenance I ever had to do was fixing two condensation pumps...easy fix as line was freezing outside. Exhaust pipes on furnaces are PVC plastic, steam is all you see...its barely warm at all.
I would never go back to oil, I would never have a buried tank.
At work the oil furnace was using too much oil. I convinced landlord tank was leaking. He had it removed one night...next day I saw it was like Swiss cheese, holes everywhere. Above ground they're not pretty, but much better. Put latticework or bushes around it.

 

[Oaktree]

I'm probably repeating what others have said. When I bought my place 40 years ago I had oil furnace and 275 gal. above ground tank. It was constant maintenance. It would quit 2am and it was always a clogged nozzle, cracked electrode, etc. Last straw was tank growing this algae stuff. I tried additives.
When addition added and garage I had three propane furnaces installed, and 500 gal. above ground tank. Fuel oil roughly $3/gal...propane $2/gal., propane much more efficient. That was 20 years ago. Only maintenance I ever had to do was fixing two condensation pumps...easy fix as line was freezing outside. Exhaust pipes on furnaces are PVC plastic, steam is all you see...its barely warm at all.
I would never go back to oil, I would never have a buried tank.

I guess it depends on where you live. Both fuels can be pricey, but here in New England oil is almost always cheaper than propane, and as I noted earlier you can shop around for the best price unlike propane where you're stuck with one supplier.

How old was your old furnace? I have very few problems with mine, and have never (knock, knock) had any issues with algae.
My primary source of heat is a woodstove, we generally use the furnace only if we're going to be away or in those transitional seasons when all that's needed is to take the chill off. Modern oil furnaces are quite efficient as well.

I don't believe all propane appliances can use PVC for exhaust. Our water heater is less than 10 years old, and still requires a double-wall metal flue.

 

[Fuddy1952]

I guess it depends on where you live. Both fuels can be pricey, but here in New England oil is almost always cheaper than propane, and as I noted earlier you can shop around for the best price unlike propane where you're stuck with one supplier.

How old was your old furnace? I have very few problems with mine, and have never (knock, knock) had any issues with algae.
My primary source of heat is a woodstove, we generally use the furnace only if we're going to be away or in those transitional seasons when all that's needed is to take the chill off. Modern oil furnaces are quite efficient as well.

I don't believe all propane appliances can use PVC for exhaust. Our water heater is less than 10 years old, and still requires a double-wall metal flue.

The propane furnaces are Lennox. This is the shop one, then two in the house. They all have plastic exhaust. In the dining room I have a propane Vermont Castings stove. That has the B vent double wall metal flue pipe I ran up the chimney in that room.
I just looked it up, these furnaces installed 1999. The oil furnace I took out was (my best guess) late 60s so 10 years old when I bought the house.
Here you can shop around for oil and propane. Mom had her tank filled recently $2.69/gal. I had my propane topped off $1.89/gal. Last fill in winter was $1.84.
Mom's oil furnace replaced about 6 years ago, other house on her place Dad (r.i.p.) and I installed about 15 years ago. Both of those get serviced in Fall and usually average one call during winter.
You live close to Canada it looks like. I bet you go through a lot of wood!

 

[Fuddy1952]

"All well and good assuming you can find a supplier who will fill a privately owned tank. Many won't, and almost none will fill a tank that belongs to another supplier. Dunno if there's a law, or if it's just the way it's done in that industry."
Has to be regional. Around here anyone will deliver propane or oil to your tank. There is one local propane distributor who only delivers if they can perform a $50 leak down test first. I don't use them anyway since they're higher.
Ready for my (funny?!?) Propane story?
To preface in case anyone doesn't know about how they fill propane picture shows my hand is on a valve. Delivery guy fills until liquid propane comes out. Gauge has a float, mine is full although gauge reads 70. Summer heat they allow expansion, winter fill it's about 85.
About five years ago I called around and cheapest propane was "Panther Fuel" so I called them to deliver. Going to work that day I checked tank gauge and it was on 85. I had forgotten I was on autofill with my usual supplier and they just made a delivery!
When I got home that day there was an invoice on my doorknob from Panther Fuel.
Printed ticket said 90 gallons @ $1.69 and total with tax and everything it was $165.00.
I walked down to tank and gauge was on 65...and it was a warm day!!!
I called Panther the next day and they said "it takes special equipment to pump it out...we topped it off". Long story short I spoke with owner who said I didn't have to pay the $165.
I'll always believe they were trying to pull a fast one, and removed some of my propane as well.

 

[kenmac]

Find one of these to install... VRF,,, one to one with matching AH..It will heat down to -20 deg temps

 

[mikester]

The OP is in Canada. A heatpump is fine for a climate with hot summers and mild winters, but I really doubt it would cut it in a northern climate where it regularly gets below 0 (-17.7C). He probably doesn't need A/C either, so there's functionality that would go unused.

Cold climate air sourced heat pumps are good down to -30oC. Our summers get over 30oC regularly so the A/C will get plenty of use. We hit -30oC a couple times last winter and the ASHP had no problems keeping up. AC is a nice summer bonus.

 

[kenmac]

Cold climate air sourced heat pumps are good down to -30oC. Our summers get over 30oC regularly so the A/C will get plenty of use. We hit -30oC a couple times last winter and the ASHP had no problems keeping up. AC is a nice summer bonus.

how many times did that ASHP switch over to back up heat ?

 

[Carl_NH]

We had a 275 Tank in a crawl space for about 10 years, and after getting 12" rain in a two day period (has never happened again) in 2012 the crawl space had a foot of water but the tank didn't float but the next season we pulled that tank out and put in a 275 Roth double wall oil tank in an enclosed/insulated pad added to the house. The Roth tank Poly inside - SST external has a 30 year warranty and a $2M insurance coverage in the event of a leak.

In 2014 we installed 7.2 KW of solar and added three (2-9K and 1-12K unit) Mitsubishi Hyper heat minisplits for heat and AC and these heat down to -13F (-25C) and don't switch to electric for back up heat. Overall our oil use has gone down with the mini splits.

To the original poster's issue, his boiler is fine it sounds like he needs to either get his tank recertified or install a new one - which is $900-1200 typical. I would do the replacement but plan longer term for the mini split technology. A 40 lot subdivision this year on the border of Maine and NH recently got approval of the mini splits for whole house heating - meaning no furnace was required NG or Oil to meet code - so its a matter of time and zoning / heating ordinances will come around.