Oil vs propane heat

[RichZ]

We are finally downsizing our 102 acre farm to a smaller property. The place we are considering apparently has propane heat (we're going to look at it for the first time on Saturday). It has a vertical propane tank, but the stove is electric, so I assume it is propane heat. I've never had propane heat. How is it efficiently compared to oil heat? It has forced air heat. If oil is much cheaper, can the system be converted to oil? I assume all the duct work would still be good, you would just have to replace boilers, right? Would it be worth it to do that? What about renting vs buying the propane tank? I don't know if the current owners rent the tank. We will still be staying in upstate eastern New York, right over the border from Vermont.

Thanks!!!!!

 

[LouNY]

Oil fired furnaces have a bit more maintenance then propane,
is it a boiler or a hot air furnace? duct work sounds like a furnace,
Propane from what I have seen in this area has quite a fluctuation in price.
There is more btu in a gallon of oil then propane it will take quite a bit more propane then oil in gallons for the same heat;

91,600 BTU/gallon for propane
140,000 BTU/gallon for heating oil

propane units can have higher efficiency then oil to offset some of the higher useage.

A rental tank locks a person into using that tank owner for their fuel suppler and pricing,
Just as with oil a larger tank allows seasonal filling and better pricing.

 

[Tomtint]

We have had both, Our propane heat as forced hot air...or "forced hot dust" I will never have that again living in the North East.. We. had radiant by propane and it was brutally expensive and inefficient. Now we went back to baseboard heat by oil and it is relatively efficient. ..my choice would be this again when we build again.

 

[CobyRupert]

Oil fired furnaces have a bit more maintenance then propane,
is it a boiler or a hot air furnace? duct work sounds like a furnace,
Propane from what I have seen in this area has quite a fluctuation in price.
There is more btu in a gallon of oil then propane it will take quite a bit more propane then oil in gallons for the same heat;

91,600 BTU/gallon for propane
140,000 BTU/gallon for heating oil

propane units can have higher efficiency then oil to offset some of the higher useage.

A rental tank locks a person into using that tank owner for their fuel suppler and pricing,
Just as with oil a larger tank allows seasonal filling and better pricing.

:thumbsup:
I've tried to do the math before....and throw electricity in the mix to compare. It turns into a head scratcher, even if you could predict (gas/oil/electric) pricing for more than a couple weeks.
Then it comes down to "estimating" (guessing) efficiencies.
Online sources say propane "can be" up to 98% efficient, oil furnaces maxes out at 87%. What your real numbers are, is only a guess.

Then trying to compare electric (1kw-hr = 3412.14 btu or 1kw = 3412.14 btu/hr, etc..) one can complicate it more.

 

[LouNY]

If you really want to get to head scratching the following calculator allows you to input the prices of fuel the efficiency and see the results per million btu.
Fuel Comparison Calculator for Home Heating | Coalpail.com

At what I paid for fuel oil, coal and electric, this fall;
the coal came in the best at $1540 per million btu,
electricity on the heat pump 2nd at $1730 and
#2 fuel oil at $2740.

So for me the mini-splits will be doing the most heating till we get down to highs in the 40's then I'll light off the coal burner,
and the oil boiler will be on hot standby mainly because it also makes my hot water thru a boiler mate water heater.

 

[fried1765]

If you really want to get to head scratching the following calculator allows you to input the prices of fuel the efficiency and see the results per million btu.
Fuel Comparison Calculator for Home Heating | Coalpail.com

At what I paid for fuel oil, coal and electric, this fall;
the coal came in the best at $1540 per million btu,
electricity on the heat pump 2nd at $1730 and
#2 fuel oil at $2740.

So for me the mini-splits will be doing the most heating till we get down to highs in the 40's then I'll light off the coal burner,
and the oil boiler will be on hot standby mainly because it also makes my hot water thru a boiler mate water heater.

My type of heat is Florida!
November 1st to April 30th.
Very efficient!

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I prefer propane...

Less maintenance, the furnaces seem more reliable and I have the option to have a propane water heater, cook stove and dryer. Also you can have a hook up for a grill outside too, if you want.

Then there's the propane powered generator, if that's your thing.

One thing is FOR SURE, I wouldn't want to have to depend on electric heat!!

SR

 

[LouNY]

When I got remarried 4 years ago we went to Florida that winter for awhile,
that was too much for me, you enjoy it I have absolutely no desire to go there again.

 

[CalG]

If you do heat with gas, look into the many buyers cooperatives in the North East. (I know there is one near you ;-)

Gas prices can be considerably less than the spot price.

 

[jbrumberg]

"... It turns into a head scratcher,"- CobyRupert I agree; too many guesstimates for me.

Lou- Thanks for the link. We have passive solar; a mini-split HVAC, propane for the central (baseboard) heating, hot water, clothes dryer, and cook stove; a wood stove; and a 11.83kWp solar array which offsets the electricity costs. It's really hard for me to wrap my head around this, but the mini-splits + wood heat seem to be the least costly to operate until it gets really cold.