Propane Heat

[RichZ]

Can anyone tell me how cost efficient propane heat is compared to oil heat? My wife and I my be moving to a smaller farm, and some that we've looked at on line have propane heat, which we've never had, so we wanted to know how cost efficient it is. .We have no idea what propane costs right now, and how efficient a propane heating system is.

Thanks.

 

[brokenknee]

Fuel calculator plug in your numbers to find out how much you will save or spend

Fuel Cost Comparison Calculator

 

[KiotiKowboy]

And just what does that calculator consider to be a "NORMAL" home????

 

[tractchores]

It's relatively easy. Take the cost of each and the btu of a gallon of each. Then you can get $/btu. Then multiply by the efficiency of the burner (98 for propane, 90 + for a newer oil unit). I haven't done it recently, but when I did it a couple years ago oil was cheaper. Propane has a lot less BTU. If you want to get really deep into it you could look at costs for the heating unit, fuel storage, yearly maintenance etc...

 

[kenmac]

Unless you know the efficiency of the propane furnace you won't know.

In the above example, he list a 98% efficient propane furnace..Some older ones were 70-75% efficient..some newer ones 80% some are 93% some are 98% efficient

A lot plays into the cost..Ie: how tight the duct work is etc, .

The current owners may be able to tell you what they have paid.

 

[nybirdman]

I am in New York State and use both oil(kero) and propane.A couple things to consider;I can "lock in" on propane cost @ $2.29/gal.because I use 700+gal per year.If you purchase your own tank you should be able to purchase it cheaper.There are no yearly maintenance cost with propane.
I burn about 400 gal/year of kerosene @$3.49/gal.at last fill.Price goes up later in season.I have my furnace serviced every year @ $150.00 approx.Nozzel,fuel filter and general cleaning.
Propane is about 80% efficient compared to fuel oil/kerosene.
What ever you choose I would get the largest tank you can and fill in the summer when prices are down.

 

[tjcarguy]

Pick your poison
Get gas , go boom -
Oil heat stinks -
Man who heat with wood get warm twice -
Electricity is 100% efficient

We purchased a big old farmhouse with a new propane furnace couple of years ago . Never had propane before 20 $ a day this year January , 35 $ a day last Jan. I doubt oil would be any cheaper. ---Trevor

 

[nybirdman]

Of course if you had a source for wood that would be the cheapest but the most work.My son put in an outside wood-fired boiler(high efficiency ones are $12,000) we have our own wood lot so it's only a little gas/oil/fuel for the tractor and lots of labor.
Investments in good quality windows ,doors and insulation will cut the cost for fuel.
check out Central Boiler - Outdoor Wood Furnace for Home Heating

 

[buickanddeere]

You can't purchase cheaper heat than a coal stoker.

 

[kenmac]

Electricity is 100% efficient

Not really..If it's a ducted furnace.

Like any furnace / fuel ..You'll loose heat through the duck work itself

 

[LD1]

If ductwork is all contained within the heated structure, you won't loose any efficiency. Like a single story home with a full basement that is also conditioned.

Ductwork in unconditioned areas like attics or crawls, then good tight ductowk is a must.

 

[tractchores]

For purposes of choosing a fuel you can ignore things like duct work. That will be equal regardless of heat source (unless one requires a special distribution like a wood stove or something). What you want to know is based on the number of BTU in the fuel how much makes it into the system to be used as heat. The main loss here is going to be incomplete combustion or loss via the chimney (largely fixed via modern automatic dampers now).

I always find builders etc touting 'efficient propane' and doing numbers that don't include that propane has about 3/4 the engery content of the same amount of oil, which makes it look like a great deal.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

Add geothermal to propane forced air furnace? Use the propane as your back up heat. Last winter they ran out of propane in some spots here and it went to $7 a gal. We have big propane tank, only run dryer and stove. Fill it in the fall then again late spring. We can pre-buy and lock in price, haven't done it.