Hi...first post. Complete beginner here, so sorry if my post is lacking in pertinent details. I have a 23 year old 4,000 sq. ft house with two oil furnaces and outdoor AC condensers (a 5 ton and a 4 ton). The smaller AC condenser just broke and had multiple people come out and they are all pushing me towards Propane. Natural Gas is not an option. I live in northern Mass, I do currently have solar panels and a wood insert (new this year so not sure how much assistance it will provide as it is located in a very open living/kitchen/playroom area) and I'm probably staying in the house for 15 more years.
All the contractors that have come have tried to push me off of oil to propane, but that requires me to bury a large tank, purchase said tank and run lines to the house (~$**** or so). Then I'd need new furnaces, both would have to be replaced, a new water boiler (currently running off of oil as well) and new heat pumps. As well as the removal of the oil tank and equipment. Been quoted ~$**** from multiple contractors.
And I'm not sure that Propane is really the right solution. I'm starting to look at geothermal (ground pump). I know the upfront costs are dramatic (still waiting for a contractor and estimate), but not sure if I want to stomach the insane upfront costs for that solution either.
The current set-up I have is insufficient from what I've been told. The current ductwork comes off the side of the coil unit rather than the top. Fitting in just a replacement condenser and coil isn't really an option.
As you can see, I'm sort of all over the place here. Not sure if I should stay on oil, get a new furnace and go with a heat pump. Do heat pumps even work well in Northern Mass with the cold we get? I assumed I'd need the furnace as the back-up. My ultimate question is, if you visited a house with all older equipment on oil, what set-up suggestion would you offer the homeowner?
Please refrain from adding pricing to your posts. It is not allowed by forum rules.
All the contractors that have come have tried to push me off of oil to propane, but that requires me to bury a large tank, purchase said tank and run lines to the house (~$**** or so). Then I'd need new furnaces, both would have to be replaced, a new water boiler (currently running off of oil as well) and new heat pumps. As well as the removal of the oil tank and equipment. Been quoted ~$**** from multiple contractors.
And I'm not sure that Propane is really the right solution. I'm starting to look at geothermal (ground pump). I know the upfront costs are dramatic (still waiting for a contractor and estimate), but not sure if I want to stomach the insane upfront costs for that solution either.
The current set-up I have is insufficient from what I've been told. The current ductwork comes off the side of the coil unit rather than the top. Fitting in just a replacement condenser and coil isn't really an option.
As you can see, I'm sort of all over the place here. Not sure if I should stay on oil, get a new furnace and go with a heat pump. Do heat pumps even work well in Northern Mass with the cold we get? I assumed I'd need the furnace as the back-up. My ultimate question is, if you visited a house with all older equipment on oil, what set-up suggestion would you offer the homeowner?
Please refrain from adding pricing to your posts. It is not allowed by forum rules.
source https://hvac-talk.com/vbb/threads/2242317-Picking-a-fuel-source-and-set-up?goto=newpost
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