Many of us see eliminating oil heat from our house as a daunting task. A lot of us see the larger upfront cost and don’t really understand the benefits of paying for this upgrade. You’re not alone thinking the costs won’t outweigh the benefits. But, our Connecticut plumber wants to help clarify why you should be weary of using oil to heat your water/home and look into investing in a more renewable energy source. And, when/if you’re ready to make the switch we know just who to call!
Connecticut Plumber Shares the Oil Facts
If our planet doesn’t reduce its carbon footprint by 50% in the next two decades, we’ll all experience serious consequences. This means many of us need to stop using oil in our homes. Oil is used for three main reasons in our home: to heat water, living space, or the chimney. One of the biggest issues with using oil to heat your home is the “standby” losses that occur with your boiler. Typically, about a quarter of your heat is wasted by escaping through your chimney or into your basement!
There are countless other downfalls of using oil as your main heat source. Here are just a few of the “big factors” we’d like to share. Typically, oil has higher fuel cost because \ heating oil is more expensive than heating natural gas. Also, oil requires a lot of maintenance. Dirt and soot often get mixed in the oil and build up causing issues. So, more times than one would like, there are repair men sent to the house to help clean out the build up. Finally, in general, oil heat is just inconvenient. It doesn’t have the pipeline infrastructure so you have to store the oil in a tank and refill regularly.
Solutions We Offer at Moonlight Plumbing
If you’re looking to replace/upgrade your system, we have a couple options at Moonlight Plumbing that may suit your needs.
- Option #1: Tankless Water Heaters
- Saves Money – it prevents the system from heating water that won’t be used.
- Efficient – It only uses energy to heat the water on an as-needed basis.
- Longevity – You’ll be less likely to replace your water heater.
- No Limit to Hot Water – It heats water on demand so there’s never a chance of running out.
- Option #2: Conventional Water Heaters
- There are two subcategories when selecting this option; natural gas or electric.
- Option A – Natural Gas Heaters:
- Cheaper Than Oil – there’s more stable supply and demand for gas making it cheaper than oil.
- Requires Little Maintenance – gas burns cleaner than oil resulting in less build up of dirt or other particles. Therefore, less repairs/cleaning necessary.
- Gas is Nontoxic – it won’t contaminate soil or groundwater if it leaks.
- Option B – Electric Heaters:
- Safe and Reliable – most have no moving parts which means there’s less chance of breaking down. Thus, resulting in longer life span as well.
- Affordable and Efficient – it’s the cheapest option of heating a home because of stable supply and demand for a long period of time now.
- They can also be wired room to room so if a room is not in use, you won’t need to heat it saving you money
- Environmentally Friendly – doesn’t require the burning of anything so it will not emit pollutants into the atmosphere. It also eliminates the risk of gas leaks.
Let Us Help You Find a Better Solution
While there is no right or wrong way to heat your house, our Connecticut plumber believes there is a worse and better solution. Finding the right solution to heat your home so it’s affordable, reliable, and efficient is important. If you’re ready to help stop pollution, save money in the long term, and upgrade your home by switching your oil heater to natural gas or electric, call one of our experts today. Or, if you have questions or need more information reach out on our website, too! We look forward to helping you find a better way to heat your home.
