An oil furnace provides plenty of heat in the harshest of winters. While oil furnaces are predominantly more popular in the northeast, there is a good reason for that.
According to the US Department of Energy:
Access to natural gas and propane supplies are limited but heating oil is readily available.
If you're ready to start considering an oil furnace, you may be wondering what to look for, how much is the investment, and where to start. Here is a guide that answers all of your questions.
What to Look For in Choosing an Oil Furnace
There are four major components in choosing an oil furnace: brand quality, performance, efficiency, and size.
Brand Quality
When it comes to brand quality, there are two types of brands in oil furnaces - standard brands and premium brands. The difference is in the durability as well as a few extras such as a variable speed blower or those that are oil condensing furnaces.
Oil furnaces in the standard brands come from places like Armstrong and Ducane, Heil, Comfort-Aire, Tempstar and others and usually have a lifespan of about 15-18 years of durability.
The premium brand oil furnaces include Trane, American Standard, Kerr, Adams, and Carrier and Bryant. These can last up to 25 years on average but do have a higher initial cost.
Performance
There isn't major performance variations in an oil furnace because most are single-stage furnaces. This simply means that they run at full capacity when on and has a few drawbacks like being noisier and noticeable temperature variations.
There is a difference in blowers. For instance, the starting point is a single speed blower which is your most basic. Next is a multi-speed blower and the best is a variable speed blower.
Efficiency
The aforementioned condensing oil furnaces are those that have a second heat exchanger. There are only two brands that make this type of furnace and those are Kerr and Adams. These work well to capture and transfer heat from exhaust gases.
Furnace Size
When it comes to size, it all depends on the climate zone you are in as well as the size of your home. For instance, if you live in zone 5, which is in the upper northeast area of the country, you will need 50-60 BTUs per square foot.
You can find a handy zone chart here.
What is the Investment?
When it comes to the investment, the variables are many. However, there are certain factors that help give you an average.
For example, different brands will cost more and the higher the BTUs, the higher the cost due to the larger capacity of the unit.
A few sample prices for an average 100,000 to 120,000 BTU include:
- Comfort-Aire $1,850
- Adams $3100
- Heil $2200
As far as installation, according to FIXR, the average national cost is $3 - 5K for a 2,000 to 2,500 square foot home. This includes fees for things such as parts, labor, and removal and disposal of your old furnace, if applicable.
Where to Start?
It is easy to get started by checking how many BTUs are needed for your climate zone as well as the size of your home. Then you will need to determine if you want a basic unit and standard brand of oil furnace or if you want a premium brand with all of the bells and whistles.
According to Consumer Search, there are a few things to look for:
- The proper AFUE rating
- Two stage valves
- A programmable thermostat
- Sealed combustion
- A long warranty