Are you thinking about investing in a new furnace? Maybe you are moving into a new home with an oil or natural gas furnace, and you are only used to dealing with electric heaters. Whatever the situation is, with winter here, you need to learn about your heating system because it will be working overtime. Being a more informed homeowner is essential, but it will better equip you to deal with unexpected situations. Below, you will learn about oil heat and natural gas and how the two are different.
Monitoring Your Usage
The most important thing that homeowners need to know about oil heat is that it will be essential to monitor your usage. And this is because a tank that likely sits in your backyard will feed your furnace. If the tank goes empty, it means that you aren’t going to have any heat. This is not the case with natural gas. Natural gas furnaces are tied into a main that is fed with an unlimited supply of natural gas. If you are going with an oil furnace, it will be imperative to have a good oil company on hand like cash oil NJ to fill your tank regularly.
Which Is Safer?
When it comes to oil and natural gas heating, the first thing that homeowners worry about is safety. These systems have greatly improved over the years and are equipped with various safety devices that will shut them down immediately if something goes wrong. That being said, according to the experts from BoilerJuice US, “You need to know that oil heat is much safer than natural gas. And this is because of the carbon monoxide risk. Natural gas heats the home with a heat exchanger. If this heat exchange rusts, which they go over time, and develops a leak, it will push carbon monoxide fumes into the home.
Which Costs More
There are a lot of different factors that will determine the overall cost of your furnace. The price can vary depending on the home’s size, the furnace’s efficiency, and if you are replacing both the furnace and condenser. However, what you really need to know is that oil units are virtually cheaper. For instance, if you compare an average three-ton oil furnace to an average three-ton natural gas furnace, the natural gas unit’s overall costs will be higher. However, it should be noted that the cost of the oil in your tank outside will be more expensive than natural gas.
Which Is Easier To Maintain
It is true that every heating system out there is going to need maintenance from time to time. However, it is the oil furnaces that will require more maintenance. These systems need to be cleaned more frequently than natural gas systems due to the oil. They also have oil filters that will need to be changed regularly, but this is something that your oil provider can do for you.