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Gas vs. Oil: What’s the Best Furnace or Boiler for Your Home? | Gold Star Plumbing Heating & Cooling

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Gas vs. Oil: What’s the Best Furnace or Boiler for Your Home? | Gold Star Plumbing Heating & Cooling

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Gas vs. Oil: What’s the Best Furnace or Boiler for Your Home?

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It’s no secret that in Hicksville, NY, homeowners experience beautiful weather during the spring and summer months. However, you can also say the opposite for winter. When the frigid temperatures unavoidably start rolling in, you’ll want to make sure that you have a proper way to heat your home.

If you want to upgrade your heating source but are stuck deciding between oil heat vs. gas heat, you might feel overwhelmed. There’s a lot worth discussing when it comes to oil vs. natural gas furnaces, and you may even be interested in knowing about gas vs. oil boiler efficiency compared to furnaces. Despite this, there’s no reason to worry. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of both gas and oil heat systems.

1. Fuel Availability

As a homeowner, it’s essential to know which fuel sources you have access to—and which ones you don’t. When deciding between an oil vs. natural gas furnace, it’s vital to understand that natural gas isn’t available to every homeowner across the country. In order to have a natural gas furnace, you need to live in an area where natural gas is readily available.

Oil furnaces, on the other hand, are easily serviced by oil delivery companies. You’ll find that a lot of companies even offer automatic delivery, so you never have to worry about running out of oil.

In the end, if you don’t have access to natural gas where you live, there’s no true reason to debate gas vs. oil boiler efficiency, maintenance, or home safety, as gas won’t be a viable option. If you have access to both fuel types and are still stuck choosing between an oil vs. gas furnace, read on to learn more.

2. Fuel Costs

When it comes to the cost of oil heat vs. gas heat, it’s essential first to consider the price of the fuel source. During the blustering winter months, fuel costs can add up. Oil furnaces tend to cost more than natural gas heating overall. However, heating oil prices are subject to more supply and demand fluctuations than natural gas. Consider these variables when looking at the cost of oil vs. gas heat.

The upfront costs of oil vs. gas heat will also vary depending on where you live, the brand you choose, efficiency, and other factors. In general, the cost of installing a gas furnace is less than the cost of an oil furnace. For more information about installations and pricing, contact a Long Island heating expert.

3. Efficiency Ratings

In the hopes of saving both energy and money, many homeowners today are carefully looking for the efficiency ratings of their HVAC units. AFUE, or Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, is a rating that measures a heating system’s combustion.

So, what are the oil vs. gas natural furnace efficiency ratings? On average, natural gas furnaces are more efficient than their oil counterparts. Gas furnaces have AFUE ratings of 89 to 98 percent, while oil furnaces have ratings of 80 to 90 percent. The higher the rating, the higher the efficiency.

In regards to the efficiency of oil heat vs. gas heat, natural gas is the clear winner. However, let’s now make an oil furnace efficiency comparison to their boiler counterparts.

Boiler Efficiency

Now that we have discussed oil vs. natural gas furnace efficiency ratings in detail, you may be wondering how boilers compare. Is a boiler or furnace more efficient? Let’s dive into gas vs. oil boiler efficiency.

On average, boilers have higher efficiency ratings than furnaces since less energy is required to heat a space with water rather than air.

When it comes to gas vs. oil boiler efficiency, gas comes out on top. Gas boilers often have AFUE ratings as high as 95 percent, while oil boilers have an average AFUE rating of 87 percent. Overall, there isn’t much of an efficiency difference between oil or natural gas furnaces vs. boilers.

4. Necessary Maintenance

Energy efficiency is necessary to consider, but none of that truly matters unless your furnace can work at peak performance. If you want to guarantee that your heating system is functioning correctly, maintenance is necessary. However, the amount of care needed varies when it comes to oil heat vs. gas heat.

As gas furnaces are considered clean, they require minimal maintenance throughout the year. On the other hand, oil burns less clean than gas. Oil furnaces require more thorough and frequent maintenance since dirt and other debris can gather inside the system. Oil vs. gas heat costs can also depend on how much maintenance is necessary.

At Gold Star, our team of heating experts performs everything from boiler repairs to furnace replacements for Hicksville, NY, residents. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our oil vs. natural gas furnace maintenance services.

5. Home Safety

When deciding between oil heat vs. gas heat, the safety of your home and family is always a priority. Natural gas heat produces carbon monoxide, which can be harmful and even fatal if inhaled. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, dizziness, chest pain, and nausea.

Although gas furnaces are built with safety mechanisms in place to prevent a CO leak, a damaged system can pose a danger to you and your family.

An oil furnace, on the other hand, does not release any dangerous fumes that you have to worry about.

Although oil vs. natural gas furnaces require different types of maintenance and care, it’s essential to keep up with the needs of your furnace to keep your home and family safe. When you notice a potential problem, take quick action and contact us for a dependable heater repair in Hicksville, NY.

6. Overall Convenience

It may not seem like a crucial factor to consider upfront, but the convenience of a heating system can impact your overall experience and satisfaction down the road. To know if a boiler or furnace is convenient for you, look at the size of your home.

Boilers are tall and tend to be larger than furnaces. As a result, they need to be installed along a wall, which often ends up being in a room with ample space, such as a basement or garage. On the other hand, furnaces come in a variety of sizes and can sometimes be installed in smaller locations, such as an attic.

Contact a Heating Expert

Now that you know the cost of oil vs. gas heat and the pros and cons of both, it’s time to reach out to HVAC professionals with your satisfaction in mind. Gold Star Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling has been serving the Long Island, NY, area for more than ten years.

We know how important and difficult deciding on the best type of heating system can be. Our skilled technicians will answer all questions you might have about gas or oil heating and can discuss additional benefits of natural gas vs. oil systems. Plus, we’ll help you decide on a heating system that meets your needs. We perform all heating services, from replacements to installing gas furnace repair parts. Get in touch with us online or call us to schedule an appointment today!