If you have an oil-burning furnace, you’re probably getting really tired of ever-rising oil prices that make it expensive to heat your home and impossible to create an accurate winter heating budget. When it comes time to make a heating repair Redlands CA to your oil-burning system, you might want to consider your other options.
Get a New System
Of course, you can always tear out your existing system and replace it with something completely new. If you do this, you can choose any type of fuel for your new system: biomass, natural gas, electricity, geothermal, etc. The only limitation will be your budget. A complete tear-out and new furnace installation will definitely be expensive!
Update your System
If you currently have an old, inefficient oil furnace, you might be able to cut your heating costs just by installing an updated blower, adding insulation to your ductwork, installing a more efficient burner, or even adding a hybrid component like a geothermal heat pump to reduce the burden placed on your oil furnace. While these heating repairs Redlands CA can help reduce your fuel consumption, you will still be at the mercy of fluctuations in oil prices.
Convert to Natural Gas or Biofuel
If you are interested in getting rid of the need for heating oil without the expense of installing a whole new system, consider converting to a different fuel.
Converting oil furnaces to natural gas has become a very common service in heating repair Redlands CA in recent years. Natural gas is cheaper and cleaner than oil. Perhaps more importantly, the natural gas market is much more stable and predictable, which is great for budgeting and planning. The conversion can be completed relatively easily, and you can usually reuse your existing ductwork, blowers, etc.
Another option is converting to Bioheat. This is a man-made biofuel consisting of plant or animal oils blended into a clean-burning formula. Compared to heating oil, it releases 20 percent less carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide and 80 percent less sulfur oxide. Bioheat is great for the environment, and homeowners definitely appreciate the fact that it is very easy to convert oil burning furnaces to use this biofuel. In many cases, only a few small modifications are needed. There is a temporary uptick in furnace filter expenses, as during the initial stage of the conversion you will need to change your filter frequently to avoid clogs.