Getting ready soon to make the swt to NG

11 years ago

My street is in the process of getting a NG line on it .... I currently use oil for heating and domestic HW. I have baseboard heat no A/C. Need some advice here.

My current furnace is 14 yrs old and I will replace it .. it has a build in HW heater in the unit, are there NG fired furnaces that have this same feature or is it better to go stand alone .. more $$$ I'm sure too right.

Also I'm hearing that the labor costs to install a GAS furnace is high... anyone want to venture a guess as to what I will be looking at .. ball park. I live in Connecticut.

Last, what brand of NG furnace do you recommend ?

Thanks everyone .. sorry for the lengthy post but being on a fixed income I'm trying to get my ducks lined up.

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Comments (8)

tigerdunes
11 years ago
Big al

Normally a homeowner pays for the line to be brought to the house and connected to the meter. I would want the meter placed in a location that would be convenient to where the furnace will be located. I assume you will go high efficient condensing furnace. Keep in mind high eff furnaces must be vented as well as fresh air intake. You may want to lay some groundwork with an HVAC dealer about his recommendation before the meter is located and connected to the line.

As far furnaces, most brands are very similar. Depending on your location and the type winters you have, I would want a furnace with var speed blower-two stage minimum up to the high end modulating brands.

Carrier/Bryant, Rheem/Rudd, Trane/AmStd come to mind.

IMO
Good Luck
tigerdunes
11 years ago
My bad

You have decided definitely to go with furnace over a nat gas boiler?

If you intend to add AC, you will need a ductwork system. Or depending on the size of your home, possibly several mini splits. And then if you decide to add AC and a ductwork system, definitely review your nat gas and electric rate. A split HP system could be cost-effective and give you some insurance for heating. Lots of possibilities here.

IMO
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mike_home
11 years ago
Al,

If you current boiler and integrated hot water is only 14 years old, then it may make sense to convert it from oil to gas. You may not get as high an efficiency rating as a new gas boiler, but it is worth investigating.

If you are going to add AC, then you have more decisions to make about the boiler and base board heat.
big_al_41
Original Author
11 years ago
Mike isn't the combustion chamber different for Gas vs Oil ??
heatseeker
11 years ago
Get a free estimate by a local contractor.
mike_home
11 years ago
You are correct. The oil burner would have to be replaced with a gas burner. You should be a quote from a contractor who is experienced with this type of work to determine whether it is feasible with your set up.
tigerdunes
11 years ago
I certainly would weigh a conversion cost and the efficiency of new burner against the cost of a new high eff gas model. Also warranty should be taken into consideration. Generally, I don't think this is recommended as much as it was once done in the past.

IMO
mike_home
11 years ago
The reason I suggested a conversion is the boiler is only 14 years old and is integrated with the hot water heater. If the OP plans to live in the house 10+ years, then a total replacement is the best option.