Installing an Oil Boiler or Radiator

An oil boiler or radiator system can produce very warm heat throughout your home. Operating by heating water that is dispersed through pipes and then into the radiator, the system can be very energy efficient.  There are some pros and cons to installing this type of system.  Here are some of the things that you may want to consider.

Cost

• Just like the cost of natural gas and other fuels the price of oil has risen significantly over the last few years and continues to rise.  The price of oil is often directly tied to the price of the barrel of oil on the open market which usually rises during cold seasons.  There are ways to lock in the cost of oil with your local oil supplier.  Contact them for your options.


• Installing an oil heating system can be expensive. There are many different types of systems on the market and you have to choose the best one for the size and location of your home.  The size and the efficiency rating will determine the pricing of the system.  Remember an oil system also needs to be serviced annually to ensure that it is working correctly.  Your service installation technician will be able to take care of your annual needs.  Consider installing your oil tank underground because the oil storage tank can be very unattractive if left above ground.

Benefits

• Oil can be a very efficient fuel, so while it is not considered a clean fuel, you realize a very good return on each unit of energy.  The current condensing boilers recycle the hot fuel gases that previously had been wasted by the older boiler systems. These systems can produce efficiencies in excess of 90 percent. When choosing the system that you are planning on installing, make sure that you ask for the efficiency rating.  If you are replacing an existing system with a more modern efficient system it can be a relatively easy installation.


• When using an oil boiler there is usually an internal hot water supply versus the internal heating that takes place with gas boilers.  This means that hot water is available instantaneously versus having to wait a few minutes for hot water to be produced. 


• A boiler system can supply the water to run through the piping that can be installed between the floors in a new construction.  This will provide you with radiant flooring heat and is really nice in areas such as your bedroom and bathroom.