Turning on the Oil Heat

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MarkF48

MarkF48

Feeling the Heat
Nov 14, 2011
270
Central MA
With the pellet shortage have you been turning on the oil or other heat to conserve what pellets you have left for possible colder weather usage? I've got about 18 bags of pellets left and have been switching on the oil if the outside temps have been about 30F or above. The oil doesn't run frequently, keeps the house comfortable throughout (68-70F), and with the setback thermostat (55F after 10pm) barely runs at night. Also gives an opportunity to do a thorough cleaning on the stove.
 
MarkF48 said:
if the outside temps have been about 30F or above
Click to expand...
That was last October:)

I have sliding doors to the deck that get the morning sun and will ramp down the stove but still keep the down stairs living area comfortable.
Warmer weather will soon be here we all hope. I ran my stove some nights in May last year to knock the chill off. What will this year bring?
 
You're on drugs. Channel 22 shows low 40's for Saturday.
 
Typically at this time of year, our solar heating panels on the roof really start kicking out some heat. Normally by mid-late March, I can have the house up to 80 by the afternoon. So far this year though, in addition to the cold weather, it has really been overcast a lot more than normal. Luckily, I keep an extra ton in reserve. A normal year is about 2 1/2 tons usage. This year I've already used 2 1/2 and I'm working off of the reserve ton now.

I'll be ok this year, but I would really like to have the sun back so I could keep my pellets for next year.
 
MarkF48 said:
With the pellet shortage have you been turning on the oil or other heat to conserve what pellets you have left for possible colder weather usage? I've got about 18 bags of pellets left and have been switching on the oil if the outside temps have been about 30F or above. The oil doesn't run frequently, keeps the house comfortable throughout (68-70F), and with the setback thermostat (55F after 10pm) barely runs at night. Also gives an opportunity to do a thorough cleaning on the stove.
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Oil here is about $3.80 a gallon, which is equal to about $9 a bag pellets. Until my pellets run out, I'd rather not turn on the boiler. Use all the pellets first.
 
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No way. I'll use all the pellets I have before kicking on the boiler.
Currently that's 36 bags includes the one I just dumped in the hopper.
250 gallons of dino in the tank but would rather not touch it if I don't have to.
Oil in my area is also around $3.80 price point.
 
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Once a ton of pellets is equal to a 100 gallons of oil, then I'll think about turning on the burner. It's pellets all the way.
 
Hoot23 said:
Once a ton of pellets is equal to a 100 gallons of oil, then I'll think about turning on the burner. It's pellets all the way.
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Actually everything I've read says one ton of pellets is equal to 118.5 gallons of oil.
 
MarkF48 said:
With the pellet shortage have you been turning on the oil or other heat to conserve what pellets you have left for possible colder weather usage? I've got about 18 bags of pellets left and have been switching on the oil if the outside temps have been about 30F or above. The oil doesn't run frequently, keeps the house comfortable throughout (68-70F), and with the setback thermostat (55F after 10pm) barely runs at night. Also gives an opportunity to do a thorough cleaning on the stove.
Click to expand...


You're dropping the home's temperature from 68-70 during the day to 55 at night? That sounds counterproductive when considering the energy needed to get the home and all its contents back up to temp the following morning.

I generally don't do setbacks of more than 3-4 degrees.
 
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Ya, but price wise a 100g = $3.54 per gallon. When I start paying $354 for a ton pellets, then I'll rethink things.
 
I started using my electric radiant heat more to help the stove with the morning and evening upswings. On the cold days it helps the stove maintain a lighter burn. The electric penalty is not bad. Usually 25 to 30 bucks in a months use.
 
At 4.04 a gallon here I would get a 300lb woman to keep me warm before I turn that dollar bill sucking boiler on. I just got lucky plain and simple. I bought a ton more than I usually buy. I have used up the O'Malleys and the shiny ton of Hammers is next.
 
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With propain @ $5.00/gal in Central PA. I'll burn all the pellets I have and then start looking for the strays that rolled under the furniture before I turn on the furnace.


Capture.JPG
 
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Hoot23 said:
Ya, but price wise a 100g = $3.54 per gallon. When I start paying $354 for a ton pellets, then I'll rethink things.
Click to expand...
Not a bad benchmark to use, since pellets have other costs, like having to drive around looking for them, loading, unloading, cleaning, etc.
 
I have nearly two tons of pellets left so I'm ok. But I'm in the process of taking advantage of the rebates/zero-interest loans in Massachusetts to convert my house from oil to gas heat. So my nearly full tank of oil (that I use to heat my hot water) probably will go to waste. I have to figure out a way to sell it or use it to heat before the gas equipment is installed.
 
mrjohneel said:
I have nearly two tons of pellets left so I'm ok. But I'm in the process of taking advantage of the rebates/zero-interest loans in Massachusetts to convert my house from oil to gas heat. So my nearly full tank of oil (that I use to heat my hot water) probably will go to waste. I have to figure out a way to sell it or use it to heat before the gas equipment is installed.
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My local oil company will pump it back out for you. I presumed they give you a credit.
 
Outside temperature here has been in the upper 40s to low 50s for the last week or so. My old Whitfield is set at the lowest setting and the house is a little hot at 65F. I've been keeping the house at 60F all winter, if I get cold, I put on a sweater. I wouldn't be comfortable in a 70F house!

Dave
 
chken said:
My local oil company will pump it back out for you. I presumed they give you a credit.
Click to expand...

Id be shocked if you got anywhere near the going price for it. When I had mine removed I had about 300 gallons between two tanks person removing the tanks said he would let it sit all summer and then pump out the top and use it that winter. Maybe I should have shopped around but they didnt charge me anything to remove the tanks and boiler so in a way I got my moneys worth.
 
mrjohneel said:
I have nearly two tons of pellets left so I'm ok. But I'm in the process of taking advantage of the rebates/zero-interest loans in Massachusetts to convert my house from oil to gas heat. So my nearly full tank of oil (that I use to heat my hot water) probably will go to waste. I have to figure out a way to sell it or use it to heat before the gas equipment is installed.
Click to expand...

I find it very interesting that the state is offering 0 percent interest loans to people who have access to NG on there street. That effectively means I am subsidizing other people to convert. What is the state going to offer to the people who don't have access to NG in their area? Its the same screwing we took on Title 5. We paid our taxes for people to have city wastewater treatment. Now if our septic system fails or is out of code by location and we try and sell our homes. We are left on the hook for about 35-40k in expense. This has rendered many homes unsaleable in my area. The homeowners can not afford to upgrade or replace their septic systems so they can't transfer the title.
 
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DneprDave said:
Outside temperature here has been in the upper 40s to low 50s for the last week or so. My old Whitfield is set at the lowest setting and the house is a little hot at 65F. I've been keeping the house at 60F all winter, if I get cold, I put on a sweater. I wouldn't be comfortable in a 70F house!

Dave
Click to expand...
Well you are as tough as Popeye! Forecast low tonight here is -10 to -16 (again, sigh). Can't remember how many negative nights we've had this year. When it's lower than -5 or so, I let the oil heat come on in the early am just to make sure the pipes are ok. Lucked out with a couple of tons of good stuff a few weeks ago at HD and have been pounding them ever since. If it's going to be that freaking cold out, I want my living space to be at least 69 or 70 . . . ==c
 
Flammam said:
I find it very interesting that the state is offering 0 percent interest loans to people who have access to NG on there street. That effectively means I am subsidizing other people to convert. What is the state going to offer to the people who don't have access to NG in their area? Its the same screwing we took on Title 5. We paid our taxes for people to have city wastewater treatment. Now if our septic system fails or is out of code by location and we try and sell our homes. We are left on the hook for about 35-40k in expense. This has rendered many homes unsaleable in my area. The homeowners can not afford to upgrade or replace their septic systems so they can't transfer the title.
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Hey, we're also subsiding the MBTA as well so the folks in Boston can commute to work and school cheap. Nobody subsidized my cost for driving to work! :mad:
 
Lol be a cold day in hell before I put a sweater on instead of keeping my pellet stove stat
at 75. In fact even with my st croix on low my house stays around 70F anyway.
 
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In a couple of days we shut down the wood stove and go with the electric heaters for the first time in 25 years. Temps should be warmer by then. They are usually just the backups that haven't been used. Cord wood is running out because a half cord of this years got used last year because it got real cold early.

Two tons of pellets left in the basement with the 25-PDVC that is just used when I need to work down there. But firing the crap out of it to get a little heat upstairs to the rest of this barn would cost more than using the electric heaters.
 
Flammam said:
I find it very interesting that the state is offering 0 percent interest loans to people who have access to NG on there street. That effectively means I am subsidizing other people to convert. What is the state going to offer to the people who don't have access to NG in their area? Its the same screwing we took on Title 5. We paid our taxes for people to have city wastewater treatment. Now if our septic system fails or is out of code by location and we try and sell our homes. We are left on the hook for about 35-40k in expense. This has rendered many homes unsaleable in my area. The homeowners can not afford to upgrade or replace their septic systems so they can't transfer the title.
Click to expand...
The state is not offering the loan, banks are through the utility companies. If you are a customer of the participating utility, you are paying an assessment on your bill for the MassSave program. Through that program -- that is, through the funds you've already contributed -- you can get a free energy assessment, funding to help you insulate, and interest free loans for certain projects. If you don't have NG in your area, you can get loans for other projects that will save you money. Check it out.
 
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