Do you still service your oil furnace?

[meg32682]

This is our first year with our pellet stove and love it! So far we have used approx 250 gallons of oil (probably a bit less) for this winter and used the pellet stove to heat the house. Furnace just runs the hot water and a heater in the garage. For those of you who heat your house mainly with the pellet stove do you still get your furnace serviced in the spring? Not sure if I should bother since we didn't use much oil and was wondering what other people are doing. Thanks!

 

[Fish On]

250 gallons is a lot, I've used about 50 gals for hotwater since heating season. I still have my water and furnace serviced ever year.

They are not that old but it is still YOUR primary heating the way I look at it. plus I have a contract in case something does break I know i'm covered 24hr a day.

 

[Lousyweather]

This is our first year with our pellet stove and love it! So far we have used approx 250 gallons of oil (probably a bit less) for this winter and used the pellet stove to heat the house. Furnace just runs the hot water and a heater in the garage. For those of you who heat your house mainly with the pellet stove do you still get your furnace serviced in the spring? Not sure if I should bother since we didn't use much oil and was wondering what other people are doing. Thanks!

yep....only burn a tank a year, for hot water, and I still clean it once a year as well....

 

[mascoma]

I used to burn close to about 800 gallons of oil a year.
Now I burn about 100 gallons a year.

Instead of annual cleanings I have them done every 3rd year.

 

[gbreda]

Yup, still service it. Need it for hot water and a little heating during real cold periods.

 

[Xena]

Yup. Once a year service here too.
Use it for hot water mainly. A couple
days here and there for heat.

 

[imacman]

......For those of you who heat your house mainly with the pellet stove do you still get your furnace serviced in the spring?....

Yep. Just in case, I want it running at top efficiency. And I also use it for H2O heating, and supplemental heating of colder rooms.

 

[newf lover]

We do too. The furnace is only used for H2O heating. Only turned it on once for 1/2 hour for actual heating. Servicing the furnace will at least give my oil man something to do.

 

[Don2222]

Hello

I used to burn 935 gallons of oil per year with my old Valliant 155,000 BTU Oil boiler. Insulating the house better brought it down to 700 gallons in which 300 gallons was for winter heating and changing the Tankless Coil to an Indirect SuperStor tank saved another 50 gallons. Then I upgraded to a Buderus G115WS/4 with a Carling Burner and Outside Air Kit. That cut the remainder of the consumption of Oil in Half!!

Now I have had a pellet stove for 2 years and realized that:
I should be using about 200 Gallons of Oil per year only for DHW. I filled up the last day in Sept and right now have 1/2 tank of Oil.

Now I also made the Oil Burner Cleaning easier by buying a Buderus Brush Kit and an extra nozzle.
Also I changed the old oil filter on the tank to a new Garber Type Spin filter and added a Ball Valve. I can close the ball valve quite easily and change the filter just like a car filter now. The bonus is that these Garber Type Spin filters last for at least 2 years. That is the 10 micron ones and the 30 micron filters can last 5 years. I also got the reduction gauge to tell when the filter needs changing. See pic below!

So cleaning can be done atleast 2 or even 3 years, I put the date on the filter when I change it. If the gauge goes in the Red then change the Filter! These filters are sold at Home Depot for $7.20 but heating supply stores have them cheaper!

 

[Avalon]

Since installing my pellet stove back in January, the furnace hasn't fired up since. The house is heated entirely by pellet. I might get it cleaned in the spring due to using it from Nov-Dec, but after that I see no reason to have it cleaned/serviced. It will just be in there in case of a pellet stove breakdown.

 

[save$]

I used to burn close to about 800 gallons of oil a year.
Now I burn about 100 gallons a year.

Instead of annual cleanings I have them done every 3rd year.

every 3 years here also, even when I ran it for our primary heat. Water is heated in a separate oil fired hot water heater. Also no contracts. For me, it is pay as I go. Have done it this way for years and years. Using less than 200 gallons a year now. Only problem I have ever had was with the water tanks. Next time will go to one of those "on demand" heaters that are tankless.

 

[Don2222]

I used to burn close to about 800 gallons of oil a year.
Now I burn about 100 gallons a year.

Instead of annual cleanings I have them done every 3rd year.

every 3 years here also, even when I ran it for our primary heat. Water is heated in a separate oil fired hot water heater. Also no contracts. For me, it is pay as I go. Have done it this way for years and years. Using less than 200 gallons a year now. Only problem I have ever had was with the water tanks. Next time will go to one of those "on demand" heaters that are tankless.

There is no next time for my water tank. The Superstor Ultra stainless steel indirect water tank has a lifetime warrenty. When it goes I get a new one for free! See http://www.htproducts.com/superstor-ultra.html


The 10 micron filter below is almost 1 year old and the gauge reads like it is new!!

 

[krooser]

It's been three years since we had out NG forced air furnace serviced. My dealer called up twice this winter to ask if we'd like them to come out an check it out... Told 'em "sorry but we now heat with pellets and only use the NG for emergencies"...

 

[ChandlerR]

We installed a Buderus furnace with a Riello burner four years ago when this was rental property. Now, with the addition and the pellet stove, the furnace does not run at all. I crank the thermostat to make it run every couple of weeks. I bought oil three years ago, burned about 1/2 a tank and it's still on a half. I'm thinking I'll wait to see if the price of oil drops then fill the tank. Should lest me 10 to 15 years at this rate!

Chan

 

[Jack Morrissey]

Yes, we burn maybe 100 gals a yr. Skipped the tuneup this year, so every 2 years.

 

[Pellet-King]

NO, use few gallons a year, have electric hot water, waste enough money on everything else like cable, internet and cellphones!
If I had NG I would never even bother, what's to get dirty?

 

[slls]

I used to burn close to about 800 gallons of oil a year.
Now I burn about 100 gallons a year.

Instead of annual cleanings I have them done every 3rd year.

every 3 years here also, even when I ran it for our primary heat. Water is heated in a separate oil fired hot water heater. Also no contracts. For me, it is pay as I go. Have done it this way for years and years. Using less than 200 gallons a year now. Only problem I have ever had was with the water tanks. Next time will go to one of those "on demand" heaters that are tankless.

There is no next time for my water tank. The Superstor Ultra stainless steel indirect water tank has a lifetime warrenty. When it goes I get a new one for free! See http://www.htproducts.com/superstor-ultra.html


The 10 micron filter below is almost 1 year old and the gauge reads like it is new!!

I change my filter every year, $3 is not much.