How much would it cost to have a gas heating system installed in an older brick home with an oil furnace?

Question

The house is in a neighborhood with gas lines, but I don't know how close the main gas line is. It's roughly 1,200 square foot. It also has a fireplace, which will help with the heating costs but we want to find out how much it would be to make the change from oil to gas, as oil can be so expensive.

Answer 1

I think it depends on where you live. For me- in the Midwest- it would run about $4,000- 6,000- depending on ductwork and the like. I would recommend going the geo-thermal route. Initially it is about 3x as much. Here are the perks though.
1- You use far less energy- only electric.
2- You get big rebates for installing the system- sometimes up to $5,000 from your electric company.
3- There are far fewer moving parts (only a pump), so it presents fewer problems down the road and is less expensive to fix and upkeep.
4- It eliminates the need for central AC and all of the cost that goes with it, since it uses the ground's temp of 55 degrees.
5- It is "green" and gives you knowledge that you are doing your part (cheesy but true)

I have a friend that installed a system in his house. He has about 3,000 sq. ft. He heats and cools his house on less than $100.00 a month- winter and summer!

Answer 2

You didnt say where the house is. A heat pump is good where below zero doesnt happen much. Where it is very cold though the auxillary heat would always be on and it would be expensive. Solar has some potential but requires knowledge. Retrofit is inferior to designed in and again climate makes a difference. Historically natural gas is cheaper than propane and propane is half the price of electric. I have never used oil but when using liquid fuel you need to look at 2 things. 1. furnace efficiency 2.BTU per gallon so you actually compare BTU per dollar. Propane may cost less per gallon but what is the cost of the heat. Be sure to block the fireplace chimneys as lots of warm air goes up them otherwise. As for insulation that also has much misinformation. People think R30 ceiling and R19 wall is lots of insulation yet in California that is the MINIMUM accepted in new construction. Amory Lovins (Google him) built a house in Snowmass Colorado where below zero is common and the house heats itself just from the occupants and appliances. He used the latest technology on air-heat exchangers so the air in the house is fresh too. You use bathtub caulk around the tub (silicone). For other caulk there are various types and life. Ask the people at Lowes or Home Depot for a rundown. There is lots of info on the web too that is on gvt websites so not selling something. Basically you want something with enough stretch to accommodate movement of the house with temperature changes. Silicone is good but expensive. I used 12 year latex on mine but silicone where water is involved.

Answer 3

Assuming the duct work is all set up, etc I can only tell you our 2,000 sf home got a new super energy efficient furnace and it cost around $7,000...just under I think.

Your home is smaller but you'll have the cost of running in a gas line.

New furnace is super quiet......wow.....I can be in same room with it and not realize it is running.

Assume your home is older so air exchange should be a problem, newer homes need to add an air exchange unit to bring in extra air to the home.

Also make certain you are fully insulated, probably the #1 best home improvement for energy and $$ conservation.

Answer 4

It would be around $2000, but it depends on the type of furnace you get and other factors. To learn more about gas furnaces and see how the brands compare. Check out the furnace page at www.hvac-for-beginners.com