Oil Heat - an item of functional obsolescence

[timd354]

Maybe there is a difference between oil and diesel, but newer diesel furnaces are rated much higher than any propane FAU. Heat pumps? The heating engineers I have talked to say they are not effective if the outside temperature is below 28 degrees. That is for air to air heat pumps but it would still be applicable no matter what type of heat pump system you have. And, heat pumps are like an A/C unit running in reverse for heating. All electric. Monitor heaters are good but they are still space heaters and they run on kerosene that creates an odor reminiscent of an airport.

If I were to build a new house, I would use a solar system to heat a boiler for hot water heat and insulate the house to the max. The solar system would also have an electric generating system to further reduce utility costs.

There is no difference between diesel fuel and heating oil.....it is the same exact thing, it is just that in order to be sold as diesel the refiner has to remove a little more of the sulfer from it to meet motor vehicle pollution standards and the federal and state motor vehicle taxes have to be paid on it. Some who is smart and has a diesel car and oil heat at home would be smart to fill his car by pumping oil out of the heating oil tank.....depending on which state he lives in, he would save 30-50 cents per gallon and the car would run just fine.