Oil To Gas Conversion In Wakefield

Why Switch From Oil To Gas

The list of reasons people switch from oil heat to gas heat usually starts with saving money and improving energy efficiency. But for this Wakefield homeowner his motivation was all about safety. His oil burner malfunctioned while he was away on vacation filling the house with smoke and soot.

In the video Ken walks us through the removal and installation. More details about the project are below.

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Soot Damage Is A Major Headache

Puffbacks Are Very Common

Most puffbacks happen in oil fired heating equipment. It’s an explosion inside the chamber of the boiler or furnace and usually this event sends a lot of smoke and soot throughout the house. It’s a situation you want to avoid. Regular servicing of heating equipment will significantly reduce the risk of a puffback but with oil fired equipment there’s always at least a slight chance a puffback can occur.

When you experience smoke and soot damage in your home from a boiler or furnace malfunction it becomes necessary to interact with insurance companies and companies who do cleanup and restoration.The cleanup and restoration in the Wakefield home was very impressive. It was as though the insurance company and the cleanup crews do this all the time. They do.

Switch To Gas To Avoid Oil Burner Puffback

This Wakefield homeowner decided that once was enough. He was not going to take a chance that another puffback from an oil boiler could cause major soot damage to his home and disrupt his family. He switched to gas.

The new installation of a Burnham Alpine high efficiency Gas boiler along with the original hot water tank. Click image to learn more about boiler installation.

Making the switch from oil to gas is incentivized in Massachusetts through programs offered by Mass Save. These include rebates and 0% interest financing options. But since Wakefield has it’s own electric and gas utility, which do not participate, Wakefield residents are not eligible. Our homeowner/client strongly felt that it was in his best interest to make the switch anyway.

The reasoning behind rebate and incentive programs like those offered by Mass Save is that we need to reduce energy consumption. Replacing a furnace or boiler that wastes 30% or more of the fuel you bought and paid for with a modern version that may be up to 97% efficient is something everyone would agree makes perfect sense.

When the cost of oil is high more homeowners consider making the switch to gas even if their existing equipment is not that old. When oil prices trend downward people are still interested in switching but tend to want to wait until the existing furnace or boiler is closer to the end of it’s life. As the episode in Wakefield shows, that could be a big mistake.

Oil Burners Best Suited To A Clean Environment

The old oil fired boiler that experienced the puffback

The typical heating system in Massachusetts is located in a basement. Basements are often unfinished and also serve as laundry rooms, workshops, and storage areas. If you ever had to clean a basement you would know that lint, dust, and dirt are commonplace. Usually, the underlying cause of oil fired equipment problems, including puffbacks, is dirt.

Oil and dirt are incompatible. That’s why regular servicing of oil fired equipment is sometimes called a cleaning. It’s best to schedule servicing/cleaning in the spring when service technicians have less hectic schedules and are apt to do a more thorough cleaning job. A meticulous cleaning is a sign of a very competent heating technician and it makes it easy for you (or him) to monitor for leaks.

How To Prevent Oil Heating Equipment Problems

• Schedule Regular Maintenance of Oil Fired Heating Appliances
• Stay Alert For:
  • Odors
  • Noises
  • Leaks
  • Dirt
  • Faulty Stops and Starts

Absolute Precision Service and Installation

For safety and peace of mind you can count on Absolute Precision. Call 978-774-8835 to request service or to inquire about switching from oil to gas.

 
Our primary service area includes:
Andover, North Andover, Boxford, Topsfield, Middleton, Danvers, Beverly, Peabody, Lynnfield, North Reading, Reading, Wilmington, Tewksbury, Wakefield, Melrose, Stoneham, Woburn, Winchester, and Saugus.