Since heating and cooling currently account for about half of residential energy consumption, homeowners tend to put a great deal of thought into their heating sources. While electricity is the primary force behind air conditioning systems, heating units offer quite a few more options. Only a small percentage of Americans use electricity as their heat source of choice, leaving gas as the most popular alternative.
Gas heat certainly offers its share of advantages, one of which is cost. Gas is less expensive than heating oil, but it provides less heat. Gas powered furnaces are well known for operating more quietly than oil units, but consumers pay for this luxury with their initial furnace purchase. At the same time, gas units are typically rated at between 90 to 100 percent efficiency whereas oil units provide a slightly lower efficiency of between 80 to 90 percent. The biggest drawback of gas seems to be accessibility because homes must be near a gas supply in order to take advantage of this type of heat.
Heating oil costs more than gas, but the units burning this type of fuel are less expensive than gas versions. Since oil heat requires an on-site storage tank, homeowners do not have to worry about their proximity to a fuel supply. Oil delivery in Massapequa, NY is available regardless of location. Although oil furnaces generally require more maintenance than their gas counterparts, many homeowners gladly pay the extra service fees for a readily available heat source.
Maintenance on any type of HVAC unit will help ward off the yearly 5 percent loss of efficiency brought about by lack of routine care. In most cases, the company providing Oil Delivery in Massapequa NY will also offer an annual service plan that includes the necessary maintenance. This plan also covers emergency repairs and delivery should the need arise.
While the best heat source often depends on average winter temperatures in the area in question, backup systems are also a factor. Many homeowners use their furnace as a supplement to wood or geothermal heating. In these cases, the lower cost of oil furnaces combined with their greater heat output may make oil the better option. Of course, if a homeowner has an oil heating system installed and is unhappy with the results, the system can easily be converted to gas by a skilled technician.
