Fuel Conversion


  #1  
Old 10-25-02, 01:28 AM
cmcnj
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Advisability of Conversion?

I purchased a home in July which had a brand new oil furnace installed in February - Model THZ10500 if that's any help. While the owner indicated that it would be able to used if I convert to gas, the documentation mentions only oil combustion.

When I turn on the heat, the oil smell is horrendous. The oil company's sister maintenance company came out and did the annual work, and pointed out a patch of oil near the tank, but said the smell could also be from adhesive burning off the tape on the smoke pipe. He claims the oil could have been the result of topping off the tank too much at the closing, when I had to pay for the tank of oil, so they came out and filled it.

A friend went into the crawlspace tonite and said there was accumulated oil on the lines going into the furnace, as well as crusted oil on the valves around the valves at the tank end.

Couple of questions -- since we didn't smell oil in the spring at the inspection, could the problem really have begun when the tank was topped off, and been noticed only when I turned the heat on this fall?

Different issue -- how hard could it be to convert to hot water heat versus the current forced air? (My house is tiny, split level, four rooms.)

If it turns out that the furnace really can be used with gas instead of oil, knowing that I have gas coming in already for the dryer, stove, and hot water heater, how big a deal is converting the existing forced air system to gas heat instead of oil?

Last question -- if in fact the oil collected on the lines to the furnace is an accumulated amount, shouldn't the furnace installer have noticed, and should I therefore not entertain quotes from him for a new oil tank?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Carol
 
  #2  
Old 10-25-02, 09:05 AM
Ed Imeduc's Avatar
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Talking smell

First what cost less there where you live oil or gas?The smell is it all the time or just when the oil burner is on. How could they over fill the tank when it should have a fill stop or so called vent alarm on it for code.Oil will leak out of anything if you dont do it right. Id call the company that put it in back they should fix it if it was new last FEB..
There aren't many oil furnace I know of that you can put gas in the ones that do you have to use whats called a inshot gas burner.Its not hard at all just pull the oil and slip in the gas unit and run a gas line thats all if if if they have a burner thats for this furnace.
Hot water ID say would be good that far up north if you dont need AC.
Also you could just slip in a gas furnace to the duct work you have
ED
 
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Old 10-25-02, 10:52 AM
cmcnj
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Thanks for the reply. Oil is currently cheaper, I think, but in my small house and because I don't like a lot of heat anyway, price of the fuel is not an issue for me.

I don't know how the tank could be overfilled. There's a constant smell in the crawl space where the tank and the furnace are located, and you can see the spilled oil, although he put a "bandaid" on it by spraying "odor gone" powder on it -- which didn't work for more than 1/2 hour! The smell only comes into the house when the blowers are on.

I'm having the original installer come and look at it tonite or tomorrow -- he's got more experience than the young man who is associated with my oil company and who did the annual startup maintenance. I don't understand why he kept trying to act as if it were a temporary problem rather than sell me a new oil tank, which my friend (who looked at the system last nite) seems to think is probably due.
 
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Old 10-25-02, 12:04 PM
Ed Imeduc's Avatar
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lost

Lost !Why or How the spill??????Why a new tank???????
Has this tank been leaking?????????????????Say to the oil company you think you should call the EPA on this spilled and see what they will say ,or I think you might be able to go back to the other owners.I know the EPA dont like oil spill's ED
 
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Old 10-26-02, 04:44 AM
rayr
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Re: Advisability of Conversion?

Originally posted by cmcnj
The oil company's sister maintenance company came out and did the annual work, and pointed out a patch of oil near the tank, but said the smell could also be from adhesive burning off the tape on the smoke pipe. He claims the oil could have been the result of topping off the tank too much at the closing, when I had to pay for the tank of oil, so they came out and filled it.


Thanks for any suggestions.

Carol
If the original installer you called is the one that put tape on the smoke pipe, don't even let him in the door. Tape on a 3,4 or 5 hundred degree smoke pipe is a definite NO, NO.Get a qualified oil burner mechanic to check the system thoroughly.
 
  #6  
Old 10-26-02, 08:42 AM
cmcnj
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I call it tape, but it was a metallic material. He was here last nite, and he also believes it was an overfill problem -- there's a congealed puddle at the top of the tank which ran down the side of the tank onto the fittings and then to the floor. Basically the same diagnosis as the first guy.

I'm so frustrated, I just want to get rid of the smell once and for all and I'm tempted to waste the previous owner's expenditure on the brand new furnace and convert to a gas one!!
 
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Old 10-26-02, 08:52 AM
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Thumbs up Gas

OK go with the new gas. BUT, BUT, BUT, Someone will have to get the oil smell out . Dont let them off the hook here. The oil guy the guy that put this in and the old home owner.If you where to sell this now it would come back to you from the EPA.So look into it ED
 
 

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