Off Topic Switching fuel type

HTHM

HTHM

Well-Known Member
R.O.C. (Radio Operator's Certificate)
I am making the switch from oil to propane, (natural gas is not available), for my heating and hot water supply. Has anyone here made the same switch and did you also convert your cook stove to propane and clothes dryer to propane from electric?
If so, what was the net benefit or regret?
 
I am also on oil heat, but mostly heat with firewood in the colder months. I wish that I could heat with gas as there is an enbridge gas plant only one concession away. I also debated ground source or air source heat pumps. All of which are expensive, so I just burn an assload of wood each winter.
 
I briefly looked at ground source as well, but soon realized the payback would end well after I'm in the ground.
I'm making the switch because of the reduced insurance, and having done spill clean up work I have a very good knowledge of the incredible damage a leaking oil tank can do.
 
I just made the switch (forced to) so far so good, we also burn an "assload" of wood. Close to 5 bush cord a year to heat shop and house. Mostly all maple and some cherry.

I save the softer less desirable wood for the maple syrup evaporator and the sugar shack stove.

RT
 
We went in with the neighbours this year and had gas piped down our road. Switching from wood with baseboard electric backup over to a gas furnace backup. Need to rip up the basement to run the ducts but it should be worth it for when my back decides it no longer wants to cut wood.
 
I typically chew through two assloads of ash compared to one assload of black locust, which is a dirty heavy load that throws more heat compared to two loads of ash😁
 
I have to say, I don't envy you guys for heat. I heat my house with the gas furnace. Supplemented by the gas fireplace in the rec room. Heat water with gas. Clothes dryer... you guessed it. BBQ is propane since it came from our old house but when I have to replace it that will be gas too.

The only thing here that burns wood is the firepit outside.
 
We also have propane (now) here as well, plan is to get a gas fireplace for the sitting room, clothes dryer, and stove. I do for now enjoy heating with wood and it is good exercise cutting, splitting and stacking it. (I did however put a wood drop into a wood room when we did our reno.) no more carrying wood downstairs messing up the house.

Just remember "those that heat with wood get warm twice"

RT
 
good thing for natural gas...well if you live in alberta..
the ontario consumer continues getting burned..
$22.50 for customer charge..I am in st.thomas...Enbridge/Union Gas...oh and $7.50 for Carbon Tax..

can a gasoline engine be converted to propane and match or exceed speed perfomance..

Big changes with green energy...there starting to mass produce electric cars for us to buy and drive..sounds like horsepower switching over to donkeypower to me..


 
HTHM the one thing I really wonder is cost efficiency. Oil, gas, and propane prices all vary depending on the latest trends. Switching will be costly but also likely results in a higher efficiency. Oil is at unheard of lows and perhaps a new efficient oil furnace is cheaper. Curious RT, “forced to switch” as in your insurance crooks or something else. I’m on a wood oil combo and they make me get an inspection every year so my indoor tank won’t rust. They don’t need to see if the furnace is safe, just the tank. I plan on building again soon and I’m seriously considering a dedicated oil furnace, wood in the shop. With electric cars on the rise petroleum will remain cheap at least until they carbon tax it to death.
 
mick said:
good thing for natural gas...well if you live in alberta..
the ontario consumer continues getting burned..
$22.50 for customer charge..I am in st.thomas...Enbridge/Union Gas...oh and $7.50 for Carbon Tax..

can a gasoline engine be converted to propane and match or exceed speed perfomance..

Big changes with green energy...there starting to mass produce electric cars for us to buy and drive..sounds like horsepower switching over to donkeypower to me..
Click to expand...
@mick you mentioned about performance over gas verses propane engines. With last weeks storm on Long Point and being without hydro for 72 hrs, it was time to do something for a backup.
I ended up buying a dual fuel generator and the wattage output On propane is lower than gas630B7CBF-B826-4F78-88AF-346E84E7FF01.jpeg
 
We had a new furnace installed at my moms remote home. The house was on an old oil/wood furnace and had electric hot water. Ended up with demand propane and then a hydronic furnace. They had very low hot water need and electric costs $$. Demand hot water was the way to go.
Furnace uses a circulation pump and takes hot water to a radiator coil within furnace. Kinda cool idea

propane.com

Propane | Clean American Energy

Propane is an environmentally friendly energy solution that is also affordable, reliable, and versatile. It's what makes propane the energy for everyone.
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We switched to propane a while ago and have no regrets what so ever... should have done it sooner. Cook and dry clothes with propane and a full drier load dries very quickly, have 2 propane fired high efficiency furnaces as well as a new addition is a large catalytic wood stove which heats 2100 sq. ft. home comfortably. Also, the catalytic stove burns for 10 to 12 hours and cut our wood consumption by 40%! Our hydro is supplied through solar energy and a Honda 7000i ES remote.( when needed)
HTHM, the switch over was well worth it and as for operating costs, it costs us $1000 to fill the tank and lasts about 18 months...at least.
 
The 1000 gallon tank was dropped off this morning, I spent Saturday trenching in the line, (6 hours to do a 2 hour job due to TOUGH digging conditions) and I am getting one of those on demand hot water/hydronic boilers installed by the end of day tomorrow. I wanted the tank hidden away from the house and far away from the house in case of booms. NOEB7836.JPGJDTW1778.JPG
 
Reminds me of my old friend Crooked Crops who had the habit of taking too many beers to the tractor!! :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:

Sorry @HTHM I'm sure there's a reason for the interesting trajectory! Hopefully the propane saves you some bucks and some headaches from the stink of that oil.
 
anonymoose said:
Reminds me of my old friend Crooked Crops who had the habit of taking too many beers to the tractor!! :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:

Sorry @HTHM I'm sure there's a reason for the interesting trajectory!
Click to expand...
Yes there are:
a: the darn machine had a mind of its own
b: the rocks in the ground kept pushing me off course.
 
anonymoose said:
Reminds me of my old friend Crooked Crops who had the habit of taking too many beers to the tractor!! :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:

Sorry @HTHM I'm sure there's a reason for the interesting trajectory! Hopefully the propane saves you some bucks and some headaches from the stink of that oil.
Click to expand...
Exactly how much is too many beers?
 
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