Home Improvements

[Sgt PSN]

If you use a power washer on your deck, don't make the mistake of putting the nozzle too close to the wood otherwise you'll end up carving a nice little notch in it. 


So I've heard. 

[DH]

me and the lady are considering putting an offer in on a house we saw over the weekend - one potential issue...the home is heated by oil, but the tank would be removed and replaced w gas before any closing at the expense of the owner. are there any effects i should have to worry about after the fact? has anyone had any experience with this? quite honestly, the house seems too good to be true, so im fully waiting for someone to tell me this is a deal breaker.

[Tomahawk]

Google says gas is preferable to oil....cleaner and cheaper. Good luck

[Sgt PSN]

Google says gas is preferable to oil....cleaner and cheaper. Good luck

Probably.  Especially with the movement to get away from oil dependency. 

I've got oil heat.  Seems ok.  Not all that expensive either...but I'm pretty cheap with my heat.  I don't run central heat very much, but instead rely on small ceramic heaters with built in thermostats for each room and only turn them on when I'm using that particular room.  Also have a propane backup that runs to a unit in my living room incase of a power outage, which means that if the power does go out I'll be sleeping on the couch.   

[PhillyPhanInDC]

I would contact a general contractor or an home heating/cooling specialist and ask to allow them to review any project plans, proposals, or  statements of work the owner plans to pay someone to complete. I would also ask that a second inspection be allowed to verify all of the performed work was to code or other standards, and that purchase would be dependent on acceptance. You'd certainly want to be sure that the new furnace isn't a budget friendly deal, and that all of the ducting was replaced to meet the requirements of the replaced components, if applicable.

[reese125]

Google says gas is preferable to oil....cleaner and cheaper. Good luck

Probably.  Especially with the movement to get away from oil dependency. 

I've got oil heat.  Seems ok.  Not all that expensive either...but I'm pretty cheap with my heat.  I don't run central heat very much, but instead rely on small ceramic heaters with built in thermostats for each room and only turn them on when I'm using that particular room.  Also have a propane backup that runs to a unit in my living room incase of a power outage, which means that if the power does go out I'll be sleeping on the couch.   

do you stir your laundry with a big stick in a wooden tub of hot water too? hell is going on over there?

[Tomahawk]

I would contact a general contractor or an home heating/cooling specialist and ask to allow them to review any project plans, proposals, or  statements of work the owner plans to pay someone to complete. I would also ask that a second inspection be allowed to verify all of the performed work was to code or other standards, and that purchase would be dependent on acceptance. You'd certainly want to be sure that the new furnace isn't a budget friendly deal, and that all of the ducting was replaced to meet the requirements of the replaced components, if applicable.

Smart

[DH]

we've already agreed to let another inspector come in after the tank is lifted to test the soil, etc.

so, from what i am reading in the webs, this isnt that big of a deal, right? my stupid cousin scared the shtein out of me last night telling me that he wouldnt but a house if it had to go through this. before he mentioned that, i wasnt even thinking twice about it..

[Sgt PSN]

Your cousin sucks.  I doubt I'd fork over the money to make the switch, but if the sellers are doing it for you then who gives a shtein? 

[hbionic]

What you probably want to find out is the environmental impact that having that tank of oil for so many years may have on your health in the future.

For instance, out there in CA, there's an environmental impact report that is conducted when buyer or selling commercial property, especially gas stations, etc. The tank may not be that big a deal, akin to a septic tank for sewage, but it is the long term effects if there was any leakage from that tank and the contamination of the ground.

Read up on that in your area. Ask the Realtor for any disclosures...if there's not Realtor, contact the EPA office in your state. Google it, etc. I don't remember if you have kids, but even if you didn't, your health is still at risk. That might be a little over the top, but that would be my approach to it.

Another thing you want to make sure of is proper removal and cleanup. I'm sure you have qualified mexicans at the local home depot that can do it, but you want to make sure a licensed/bonded professional does the job.

*CA real estate is different, most everything is on gas over here, so it is interesting to read that homes are heated by oil. Let us know if you get cancer in about 20 years.

[DH]

if i get cancer, im 100% sure it will be lung, and im ok with that. id be pissed if i caught it from an oil tank, though. first kid coming next month, so the longterm affects on the soil, etc are a concern. but, as mentioned, so long as the post-inspector says were good, then we should indeed, be good.

not only does my cousin suck for giving his opinion when no one asked, but he's also one of those lawyers who is never wrong, so even talking to him about it made me want to rip his eyes out through his mouth.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

When you go from oil to gas, you have to change out the furnace. If you live in the northeast you want to check to make sure the unit is rated against the square footage of the house and isn't some knock-off PoS. It may also require changes to the ducting, heat pump (if there is one), and other bits and pieces like the thermostat. It's not a huge job if you get a competent HVAC specialist to do it. Have a competent HVAC guy check it all out before you sign.

[Diomedes]

Regarding the gas furnace....do what you can--possibly help with the cost--to make sure the furnace that goes in is the highest possible efficiency, made by a good company (mine's a Trane)...they are more expensive at first of course, but you will both save in the long run (even with cheap gas prices) and pollute less.  Finally, make sure the furnace is capable of accepting central A/C.  It needs to have a multi-stage blower, not just on/off, to have Central AC added on at a later time.

[Sgt PSN]

Regarding the gas furnace....do what you can--possibly help with the cost--to make sure the furnace that goes in is the highest possible efficiency

Excellent point.  Depending on how much the owners are willing to spend to convert it, if it's only going to buy an average unit, then definitely kick in the extra upfront to upgrade to something as close to top of the line that you can afford.  You're better off having it done right right now even if it costs you a little more than you'd like upfront rather than starting over from scratch in 10 years if the furnace decides to take a shtein.   

[Diomedes]

It won't likely take a shtein after ten years, it's just that you'll be burning ten to fifteen percent more gas for the life of the furnace, and creating more pollution as well.  Why do that?  To save a few hundred bucks today? 

Come on.