What are the pros and cons of trying to switch heating systems from a traditional furnace to a waste oil heater that burns used gasoline engine oil, particularly for an automobile repair garage? [more inside]
posted by franklen on Feb 27, 2009 - 10 answers

Which approach really burns more heating oil - keeping the house at a constant medium temperature (say, 64 degrees) or keeping it very low most of the time (58-60) but bringing it up to a higher temperature (say, 66 degrees) once or twice a day? [more inside]
posted by anastasiav on Apr 4, 2008 - 11 answers

(Oil Heat) - Getting a new oil burner / furnace. (1) How much should it cost, including installation, for a new oil furnace that's at least pretty good/efficient? (We've gotten one estimate, so far, for $10,000 (!) $11,000 for antifreeze pipe system.) What's the cost for the equipment vs cost of labor? (2) The $10K was for a System 2000. Is the System 2000 really that good? Anyone have one? How much did it cost? How much did it reduce your heating bills? [more inside]
posted by coffeefilter on Apr 2, 2008 - 6 answers

We have oil heat, but as you might expect in the middle of summer's dog days, we are not using it. So why do I periodically get a very strong smell of oil? This seems to have just begun in the last few days - at least I didn't notice it before. I checked the basement oil tank, no visible leaks and there is no strong smell down there. There have been no recent deliveries of oil that would explain this. Thanks for any help.
posted by mmf on Aug 7, 2007 - 5 answers

My husband and I are in the market for a new oil furnace. Help us make sure we get the right one. [more inside]
posted by SheIsMighty on Nov 8, 2006 - 4 answers

What kind of water heating system do I have? And can I install a timer on it? [more inside]
posted by schoolgirl report on Jul 4, 2006 - 3 answers

Tomorrow I sign a lease for a huge old house built in the 1800's, and I am worried about how much oil will be required to heat the place. How can this be predicted without appropriate historical data? [more inside]
posted by brundlefly on May 14, 2006 - 10 answers

Should I replace my dying oil furnace with oil or gas? A year ago gas would have been a no-brainer, but now gas supplies are increasingly constrained, while locally-produced biodiesel supplies are starting to come online. [more inside]
posted by alms on Sep 27, 2004 - 1 answer