Efficient Heating in Fairhaven: Propane vs Home Heating Oil
Homeowners who are looking to make a smart choice in energy-efficient heating in Massachusetts will often make a comparison between propane and home heating oil. It can be difficult to compare these two types of residential heating options with regard to cost, as there is a big difference in the way that calculations are done for each type of fuel source. Home heating oil in Fairhaven is one of the more popular options and is available through professional service providers who make home deliveries to customers throughout the Southeastern Massachusetts region.
Residential Heating Options
When it comes to providing heat to keep you and your family warm in the winter, there are six basic choices available for home heating. Natural gas, propane, electricity, wood, coal and home heating oil in Fairhaven are often used as stand-alone heat sources or used in combination to provide greater thermal management. Coal stoves, wood fireplaces and other types of seasonal heating sources provide spot heating and ambiance to any home. But when winter comes to New England, and the temperatures really drop, it pays to have efficient heating in Massachusetts that won’t break the bank.
Outside of natural gas, propane and home heating oil are the two most common types of home fuel sources used in America. In the northeast, where the temperatures drop the most, Fairhaven heating oil services are king. Not only do many homeowner feel that home heating oil is safer than natural gas or propane, but it is also more cost-effective and energy-efficient. If you are trying to decide which type of energy source is best for your brand new home or if you are upgrading a furnace and trying to decide which type to buy, read along and learn a bit more about your residential heating options in Massachusetts.
Why Home Heating Oil is So Efficient
It is important to have all of the facts whenever you are trying to determine which choice to make. In the case of home heating oil in Fairhaven and the surrounding area, you need to know that heating oil is different from the refined oil that you use inside your car or truck. One way to understand the difference is to compare car fuel, such as diesel and regular gasoline. They are both used to run a car or a truck, but they are different in their own unique way. Oil comes from petroleum. Crude oil is made into a lot of different products.
Gasoline is a lightweight fuel that is highly volatile and evaporates away very quickly. You have probably noticed signs that warn people against smoking or using cellphones at gas stations because of the fumes. It would be unsafe to use gasoline in a big tank around your home for this reason. Diesel is a fuel that is heavier than gasoline, which is why it is more fuel-efficient. The weight is what makes it more efficient, because it takes longer to burn than gasoline. Home heating oil is even heavier than diesel, making it even more efficient. The oil used at power plants weighs even more than home heating oil, but it is not appropriate for residential use.
Heating oil has been specially formulated to make home furnaces more efficient than either gasoline or diesel. It is also more efficient than natural gas or propane for that matter. Some people think that natural gas is a “naturally occurring” gas, but it is processed before it comes to your home and is actually a mixture of gases, including methane, butane, ethane and even propane. Propane is more efficient than natural gas, but natural gas is still more widely used in other parts of the country.
Comparing Apples to Oranges
It can be difficult to measure the difference between propane and home heating oil in Fairhaven to determine which will provide you with the most efficient heating in Massachusetts. Part of the difficulty comes in the fact that the energy industry uses different measurements for liquid home heating oil and propane gas. Liquid fuel, such as diesel, gasoline and home heating oil, are measured in gallons. Gases, such as propane and natural gas, are measured in cubic feet. It takes a whole lot of math and patience to convert cubic feet to gallons for a proper comparison.
Another way to determine which of these residential heating options will provide you with the most energy and cost-effective solution is to compare thermal properties. A gallon of home heating oil will have a higher BTU (British Thermal Unit) than a cubic foot of propane, but then again those are still two different measurements. Fuel efficiency is the final factor that you need to consider when comparing propane and home heating oil. However, even when you make adjustments for measurements, thermal properties and fuel efficiency, home heating oil still produces more heat per gallon than propane, making it the clear winner.
Contact Guard Oil for Fairhaven Heating Oil Services
If you live in the Greater Fairhaven area and are interested in learning more about the residential heating options available through Guard Oil, give us a call at 508-992-3030. Our customer service agents can answer any questions that you might have about home heating oil in Fairhaven and the surrounding area, and they can even provide you with a no obligation quote. Call today and find out why so many homeowners trust Guard Oil to provide them with cost-effective, efficient heating in Massachusetts with premium home heating oil.