Plus, the new gas furnace achieves a 98% AFUE rating, significantly trimming our energy bills
My husband and I spent nearly a year touring every house on the market within our price range. Our budget was decent but not unlimited, and we were looking for a safe and family-friendly neighborhood within a highly rated school district. We wanted a large enough lawn for our kids to play, off-street parking and at least four bedrooms and two full baths. While we were willing to tackle some renovation projects, we hoped to find a house with an agreeable floor plan. A larger kitchen, plenty of closet space and a definite master bedroom were priorities. We finally came across the ideal home for sale. It met all of our criteria. The only issue was the oil furnace. I didn’t like the idea of oil as the fuel source for heating. It required a large and very unattractive tank to take up space in the backyard. It was necessary to schedule fuel delivery and be vigilant about the amount of fuel remaining during the winter. We certainly didn’t want to run out of fuel and be left without heat during a January blizzard. The temperature in our local area is frequently below freezing and regularly dips into the negative digits. It’s not unusual to rely on the heating system for six to eight months. Although converting the oil heating system to natural gas was right at the top of our list of home improvements, other concerns immediately took precedence. Upon moving in, we discovered big problems with the water pipes, septic system and water heater. The water and drainage issues caused damage to the bathrooms that required an investment into new toilets, sinks, tubs and fixtures. It took us several years to finally consider the heating system. I was surprised by how quick, simple and affordable the conversion from oil to gas turned out to be. Plus, the new gas furnace achieves a 98% AFUE rating, significantly trimming our energy bills. This is helping to recover the investment.