AboutCharles E. Felker Expertise Energy questions related to homeowners and their energy supplier.
Questions related to process control.
HVAC questions
Natural gas transmission, distribution.
Experience Penn State grad 1954 in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering. Forty five years experience in process control, natural gas processing, compression, transmission and distribution
Organizations ASME
Education/Credentials BS Petroleum & Natural Gas Engineering Pennsylvania State University
Question I may be interested in replacing my electric HWH with an oil one. Is this wise or should I replace it with a more efficient electric? Gas is not an option otherwise I know my choice.
Answer You should look at fuel cost first and compare either energy source on a comparable basis. The energy basis of any fuel has a BTU (British Thermal Unit)equivalent. Wood, coal, electricity, fuel oil etc can thus be compared on the same energy basis. Assume fuel oil cost is $2.00 per gal. A gal of fuel oil has the energy equivalent of 145,000 BTU so if you divide $2.00 by 145,000 BTU you get $0.00001379 per BTU. This is an awkward number so the BTU's are usually expressed in millions of BTU or MMBTU so if you convert to MMBTU you get fuel oil cost on an energy basis is $13.79 per MMBTU. Doing the same kind of exercise for electricity, where 1 KW-Hr of electricity has the energy equivalent of 3413 BTU. If electric costs are $.10 per KW-Hr then converting to a BTU basis you divide $.10 by 3413 and put it on an MMBTU basis you get electric costs are $29.29 per MM BTU. Now you can compare fuel costs on a comparable basis and you see where electric is twice the energy cost as fuel oil. You can use electric and fuel oil costs in your area to get numbers for your particular circumstance.
Maintenance of an electric heater are probably close to zero while a fuel oil heater would require some yearly check. Venting is another problem electric heaters do not have. You'll have to evaluate what those kinds of factors are worth to you.
Hope this helps.
