Heating InstallationShrewsbury, MAResidential

Oil-to-Gas Heating Conversion

Project Overview

Oil-to-gas conversions are among the most requested heating upgrades in central Massachusetts, where many homes were built before natural gas was available in their neighborhoods. When the gas utility extends its lines to a new street, homeowners have the opportunity to switch to a cleaner, more convenient, and often less expensive heating fuel.

This Shrewsbury conversion was straightforward but required coordination among several parties: our HVAC team, the gas utility, a licensed plumber for gas piping, and a tank removal contractor. We managed the entire process as a single project so the homeowner had one point of contact throughout.

The financial impact was significant. Natural gas is consistently cheaper than heating oil on a per-BTU basis, and the new furnace's 96.5% efficiency rating means that nearly every dollar spent on gas becomes useful heat. Combined with the elimination of oil delivery fees and tank maintenance, the homeowner estimated a payback period of approximately four years on the total conversion investment.

The Challenge

The homeowner was done with oil heating. The 20-year-old oil furnace was only 80% AFUE, oil prices were unpredictable (ranging from $3.50 to $5.50/gallon over the past three years), and the hassle of scheduling deliveries and monitoring tank levels was a constant annoyance. The 275-gallon above-ground oil tank in the basement was taking up valuable storage space, and the homeowner was concerned about the environmental risk of a potential tank leak. Natural gas had recently been extended to their street by the gas utility, making the conversion feasible for the first time.

Our Solution

We coordinated a complete fuel conversion that involved multiple trades and careful project management. First, the old oil furnace was disconnected and removed, along with the oil tank, oil lines, and the chimney liner that served the old system. We then installed a new Carrier 59SC5 gas furnace with a 96.5% AFUE rating — among the highest efficiency ratings available. Because the new furnace is a condensing unit, it vents through PVC pipe out the sidewall rather than up the chimney, simplifying the installation and eliminating the draft issues common with older chimneys. We coordinated with the gas utility for the new meter and service line connection, and with a plumber for the gas piping from the meter to the furnace. A new digital thermostat was installed, and the entire system was tested and commissioned before the old equipment left the building.