Searching for heat

Our main source of heat is an old oil furnace, wrapped in asbestos tape, wrapped in old insulation, covered with many years of dust.

Once the cold weather came, we knew we were in trouble. Probably doing something about this when we moved in, say in July or August would have been a good idea, but we were so involved with the exterior, we didn't have a chance to address this very important problem.

The oil tank is in pretty good shape. The wet floor below isn't from a leaking tank, it's from rainwater pouring through the cellar door and travelling to the drain at the opposite end of the basement.

This is actually a wood fired furnace. The oil furnace is to the left. Note hairy octopus arms coming out of furnace.

And here is our lovely oil furnace. I am not sure when the last time it was serviced, but I got a call from the previous owner right before heating season, telling me I should probably have it serviced.

Last week, I had an asbestos abatement crew come to remove the duct work containing asbestos. Because it was on the interior as well as the exterior, it had to be completely removed. We didn't know the extent of the tape, because quite a bit of it was covered with insulation. But the translation was lost, so every time the crew told me they were finished, I pointed to something else they forgot. It was a frustrating experience, but I am so glad I was there for the entire 8 hour process, in the freezing cold.










































All the boots were removed as well. My beautiful registers no longer have ducts to cover, but this gives us the opportunity to open up some walls before we decide what kind of heat this house will have.

Originally, we were thinking of ground source heat. However, the price is astronomical, even with government incentives. One company quoted us $30,000, another quoted $18,000. The incentives are pretty good, 30% rebate. But it's still so high, and now we need to replace ducts as well.

Radiant heat is an option, but having the house laid out properly, and making sure we have a plan in place first is paramount. Looks like heat won't happen this season.