ᐅ Replace oil heating with a heat pump or pellet heating system? Alternatives?

BenutzerPC schrieb:

In our house, built in 1978, the oil heating system is faulty. It still works but not reliably anymore. Replacement is therefore necessary. Question: What is a sensible alternative?

A new oil heating system. No ifs or buts, as it is the easiest to replace. Pellet heating harms the environment significantly because trees are cut down extensively to meet pellet demand – even though pellets do work (but pellet prices are already heading toward oil/gas prices, currently three times higher than the same month last year).

BUT: You won’t have fun with oil heating in the future either. It will be an expensive affair. So consider whether it makes more sense to invest a larger sum now instead of small amounts over the next 20 years (which will probably be more expensive overall – not to mention the impact on living comfort). Additionally, unrenovated older buildings are increasingly difficult to sell. So holding on to the existing system is basically burning money.

Maybe you can get a used oil heating system from a renovation. Many have already removed their good oil heating systems, even if they weren’t that old yet.

SumsumBiene schrieb:

Maybe you can get a used oil heating system from a renovation. Many have already removed their good oil heaters, even if they weren’t that old yet.

This is probably the cheapest option if larger investments are currently not possible.

Pellets might be a good alternative, or pellets combined as a hybrid with a heat pump. That way, you could renovate and modernize gradually, and phase out or reduce the pellets step by step.

My sister replaced an oil heating system directly with an air-to-water heat pump in a building from around 1970. However, they benefit from having 15 kWp (or even more) solar panels on the roof. As part of the heating system upgrade, they also replaced the radiators.
Next, the roof will be insulated, and window replacement is planned, as well as possible insulation of the building envelope. That will be a bigger project since part of the building is on a slope.
They are already doing quite well with the heat pump. Of course, you can’t run the supply temperature as high as in new buildings — I believe they operate at about 55-60°C (131-140°F). Still, they have already stopped burning fossil fuels. That has its advantages too, as these resources are gradually running out. 😉

Depending on the age of the parents and what is broken in the heating system, just a new oil furnace might be enough. A new burner isn’t very expensive, and everything else won’t pay off in the next 20 years. If at some point something renewable is required, bio heating oil or a wood stove in the corner will do. Unless you have significantly more money than needed and want to save the world.

The primary goal should actually be how to reduce consumption. Every heating system needs to be tailored to the specific building in order to be effective. Investing in an expensive heating system does not make sense if it is adapted to an existing structure that might not last much longer. My suggestion: create a renovation roadmap, using second-hand components where little money is wasted. These buildings will significantly decrease in value if no additional investment is made.
Best regards, Gabriele

Given the circumstances, I would also recommend using a second-hand oil heating system.
How large is the house?
If it is not too big and your parents are the only two living there, switching to split air conditioning units plus a domestic hot water heat pump could be an option. This way, you avoid the issue of flow temperature in old radiators. Two outdoor units combined as a twin system are enough for 6 to 8 indoor units. Indoor units are now also available in picture frame style or as console units with radiant heating elements, allowing them to be installed traditionally under the windows. With this setup, you can switch to a heat pump, achieve a SCOP (seasonal coefficient of performance) or annual performance factor above 4, and the investment costs should be lower than those for a classic air-to-water heat pump using radiators.