I'm upgrading my 1950 home in the Pacific Northwest from an old oil heating system to a heat pump. I've already contacted a company to help with decommissioning the underground 300-gallon oil tank. Now, I'm wondering if I should also remove the old furnace since it won't be needed anymore. It's currently located in a storage room in my basement. Any advice on this?
2 Answers
It's a good idea to hire a certified company to handle decommissioning that oil tank; they can be tricky to deal with. Regarding the furnace, it might be best to let the installers take care of removing it for you. From my experience with similar systems, it's often loud and cumbersome to do it yourself, plus it can be quite heavy. And if you're planning to use ductwork, be cautious about the guidance you get on mini splits; I was advised too few units for my old Craftsman home, which didn’t make sense for the layout.
I'm in the same boat with my oil burner still in the basement five years after switching to heat pumps! As for the furnace, definitely think about taking it apart into smaller pieces to make removal easier. Just be cautious because that steel can be pretty saturated with oil.