Originally Posted By: John Furr
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hi Dan,
Yep we have gas.... tons of it by comparison to other regions... however infrastructure is a big issue here and I am in the most populous region of Canada, Ontario.
Here in Toronto oil used to be a dominent player in the home heating market. Gas is now the leader having displaced oil most homes but their is still a core following demanding oil since they cannot afford to pay for the conversion to gas. Mostly the remaining oil customers are oil using large oil fired boilers made from cast iron. We just happen to have a large practice in hydronic heating and deal with oil frequently.
However, in rural areas of Canada oil is the dominent heating since gas lines are sparse in smaller communities and more limied to the larger rural centers.
Electric and oil heating used to be fairly even but electric is pricing itself out of the market. Air source heat pumps have all but been totally abandoned here due to the prolonged sub zero temperatures that make air source heat pumps inefficient to operate.
Ground source heat pumps are making inroads into the markets here in rural areas though.
Of course we have our share of propane heating too, as well as some trying a blend of active and passive solar techniques, super insulated houses and "off-grid" housing with wind power and a blend of technologies. I have designed more than a few systems where the clients needed super efficient heating systems.
Oil however was what I first had the most experience with as a fuel source, especially boilers. Since then it has been slowly dying out to be replaced in all urban centers with gas. only the rural cottages and summer homes have oil now with regularity... but they are enough here to warrant staying current with the equipment.
oh and yeah it smells nasty, and if you even cause a leak you are in a world of hurt because it absorbs into cinderblock like a sponge and it will never come out.
mechanics love it since it guarantees major service calls ever fall to service and start up their customers equipment and tune the burners...
Oh also if you ever take a trip up this way I could make up for all those years you have never seen the fuel oil in use... there are still tens of thousands of oil boilers and furnaces in Toronto. I didnt want to give the impression they are rare.
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John Furr
Residential Efficiency and Training Resources of Ontario
