Please help! What does this mean heating source: Oil when shopping around on buying homes?

Question

What does it mean while looking up home features when shopping around for homes to buy, heating source: oil???

While others say heating source: electric. I know what electric is, just I have never heard of oil for heating source. I am assuming that has to do with manual distribution from myself to make the heat?? Or from a propane tank maybe that has to be refilled?? It's a really nice house, but for that kind of thing have never experienced.

Also, well water for water supply to homes, how reliable is well water in most cases? I went to a friends grandmothers house and I remember her telling me in the winter, not to run water while brushing my teeth and take five minute showers. It was because of the temperature being under 30 degrees the water would freeze up in the well so quickly leaving us no water usage eventually.

It's where I am wanting to buy a home I am coming across these questions. Thanks for your respones!

Answer 1

Oil means what it says. There is probably no natural gas service and propane wasn't available when it was built. Also propane tanks need to be like 10 feet from the house and oil tanks can go in a basement or be buried. So there is a big tank that holds oil. Your heat and possibly hot water source burn oil. Then when the tank gets low a company comes out and fills the tank. Well water is fine and very reliable. If you live where the power goes out there are several options to keep water flowing.

Answer 2

One thing you may consider before purchasing a home that is heated with oil...$$$$

The price of home heating oil has risen dramatically over the past 3 years. Natural gas price is rising, but not as fast.

There are also environmental issues with oil, also. The furnace will begin to smell like a truckstop fuel island after a few years, and if the tank is located outside underground it WILL begin to leak.

Answer 3

oil heat- uses fuel oil that burns to heat your house cost VERY high now , like gas for your car-.should be a large tank at house to store it in.

well water- usually good -unless some body nearby has polluted area IE; cattle farm-junk cars etc. in the winter little rain , ground water level low !  so-don't  use much water if you do fhe well will go dry and you would pump dust --fhen you would have to take dust bath like the chickens!!- when I was a kid I took dust baths!!  but then mom would  scrub me  so hard ,, it hurt bad  -it was  worse than taking a quick bath, dats why ya took a quick one

Answer 4

You already have two correct answers for the oil question.  All I'll add about oil this is; when you do your walk thru of the house, make sure you locate the oil tank,,, then check to see if it appears to have any leaks.  Also, locate the fill port on the outside to be sure it is accessible,,, most likely it is.  When the home inspection is being completed ask for a focus in this area.  

Your concern about the well is reasonable.  Well water, GENERALLY, is better tasting than treated municipal water.  There are cases where well water has a sulfer taste or may be tinted with iron oxide.  

When you are doing your home tour, pay attention to the water supply, does the house have a filtration system for example.  Turn a faucet on, cold water side, let it run for about 10 seconds to see if the water is discolored in any way.  Then do the same thing for the hot side at a different faucet.  In both cases, have your face within about a foot of the water and check for odors from the water stream.

If you notice any discoloration or a sulfer (rotten eggs) odor, then I would give second and third thoughts to buying the place.  At the very least I would insist on a lab test as part of your offer.

In your friends grandmothers house, the frozen water lines was a concern.  This is generally not a concern in modern wells and if it is a problem then it is fairly simple to address.  

If you make an offer, a home inspection should be required, both by common sense and the future mortgage lender.  Find out when the inspector will be visiting the home and make arrangements to be there.  You are paying for their services in some way, be there and ask questions about the well.  Don't badger him or her, just ask for a careful evualation of the water line from the well.

Answer 5

It means the home has a furnace that is powered by #2 heating oil (like diesel). They usually are used to heat up water for  steam radiators or baseboard heating system, more common on the East coast.

We have well water for our home for over 16 years now, no problems with pressure or running out. Best of all it tastes so much better then city water.