An oil to gas conversion means replacing your oil burner or boiler with a gas one and getting a natural gas line run to the house. The first step is finding out if gas is available on your street. After that, the job usually includes a new gas service and meter from the utility, a new gas boiler or furnace, new venting and a plan for the old oil tank. With good planning, most homes are without heat for only a short time during the changeover.
Step one: is gas on your street?
Not every road in Morris County has a gas main. Call your gas utility or check their website to ask whether service is available at your address and what it takes to connect. In our area that is usually. The utility handles the service line from the street to the meter. Everything after the meter, inside the house, is the plumber's job.
If gas is not available, you still have choices, like a new high efficiency oil boiler or propane. We can talk through those, too.
Step two: pick the right equipment
Most oil homes we see in this area heat with a hot water boiler and baseboard or radiators. A few have steam or forced air. Converting is a good time to rethink the whole system.
- High efficiency gas boiler. ENERGY STAR certified gas boilers have an AFUE rating of 90 percent or higher. AFUE is the share of fuel that turns into heat for your home over a year.
- Combi boiler. A combi boiler heats your home and makes hot water on demand, all in one wall-hung unit. It can free up a lot of basement space, which many people like after the oil tank is gone.
- Boiler with an indirect water heater. This pairs the boiler with a separate tank that the boiler heats. It is a good fit for bigger families that use a lot of hot water at once.
The right size matters more than the brand. A boiler should be sized to your home's actual heat loss, not just copied from the old oil unit, which is often oversized. Our boiler repair and replacement page explains more.
Step three: gas piping and venting
Inside the house, a licensed plumber runs gas piping from the meter to the boiler and to any other gas appliances you add, like a range, dryer or water heater. The pipe has to be sized for the total load of every appliance, and it has to be pressure tested and inspected. That is not a DIY job under any circumstances. See our gas line installation page.
Venting changes too. Old oil boilers usually vent up a masonry chimney. A high efficiency gas boiler usually vents through a side wall with plastic pipe, because the exhaust is cooler and wetter. If a gas water heater will still use the old chimney alone, the chimney may need a liner. Wrong venting can let carbon monoxide into the home, which is why every conversion should include working CO alarms. The EPA calls carbon monoxide an odorless, colorless gas, so an alarm is the only way to know it is there.
Step four: the old oil tank
Oil tanks come in two kinds: tanks in the basement and tanks buried in the yard.
- Basement tanks are usually pumped out, cut up and removed.
- Buried tanks need more care. According to the NJ DEP, residential heating oil tanks are "unregulated," and there is no state rule that a tank must be removed if there is no sign of a leak. Tanks can be removed or abandoned in place by following the state building code, and your town may require a permit. If a leak is found, the homeowner has to report it and have it cleaned up.
Many buyers and home inspectors ask about buried tanks, so a lot of homeowners choose to deal with the tank during the conversion. Check with your town about permits, and use a contractor who does tank work.
What the day of the switch looks like
- The gas utility installs the service line and meter, often ahead of time.
- We shut down the oil system and disconnect it.
- We set the new boiler, connect it to your heating piping, run the gas line and install the venting.
- We fill, purge and test the system, check gas pressure and combustion, and walk you through the controls.
- The town inspects the work as required.
When to call a licensed plumber, and when to call the utility
- If you smell gas at any time, leave the house right away. Do not flip switches or use your phone inside. Call your gas utility or 911 from outside.
- Call us when you want a quote, have a question about sizing, or want to know if a combi boiler fits your home. Our oil to gas conversion page has more details.
- Call your town building department about permits for the tank, and the utility about gas service.
Why this happens around Budd Lake and Morris County
A lot of homes in Mount Olive, Roxbury, Randolph, Chester and Mendham were built with oil heat and a cast iron boiler in the basement. Many of those boilers are now decades old. As gas mains have reached more neighborhoods over the years, more owners are asking about switching, especially when the old boiler starts needing repairs. In rural parts of Long Valley, Chester and Mendham, gas is often not on the street, so the choice is different there.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an oil to gas conversion take?
The boiler swap itself is usually done in a short window of a few days or less, depending on the house. Waiting on the gas utility to install the service can take longer, so start that call early and plan before the heating season.
Do I have to remove my buried oil tank?
According to the NJ DEP, there is no state requirement to remove an unregulated residential tank if there is no sign of a leak. Many owners remove it anyway before a sale. Your town may have its own permit rules.
Can I use my old radiators and baseboard?
In most cases, yes. A new gas boiler connects to your existing heating pipes. We check the system for leaks, sludge and air problems when we hook it up.
Is gas cheaper than oil?
Prices for both fuels change over time, so we do not promise savings. The bigger gain is often moving from an old, low efficiency boiler to a new one that is sized right.
If you want a second set of eyes on it, call or text us at 862-362-0634 or request service online. We are a family owned shop in Budd Lake, and we will tell you straight what we find and what it needs.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR: Boilers
- NJ DEP: Unregulated Heating Oil Tank Homeowner FAQs
- EPA: Carbon Monoxide's Impact on Indoor Air Quality
Micky Cipolla is a New Jersey licensed master plumber (License #13478) with more than 15 years in plumbing and heating. He owns Tucker's Plumbing in Budd Lake and works on homes across Morris County every day. Verify the license.