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The oil furnace ratings posts you’ll find on WebHVAC give you a quick overview of what you get with each model.  We rate oil furnaces on operating cost, features, reliability and warranty before summarizing all of those in an overall warranty.  If you’re in the market for a very dependable  furnace you can count on for 15-20 years, a quick glance will show whether or not it’s a 4 or 5 star model.  If you want performance features that assist in making your home comfortable, look for 4 or 5 star models in that category.  If you prefer a more affordable oil furnace with basic functionality, look for a 3-star model.  If you are looking for our specific oil furnace model rankings please see our most latest list:

That’s essentially how these oil furnace ratings work.  This oil furnace guide provides more detail about how we rate each model.

Operating Costs

How much it will cost you to run your oil furnace is an important issue for most homeowners.  The oil furnaces we rate are those most commonly installed.  They vary in efficiency from 80% AFUE (annualized fuel utilization efficiency) to about 87% AFUE.  We rate oil furnaces on the same scale as we rate gas furnaces so most of them get just 3 stars. We want you to be able to compare all your options equally and in many areas, choosing a gas or oil furnace are both among the options.  Be sure to check the exact AFUE rating of the furnace because there can be significant cost differences between heating at 80% AFUE and heating with an 87% efficient oil furnace.

Features

Our oil furnace ratings look at performance features that will help make your home more comfortable and improve its functionality.  In oil furnaces, that’s primarily a variable-speed blower fan that can even out temperatures in your home better than a single-speed fan will. Dual heat exchangers will increase fuel efficiency and lower energy bills. Slide-out burners that are easier to service increase convenience.  These are the types of things we look for. Oil furnace ratings will be higher for models with more features.

Reliability

The quality of the parts used is an important aspect of reliability ratings.  We also take in to account the service record of the brand’s line of oil furnaces and independent consumer reviews of the model when they are available. Most of the oil furnaces manufactured by leading brands are very dependable.  With proper maintenance and occasional minor repairs, you can expect 20 years or more of good service from them.

Warranty

Warranty tells us something about the oil furnace’s quality as well as the brand’s commitment to their customers.  A good oil furnace warranty will cover the heat exchanger for life and the parts for 5 years.  A better warranty will cover parts for 10 years, and those models get higher oil furnace ratings in this category.

Overall Rating

We average the scores and give you an overall rating to compare with other oil furnaces. Our purpose in this oil furnace guide is to help you identify models that might meet your heating needs and give you enough useful, accurate information to assist you in your decision.

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