Lincoln Green L.P. Gas Heating One of the unique features offered in your unit at Lincoln Green is the Liquid Propane gas-fired boiler used for heating and hot water. We realize that many people are unfamiliar with this type of boiler, so we offer this paper to help explain how it works and why we've chosen it. We do offer oil-fired boilers as an option if you do not wish to have the gas-fired unit. Our gas-fired heating systems are very similar to the oil-fired heating systems that most of us have become accustomed to. The hot water baseboard units used to distribute hot water throughout the home are exactly the same as any hot water baseboard heating system. The difference is in the boiler and the type of fuel used to heat the water that is circulated throughout the home. Instead of an oil-fired boiler, we use a gas-fired boiler. Both heat water in similar ways, and both can produce about the same amount of hot water. Actually the gas-fired unit usually has a slightly higher capacity due to its higher efficiency. The effect in heating that you will feel in your home is exactly the same between both systems, and both operate with the same thermostatic controls. So why have we chosen the gas-fired unit? There are some compelling reasons for using L.P. gas-fired units instead of oil-fired units to heat water. L.P. gas fired boilers are much quieter than oil-fired units, so when you're relaxing in your living room, you will not hear the gas-fired boiler firing on and off like you would the oil-fired unit. In fact, the gas-fired unit is so quiet, you have a hard time hearing it run while standing right in front of it. L.P. gas-fired boilers are more efficient and cleaner burning than the oil-fired units, and are therefore a better choice from an environmental point of view. L.P. gas-fired boilers do not require yearly maintenance or cleaning like the oil-fired units. L.P. gas-fired boilers are sealed combustion. Unlike oil-fired units, there are no openings from the burning chamber of the gas-fired units to the inside of the home. This means that there is no chance of carbon monoxide entering the home, and as the gas-fired boiler operates, it has no affect on the air quality or air pressures inside the home. L.P. gas-fired boilers have a stainless-steel burning chamber and exchanger, providing a very long service life compared to cast-iron or steel oil-fired units. Other notes: L.P. gas-fired boilers need no chimney. Due to their extremely high efficiency, the gases that are expelled from a gas-fired boiler are not hot enough to require a conventional chimney. A simple plastic pipe is all that's required. They actually use two pipes, one to bring fresh air into the unit and one to expel the exhaust gases. Not having a chimney cuts cost, cuts down on maintenance, and provides more room inside the home. We recognize that L.P. gas fuel costs more than fuel oil. Here's a comparison: L.P. gas cost is currently $1.45.9 per gallon. A gallon of L.P. gas yields 96,000 btu of heat at 100% burn. Oil cost is currently $1.46.9 per gallon. A gallon of oil yields 140,000 btu's of heat at 100% burn. At first glance, one would say that L.P. gas is going to cost a lot more each year in fuel than oil because we get many more btu's out of a gallon of oil. Not a bad assumption, but we must calculate the efficiency difference between the two systems in order to get an accurate representation. Because the gas-fired system is much more efficient, it is able to deliver more of the available btu's of heat to the home than the oil-fired unit. Also, the oil-fired system will require a cleaning and maintenance check each year, adding at least $75 to the heating cost. We believe that when calculating the higher efficiency and no maintenance of the gas-fired system, the cost difference between gas and oil is really very little. Still, we recognize that the gas-fired system will cost our customers slightly more each year for fuel, say in the neighborhood of $50 to $100, but we believe the benefits of a quieter, cleaner-burning, sealed-combustion, longer-life stainless-steel unit is well worth the extra. You don't agree? No problem, we will be happy to outfit your home with a high quality oil-fired system using a cast-iron boiler and separately zoned hot water maker for domestic hot water. We will include a high quality, lined chimney with a brick top for venting. Please inquire about the cost of this change by asking your Real Estate agent or by calling Beth Satow at Coldwell Banker Plourde Real Estate. Thank you