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Things You Need To Know When Buying Fuel For Your Oil Furnace

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Heating your home throughout the winter is vital, and oil furnaces are still a popular method for doing that. In many parts of the country, hot water boiler systems also provide hot water for the home, and the local heating oil company can supply the fuel to keep the system running. 

Heating Oil Types 

The most common heating oil used in homes in the US is a product referred to as #2 heating oil. This fuel is very similar to diesel fuel and has a high tolerance for cold temperatures, allowing storage in a basement tank or outside.

In extremely cold parts of the country, the heating oil company may recommend a mixed fuel that uses #2 heating oil blended with Kerosene or #1 heating oil. The Kerosene further lowers the tolerance for the cold and helps prevent the heating oil from gelling when the temperatures drop below freezing. 

Blended fuel is recommended for outdoor storage tanks or in tanks that are in an unheated basement or outbuilding to ensure the fuel in the tank and fuel line continue to flow to the furnace. 

Heating Oil Storage  

Your local heating oil company can fill your fuel tank quickly if you start to get low, and the capacity is large enough that most homes should not have any difficulty storing enough fuel for a month or more in the coldest parts of the year. The condition of the furnace or boiler, the temperatures outside, and the home's energy efficiency will affect how often heating oil delivery is needed.

Many companies offer automatic heating oil delivery programs that you can opt into. In many areas, you can pay for your oil through prepared purchases with payments that split the cost over the entire year using an estimate from the previous heating season to determine how much heating oil you will go through. How often you fill the tank with fuel is up to you, but these automatic delivery plans help reduce the potential for forgetting to fill the tank. 

Keeping The Tank Clear

The path to the tank filler needs to be accessible when the heating oil company arrives to fill it. If the tank is outside, it is vital to keep things away from the tank and keep bushes, trees, and grass trimmed around it. 

Indoor tanks often use a filler neck that extends out through the side of the house and must be kept clear and accessible. If the heating oil delivery driver can not get to the tank when they arrive, they may not deliver the fuel, and you may have to request a new delivery time. 

To find out more, contact a heating oil company


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