Home Heating Oil
Everything you need to know about home heating oil
Home Heating Oil = Diesel
Often times when people think of diesel fuel, they think of dirty engines, loud exhaust and smog. The reality is much cleaner and greener. Home Heating Oil (HHO) is indeed a diesel fuel, known as no. 2 oil. It is however a clean burning fuel that produces less harmful emissions than the methane produced by heating with natural gas. Our Home Heating Oil has an ultra low sulfur content. This means it burns cleaner than traditional oil, keeps your equipment cleaner longer, and produces less emissions. Heating your home with oil also has less impact on the planet when compared to natural gas or wood burning. It is safer and easier to extract from the earth, and doesn't destroy ecosystems or the landscape like fracking of the natural gas industry.
Is it Safe?
Safety is the most important when considering your house and family. We're happy to say Home Heating Oil is extremely safe. Unlike natural gas, liquid diesel is not flammable, nor would inhalation be fatal. At room temperature, dropping a match into home heating oil will do nothing more than snuff out the flame. HHO is a combustible liquid, with a flash point near 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Once over this temperature, Home Heating Oil will start to vaporize and that vapor is combustible, allowing for a controlled, safe burn within your furnace or boiler.
Should I Be Worried About Carbon Monoxide?
Many people have concerns about carbon monoxide when considering oil heat, but thankfully the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning is substantially low and it can be minimized by being proactive. The CDC reports a national average of less than 155 fatal home heating related carbon monoxide incidents per year (including both oil and natural gas). Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless fume that is created any time you burn fuel, be it gasoline, wood, charcoal or diesel. In unsafe circumstances this gas can build up indoors and cause poisoning, of which the most frequent cause involves use of fuel powered tools and generators.
The average home heating oil system is not a major risk and should your system fail or become a CO hazard, you will know thanks to clear signs like soot, visible smoke or odors. We urge all our customers to install a Carbon Monoxide Detector. They are required by law in many states for homes with attached garages or fuel burning furnaces. Installation of a CO detector ensures the safety of your family, but the best way to keep them safe is to keep a clean, well maintained heating system. Be sure to schedule an annual inspection and service, as well as change your air filters every 60-90 days (or more frequently if you have allergies,) to keep your system in top shape. You can learn more about Carbon Monoxide by visiting the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The average home heating oil system is not a major risk and should your system fail or become a CO hazard, you will know thanks to clear signs like soot, visible smoke or odors. We urge all our customers to install a Carbon Monoxide Detector. They are required by law in many states for homes with attached garages or fuel burning furnaces. Installation of a CO detector ensures the safety of your family, but the best way to keep them safe is to keep a clean, well maintained heating system. Be sure to schedule an annual inspection and service, as well as change your air filters every 60-90 days (or more frequently if you have allergies,) to keep your system in top shape. You can learn more about Carbon Monoxide by visiting the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
