In the northeastern United States, including here in the Hudson Valley, heating oil has a history of being the most popular heating fuel for homes.
Heating oil offers several advantages: It’s the most cost-effective home heating fuel source. Heating oil gets your home warmer faster than any other fuel source – it’s true! And unlike natural gas, your supply isn’t dependent on outside utility lines. Your heating oil is right there at your home.
Just because it’s oil doesn’t mean it’s an immediate fire hazard. Quite the contrary. Heating oil isn’t actually highly flammable at room temperature. Drop a lit match into heating oil, and it will be extinguished. You certainly can’t say that about natural gas!
Before heating oil can be vaporized and combusted for heating in your home’s furnace or boiler, it must be heated to at least 140˚ Fahrenheit.
An additional line of safety comes from today’s heating oil tanks today, all made with double-wall steel, along with plastic and fiberglass. That makes them practically leak-proof, unlike tanks of 30-40 years ago. Built-in alarms prevent the tank from being overfilled, which reduces the risk of damaging spills and leaks.
But, there are still some things you need to do to make sure your oil-fired heating system operates safely.
The professionals at Depew Energy can help you with heating oil (or propane!) delivery, equipment service and more for your Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, or Putnam County home, today! Contact us today and let’s get started.