Heating oil has been keeping families warm through tough winters for almost a century. That’s a testament to its impressive ability to provide consistent, efficient heat for as long as needed. That’s a lot to feel good about it, but it gets better when you consider the safety benefits of using oil to heat your home.
Let’s start with the fuel itself. Heating oil cannot burn in its liquid state. It takes an advanced high-tech burner to ignite the oil. Before combustion can occur, heating oil must first be vaporized by your oil burner at temperatures above 140°. Heating oil also cannot explode. That’s why the fuel stored in your tank is very safe. In fact, if you drop a lit match into a bucket of heating oil, the flame would go out just as if you dropped the match into water.
Designed with corrosion-resistant materials, today’s double-walled oil storage tanks can last for decades. Plus, new technology allows for remote monitoring to protect against the rare event of a leak and guarantees that you will always have a sufficient supply of heating oil on hand. While older, single-wall steel oil tanks were also durable, they were susceptible to internal corrosion, a problem that led to tank failures.
If an oil burner goes out of adjustment, it will produce smoke – a visible warning that service is needed. If your oil furnace is producing black smoke or soot, you should contact your heating oil service provider right away. Even though the chance of carbon monoxide poisoning is low in an oilheated home, it’s important to have working carbon monoxide detectors in your home, and to know the telltale symptoms of CO poisoning, which includes headaches, nausea, dizziness and fatigue.
As is the case with any other home energy source, the key to keeping your oil heating system operating safely is to get annual preventive maintenance from a licensed heating expert every year. During a service visit, an oilheat technician will perform tests to make sure your heating equipment is working correctly; if he spots a potential safety or performance issue, he’ll take care of it right away.
Heating oil – the best and safest way to heat your South Carolina home! To learn more about all of the benefits of oilheat, click here.