Is Heating Oil Safe?
Why Heating Oil Is a Trusted Home Heating Fuel
Heating oil has been used to heat homes for more than 100 years, and one of the main reasons is its safety. Some people may not know that heating oil won’t ignite from a match or an accidental spark because it has a much higher flash point. It needs to be heated to a much higher temperature before it can burn. Before combustion can occur, heating oil must first be vaporized by your oil burner into a fine mist at temperatures above 140°F.
Safety doesn’t stop with the fuel itself. Modern oil heating systems include controls that check burner operation and automatically shut the system down if something isn’t working properly. Add regular equipment maintenance and proper fuel storage, and it’s easy to see why heating oil continues to be a trusted choice for home heating.
The safest heating systems don’t rely on a single feature. They rely on well-maintained equipment, built-in safety controls, and a heating fuel designed for safe storage and use in the home.
Heating Oil Has a High Flash Point
One of the reasons heating oil is considered a safe home heating fuel is its high flash point. A flash point is the temperature at which a fuel emits enough vapor to ignite.
That means it won’t catch fire from a dropped match, a cigarette, or an accidental spark under normal conditions. It must first be heated to a much higher temperature before it can ignite.
That characteristic makes heating oil well suited for residential storage. Whether the tank is in a basement, garage, or outdoors, the fuel stays stable under normal household conditions. It’s one of the reasons heating oil has been used safely in homes for generations.
Safety Features for Heating Oil Equipment
The fuel is only one part of the equation. Modern oil-fired furnaces and boilers are also built with multiple safety features that watch the system while it’s running.
For example, flame sensors verify that the burner is running correctly. If a flame isn’t detected or another problem occurs during operation, built-in safety controls shut the system down instead of allowing it to continue running.
Annual maintenance helps keep those safety features working as intended. During a tune-up, a technician checks the burner, tests safety controls, inspects the venting system, and makes any adjustments needed to keep the equipment running safely and efficiently throughout the heating season.
Safety Net for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
A heating oil system also poses a very low risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. If an oil burner malfunctions, most often due to a lack of maintenance, the safety devices in the unit will typically shut the heating oil furnace or heating oil boiler off.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that heating oil consumers shouldn’t have working carbon monoxide detectors inside their homes, especially near all bedrooms. Besides a malfunctioning boiler or furnace, there are other sources for carbon monoxide leaks, including:
- Operating unvented appliances for long periods of time
- Backdrafts caused by pressure imbalances near the heating system
- Leaving a vehicle idling in an attached garage
- Running a gasoline-powered generator in a basement or attached garage
- A blocked flue or chimney
Make sure you check your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors regularly to confirm they work properly. You should also review manufacturer guidelines about when to replace your detectors, which will eventually wear out.
Home Heating Oil Has Been Improved
In Wisconsin, you’ll find heating oil companies that deliver Bioheat® fuel, which is renewable, clean, energy-efficient and exceptionally safe. And it requires no modification of your present heating oil system. Benefits include:
- A clean burn: Bioheat fuel, a blend of ultra-low sulfur heating oil and renewable biodiesel, is one of the cleanest-burning energy sources for your home or business, generating a low level of emissions.
- Better system operation: Bioheat fuel ends the source of most equipment problems, which means a reduction in system maintenance issues and better heating efficiency.
Beyond Safety: Heating Oil Is Also Highly Efficient
Speak with your Wisconsin oilheat dealer and you may be amazed by all the modern innovations in heating oil equipment. It’s vastly different than it was just a generation ago, when your parents may have relied on an old boiler that had been converted from coal to oil.