Is Heating Oil a Safe Way to Heat My Home?

Is Heating Oil a Safe Way to Heat My Home?

Home Heating Oil Has a Remarkable Safety Record

People unfamiliar with oil-heated homes may wrongly assume that, because it has “oil” in its name, heating oil is flammable. But this is a myth. 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 into a fine mist at temperatures above 140°.

Flammability is just one mistaken belief about heating oil. The reality is that home heating oil has always had an excellent safety record in Wisconsin and everywhere else. Home heating oil has been widely used for nearly 100 years!

Secure and Safe Supply with Your Heating Oil Tank

With a heating oil tank on your property, you can always count on having a secure, on-site supply for your home. Heating oil is easily transported and overseen by highly trained professionals using equipment and techniques that keep safety at the forefront.

Modern heating oil storage tanks have been designed to be virtually leak-proof. Whether your heating oil storage tank is in your basement or outside your home, the heating oil tanks being installed today have been designed with corrosion-resistant materials.

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.

Additionally, oil-powered water heaters provide unlimited low-cost hot water. Not only does a water heater powered by heating oil save homeowners a substantial amount of money, it’s also perfect for homes with a high demand for hot water.

Six Fast Facts about Heating Oil Efficiency

  1. The growth of ultra-low-sulfur Bioheat fuel supports more efficient equipment while also reducing emissions dramatically and ending the source of most equipment breakdowns.
  2. New heating oil systems now boast efficiency ratings in the mid- 90% range, providing more warmth with less fuel than ever before.
  3. Heating oil is one of the most powerful home heating fuels available. Energy output is measured in British Thermal Units (Btus), and a gallon of heating oil generates an incredibly high 138,690 Btus.
  4. Studies have shown that particulate emissions have been reduced significantly, and new oil heating systems now burn 99.9% cleanly.
  5. An efficient, modern heating oil system can burn up to 40% less fuel than older systems. That’s because new, high-efficiency heating systems feature enhanced technology and control capabilities to provide optimal comfort while decreasing energy costs.
  6. When you upgrade your heating oil system to a more efficient one, you could be eligible for Wisconsin equipment rebates and federal tax credits.