With around six million homes in the U.S. relying on oil heating, it’s no surprise that heating oil is a popular choice for consumers. In fact, compared to gas, it’s a much safer choice to use in heating your home, since you won’t have to fear oil fumes in a house the way you do with gas fumes. However, there remains a few safety precautions you should know.
Have Your Burner Regularly Inspected
Make sure you schedule a maintenance check of your burner with a trusted and licensed professional at least twice a year. Doing this will not only help ensure your burner is using heating oil safely but efficiently as well. And while it’s good that you’re using heating oil for your system, you’ll still want the best one available for maximum efficiency and performance.
If you want the best heating oil and delivery service, don’t hesitate to call our team at Burch Oil. We offer quick delivery of our high-quality oil options at affordable prices. Aside from our excellent service, we also recommend keeping anything flammable at least three feet away. Extreme heat can potentially ignite flammable material and start a fire. If you have children or pets, make sure they stay at least three feet from the burner as well; otherwise, they could accidentally burn themselves.
Regularly Check for Leaks
Just like your HVAC, your oil tanks require regular maintenance. No matter where you install your oil tank, one of its biggest problems is having a leak. This is because it can contaminate your soil and even drinking water, which can cause health problems. You’ll also need a professional on heating and HVAC services to fix the problem thoroughly.
Fortunately, it’s not that hard to spot leaks on your oil heating tank. Aside from checking for oil odors in areas around your burner, you should also see if there’s an oily sheen on your basement’s drains (if it’s installed indoors), as well as nearby culverts, storm drains, streams, and ditches. Make sure to check the performance of your furnace if it’s running properly or shutting off frequently.
You’ll also notice a possible oil leak if there’s a sudden spike in consumption. Your trusted professional in heating oil and delivery will also be able to track your fuel usage and see if it’s consistent with the weather. If you have an outdoor tank, see if there’s a noticeable loss of vegetation (such as grass) around it. Check your water as well if it smells or tastes differently.
Take Precautions Against Carbon Monoxide
Normally, there’s no danger of succumbing to fumes from heating oil, and you don’t need to worry about a fire. However, the process of heating oil going through your burner can still produce carbon monoxide gas, which is odorless, colorless and can be deadly. This is why it’s important to take precautions to protect you and your family from harm.
Heating oil is non-toxic, non-explosive, and non-flammable as a liquid. But if, for instance, you suddenly feel slightly nauseated or dizzy as you approach your oil burner yet feel better as you move away from it, immediately open all your windows and vacate your home. You’ll need to call your trusted heating contractor to conduct an emergency inspection to determine and fix the cause of the problem.
Even if the above scenario won’t happen under normal circumstances, it would still pay to be prepared. You can also buy a carbon monoxide detector at any home supply or hardware store and have it installed just close enough to the burner that it goes off long before the gas fills up the house. Just make sure to change the batteries regularly, and put it where you can easily see and hear it.
Burch Oil is your best choice for heating oil and other HVAC services. Call us today at (301) 373-2131, or fill out our convenient contact form. Talk to us today!
