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Heating Oil Runouts: What to Do and How to Avoid Them
Heating Oil Runouts: What to Do and How to Avoid Them
Posted: October 24, 2018
Running out of home heating oil is no fun – especially in the dead of a Rhode Island winter. A runout can happen for a number of reasons – a quick turn of weather, malfunctioning equipment, poor tank monitoring, and theft, to name a few.
The good news
Many people fear that running out of home heating oil will damage their furnace or boiler, but that isn’t necessarily true – your equipment has an emergency switch that will automatically switch off the burner when there is no oil to burn.
The bad news
Besides having a potentially dangerously cold house, a heating oil runout can clog filters and fuel lines with the dirt and residue that collects at the bottom of your oil tank. That means you will need a service call, a possible system reset, and a new filter. Frozen pipes are also a major problem, with potential for thousands of dollars in flood damage.
Troubleshooting a heating oil runout
If you’ve run out of heating oil, do a little detective work – it could help you prevent the problem in the future. Ask yourself the following questions to determine why:
When was the last time you filled your oil tank?
Have you raised the thermostat?
Has there been a sudden shift in the weather?
Is your oil tank accessible to theft?
Is your furnace or boiler working correctly?
When was the last time you serviced your furnace or boiler?
What to do if you run out of heating oil
If it is winter, take immediate steps to retain the heat you have in your house: close curtains, block under-door drafts, hang blankets over doorways, etc.
If you have other forms of heating such as fireplace or electric heater, use them. NEVER use outdoor equipment (barbecues, outdoor stoves, etc.) indoors – carbon monoxide build up can be extremely dangerous or even deadly.
Monitor your fuel gauge regularly, especially during a cold snap.
Order when your tank is no less than 25 percent full (sooner if it is really cold) – don’t wait until the last minute; instant deliveries are not always possible.
Install an electronic tank gauge to monitor your heating oil level.