Fall Is Here! Are You Ready, Oil Heating Customers?

Where did the summer go? Some people are still experiencing a heat wave in late September, which is probably why heating oil companies are not hearing from consumers in regards to heating oil deliveries. If you are a heating oil customer, are you ready for the cooler/colder weather? While it is still warm enough for you to be comfortable at night, you should do the following things soon. 

Check Your Heating Oil Tank

Four, five, or six months between heating periods is a long time. You can easily forget if you need to order heating oil or not. You may not even remember how much oil you have in the tank. Check the tank right now to see where the level is at. Go on. Everyone else will wait. So, it is not very full, maybe even a little on the empty side? Time to place an order to the heating oil company!

Place Your Heating Oil Order

Business is starting to pick up with oil deliveries. If you do not place an order now, you may be feeling the chilly night air in your home before a delivery can be made. While the order is on hold and on the schedule for the delivery drivers, there are still a couple other things you need to do. 

Have the Line Cleaned and "Bled"

Heating oil has a certain viscosity. When it is not moving and not in use, it dehydrates and becomes quite sticky. It creates a residue in the line that will prevent the new oil from flowing well. It may also create leaks. Have your heating oil line professionally cleaned and checked. It helps if the technician can "bleed" the line as well. This empties the old oil in the line to make way for the fresh stuff that is being delivered. It clears the line of residues, too. 

Check the Igniter and the Pump

Oil has to be burned before hot air can be created. To do that, the igniter in the furnace has to be working properly. While the technician cleans the fuel line, have him/her check the igniter to make sure it is working and that it will ignite the fuel once you turn on the furnace later this season. Oil furnaces also have a fuel pump. The pump creates a vacuum in the line to draw the oil through to the igniter and set it afire. The technician should check the pump to make sure your new batch of heating oil is going to get through as expected. 

Share