Why you need heating oil in the summer

Now that winter months are behind us, it can be easy to forget about your home heating oil.

So what’s so bad about having an empty tank in the summer?

Even though you won’t use as much heating oil in the warmer months, you still do need some in your tank.

In some cases home heating oil is used to heat your water. You use hot water on a daily basis, and you may not even realize just how much you do.

A low to empty tank can create an ideal environment for erosion, bacteria and numerous other microorganisms. Having a full tank can save you money on expensive repairs later.

A full tank ensures you have the fuel when you need it. Don’t skip the summer months. Order today!

Top Tips for Protecting your Fuel Tank for Spring & Summer

Warm weather is approaching. As temperatures continue to rise, and you turn your furnace off for the spring and summer, it’s important to keep your fuel tank in mind.

We’ve come up with some top tips during the warmer months.

  1. Having a full tank is the best way to prevent damage during the Spring and Summer. A full tank has less space for harmful moisture and condensation to collect thought the months the tanks are less used.
  2. You can potentially save with off-season prices, and oil’s long shelf life means that it will last long into the fall and winter when you need to start using it again for your heat and hot water.
  3. Regularly inspect your tank for cracks and other visible damage. Visually inspect the whole tank but pay special attention to the lower half of the tank as any leaks that begin here need to be addressed quickly.
  4. Annual tune-ups can ensure small issues can be caught early making them much more affordable to repair than large issues left unattended.

Reading your heating oil tank gauge

In an oil-heated home, nothing’s more important than making sure you don’t run out.

Even if you use our automatic delivery option, it’s important to occasionally check your home heating oil tank gauge.

Most fuel oil tanks come with a traditional float-style gauge. Featuring an arm with a float attached to its end with a hinge and a plastic vial with a disk to indicate how full your tank is. As you use up your oil the float lowers and so does this disk.

To read the level of a float gauge, look for the tick marks on the plastic vial. These typically indicate Full, 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4. Because the home heating oil tank is rounded at the bottom, these gauges are not very accurate when the tank is low.

Gauges should only be used as an approximation of how full your tank is. Because of the moving parts inside, these can also be prone to wear over time.

As a good rule of thumb, always order heating oil at around 1/4 full. This gives you a few days for the oil to arrive before running out.

https://quicksavefuels.com/furnace-oil/

Helping you save money this winter by making sure the heat you pay for stays in your home

#1 Address cracks, gaps, and insulation

Often the most effective way to increase the comfort of a room is by sealing cracks, gaps and adding insulation. By reducing the amount of cold, outside air that enters through hundreds of tiny (and not so tiny) gaps along the foundation and exterior walls, you not only make the basement temperature more comfortable, but you also reduce the amount of force that’s pushing warm air up and out of your house.

Cost – $20. Purchase a caulking gun and some expanding spray foam and start sealing. As a result you may be surprised at how the rooms in your home become less drafty.

#2 Use the right thermostat

Switch out your old manual thermostat for a programmable one. That way, you’re not paying for “extra” heat when no one is home or when you’re asleep.

Cost – $50-200. Programmable Thermostats are simple to install and can be set to automatically turn on and off at specific times of the day or night to maximize heating efficiency.

#3: Add insulation to your basement

Don’t ignore your basement. Basements are the biggest entryway for cold air to enter your home. Looking into ways to add insulation directly to the walls and ceiling will reduce the amount of incoming air. Also make sure to seal around the sill plate (the long piece of wood that sits directly on top of the foundation wall) for extra insulation.

Cost – Prices vary depending on the size of the space and the type of insulation.

Modern Vision, Vintage Service – Ordering Options

At Quick Save Fuels we understand that ordering furnace oil is a personal choice for our furnace oil customers. No matter what location you are in from Sackville, Bedford, Halifax, Dartmouth, Timberlea to Tantallon and our most recent South Shore Bridgewater location at Quick Save Fuels we want you to be able to order your furnace oil, your way. Continue reading “Modern Vision, Vintage Service – Ordering Options”