Understanding Heating Oil And What Your Need For Your Home

One of the most common heating fuels for home furnaces is #2 heating oil. It is very similar to diesel but can only be used in your home furnace. It is messy, smelly, and dirty, but it burns pretty clean in the furnace and is readily available all over the country.

Storing Your Fuel

As you get ready for the heating season, you may want to consider filling the tank with heating oil. Depending on the location of your tank, you might need to adjust your fuel. Fuel stored outside can be prone to gel during very low temperatures, and if it does, it will be difficult to deal with. One solution is to fill the tank with a blend of heating oil and kerosene or K1. The specific mixture can be different from company to company so check with your supplier to see what they recommend.

Indoor tanks are much less prone to gelling, so they do not need the K1 mix. Some people still like some kerosene in the fuel because they feel it helps keep the burner and fuel nozzle inside the furnace cleaner. In extremely cold conditions, a furnace that burns #2 fuel can burn straight K1 without any problem.

Changing The Fuel Filter

Heating oil storage tanks have a filter on the outlet line of the tank because #2 heating oil is not overly clean fuel, and it is a good idea to change that filter before the seasons starts. The filter is a paper filter in a glass housing that the fuel runs through as it leaves the tank. Cleaning the glass housing is also important because it is a small sediment bowl and designed to catch any small particles that the filter misses.

Change The Fuel Nozzle

Over time the fuel nozzle in the furnace ca start to wear and allow more fuel into the firebox than you want it to. This creates a rich condition that produces soot and residue in the firebox, #2 fuel oil doesn't produce a lot of black smoke out the chimney but it can dirty up the inside of the furnace. The nozzle change can be part of a fall cleaning if it is more comfortable. But make sure the furnace is ready before firing it up and don't forget to fill the oil tank while the price is still low. If you have any questions about the fuel you should use, talk with your fuel supplier.

Visit a website like https://www.cashoilco.com/ to learn more.

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