As an average homeowner, you might be wondering how long you can store your heating oil in your tank. When you think of your refueling schedule, you might also wonder how frequently you need to call the heating oil suppliers. To answer these questions, the experts have come up with this post.
At the outset, you should know that you can store heating oil in the tank for a maximum of two years. After this, the oil might become unstable. Besides, exposure to excessive moisture in your fuel tank might lead to a breakdown of the fuel and hinder its combustibility. This explains why you should partner with a reputed local fuel oil supplier. These companies test the oil regularly and carry out adequate tests. This way, they help in optimizing the energy efficiency of your home. Moreover, your heating system needs maintenance regularly, along with quality fuel service.
What factors affect the use of heating oil?
You need to consider the factors affecting the use of heating oil before deciding when you need to get the tank refueled. Here are some of the key aspects that have an impact on oil usage.
- Outdoor temperature
Compared to warm winters, the consumption of heating oil would be greater when you have extreme weather conditions or blizzards outside. With weather conditions going extreme, you would need more fuel oil to maintain cozy interiors. The consumption of heating oil would be greater with a further drop in temperature. Besides, you need to consider the wind, as it would lead to greater heat loss.
- The health of your furnace
The age and efficiency of your furnace would also have a direct impact on the use of heating oil. It’s imperative to keep the furnace well-maintained to ensure energy efficiency. In case there are damages to the furnace, you would end up spending more on the fuel or oil.
Moreover, certain models come with specific designs to boost efficiency. With regular maintenance and upgrades in your furnace, you can cut down your oil consumption.
- Specific uses of heating oil
Lastly, you need to consider where you have been using the heating oil to determine how long it would last. While some homeowners use it only for heating interiors, others might use it to heat water too. You would need more oil in case you are using it for both the purposes.
Keep an eye on the duration for which you keep your furnace on. It makes sense to have a programmable thermostat to adjust the indoor temperatures automatically.
How long would 100 gallons of heating oil serve?
- On average, oil burners come with a spray nozzle. These nozzles maintain the flow rate of oil. Typically, this should be between 0.8 and 1.7 gallons an hour.
- Accordingly, if you keep the burner on for 10 hours a day, you would be using around 17 gallons of oil a day. This is the maximum use case, considering that you use the burner to its full potential. Accordingly, if you purchase 100 gallons of oil, it will last around 6 days.
- However, if you keep the burner on for 24 hours or the full day, you will end up using 100 gallons of oil in 2.45 days.
- Since the external temperature also determines the oil use, here’s another estimate for you.
- Considering the outdoor temperature to be 15-degree F, you would need around 7.8 gallons of oil a day. Likewise, you would need 5.3 gallons, 3.7 gallons, and 2 gallons of heating oil for 30-, 40-, and 50-degrees F.
Well, now you have got a good understanding of the quantity of heating oil you would need on average. Reach out to one of the established fuel oil suppliers, so that you can get your tank refueled on time. Of course, if you use fuel oil consistently, an automatic delivery service would serve you the best!
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