Whether you use heating oil or propane (or both), your fuel can enhance your comfort in many ways. Clean burning, safe and economical, they are highly efficient energy sources for your home!
Let’s Get the Heat Cranking!
Have you done this before? It’s a super-cold winter evening and you arrive at a home that feels chilly. You immediately stride to your thermostat and move the temperature setting as high as it will go. You smile as you hear the burner kick on. Now, you think, the house is going to get warm really fast. But is that the truth…or a myth?
The fact is, your furnace or boiler doesn’t work like a car—there is no gas pedal to step on to make it go faster. Your system will produce heat at the same rate regardless of whether your thermostat is set to 68° or 85°. Setting the thermostat higher just makes your system work longer and burn more fuel.
TIP: For better temperature control, trade in your old digital or manual thermostat for a wireless remote smart thermostat. After you register it online, you can access it from any location and adjust temperatures for both comfort and savings.
Safe at Home with Oilheat
The recent Oilheat Consumer Research Study revealed that many people, particularly younger ones, have huge misconceptions about the safety of heating with oil. The fact is, oil-heated homes are incredibly safe! Here’s why:
- No explosions. Contrary to what many people believe, heating oil cannot explode. The oil that’s stored in a tank is as likely to explode as the water in a swimming pool.That’s how safe it is to store heating oil in your basement or outside your home.
- No fire hazard. Heating oil cannot burn in its liquid state. Before combustion can occur, heating oil must first be vaporized and turned into a fine mist by the burner at temperatures above 140°.
- No dangerous suprises. Oil heat poses a very low risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. If an oil burner malfunctions (most often due to a lack of maintenance), the safety devices in the unit will typically shut the furnace off.
3 Ways Propane Makes You Feel Better
Propane is one of the most versatile fuels available, so it really makes sense to explore the many ways that it can make your life easier and better.
- Safe backup power. Whole-house propane generators are a better and safer option than noisy, smelly gasoline-powered portable generators. Portable generators provide power for just a few electrical circuits and emit dangerous carbon monoxide fumes. In contrast, quiet whole-house propane generators can supply power safely for every circuit in the home, including your heating system.
- Light your fire. Fireplaces represent a perfect illustration of propane’s versatility because they can be installed inside and outside your home. More efficient and better for the environment than wood-burning units, propane fireplaces can produce twice as much heat as wood-burning ones at about a third of the cost. And there’s no soot, ash or smoke to worry about.
- What’s cooking? Gas ovens give you much better temperature control and heat distribution than electric stoves. An attractive stainless steel gas range that combines a cooktop and an oven is perfect for anyone with a small kitchen. If you have more room, you can opt for commercial-grade ranges, indoor grills or in-wall double ovens.
Getting the Right Fit
Talk about comfort! Propane is a quick, efficient and affordable way to heat as much water as you need, whether it’s for your shower, dishwasher, washing machine or spa tub. There’s nothing like starting your morning with a long, hot shower without ever worrying about running out.
If you’re ready to replace your water heater, please talk to us about your options. One important note: If you have an old tank water heater tucked inside a closet, alcove or other tight space, you may not be able to replace it with another tank water heater. Today’s water heaters have grown at least two inches in both height and width because of new water heating efficiency standards.
You can overcome these space constraints by choosing a propane tankless water heater, a compact unit that hangs on a wall.
Since a tankless system can average a flow rate of hundreds of gallons per hour, you’ll never have to worry about your family running out of hot water!