Hunter Geist, Author at FuelSnap

Heating Oil Vs Propane: What You Should Know

August 26, 2026July 23, 2026

In the Northeast United States, heating options are quite limited. However, natural gas is increasing in popularity. It’s cost-effective and reliable, making it an excellent choice to heat with! However, unlike the two titans of the industry, Heating Oil and Propane, it can’t be installed in a pre-existing home or neighborhood. This makes it unavailable to most of the general public.

But in small apartments, condos, and places with mild winters, you’ll see electric heat and heat pumps being more common. Electric heat can be expensive, but in places where winters are milder or with smaller spaces, it won’t be as bad. Otherwise, your options are left to Heating Oil and Propane.

Heating oil and Propane are the most popular forms of heating across the East Coast. They’re both fuels that get delivered to your home in a liquid state before it’s converted to heat and pushed throughout your home. Despite these two having some similarities, there are some differences. But what are they exactly? I’ll be covering exactly what you need to know below!

Outdoor heat pumps look like this! They’re increasing in popularity and are cost-effective!

Switching: When you Should Make it

When it comes to making the switch to either Heating Oil or Propane, it boils down to when your home needs a new boiler or furnace. The most expensive component tends to be the system. When changing out your current system for the other, here are some things that you’ll need to know.

Tank: The tank is the most important component of your system. Regardless of whether you own it or are renting it, you should know where it is and what its capacity is.
BTUs per Gallon and System Efficiency: Knowing the difference between the two fuels, BTUs and System Efficiency, is important for functionality. For example, propane tends to be more efficient. However, it produces fewer BTUs per gallon than heating oil.
Shopping Flexibility: If you like to be in control of when you receive your delivery, then this is important. You don’t want to run out while waiting for a delivery!

What are the Differences?

The biggest difference between the two types of tanks is the cost. Propane tanks are often much more expensive than heating oil tanks if you buy them outright. At the time of writing, you can buy a standard heating oil tank at Home Depot for around $1k, depending on the model. However, propane tanks tend to be a bit pricier at $1.5k for an average tank. While the prices are similar, a heating oil tank is the cheaper option.

How they’re stored is another major difference. Heating oil tanks can be placed indoors or outdoors. They also tend to be more compact, preventing them from taking up a lot of room. However, propane tanks tend to be big and bulky. Plus, if you’re renting them, then you’re required to have them installed above ground, outside. But if you own them, you can install them underground without posing a threat to the environment.

Propane tanks will tend to look like this. They’re installed above ground outside if they’re rented by an oil company.

The Owner of the Tank

Tank ownership is a big part of owning a heating oil or propane tank. When it comes to heating oil, you’ll typically own your tank. Meanwhile, with propane, the provider tends to own it. This means that they’re in control of when you get a delivery!

When making the switch from heating oil to propane, the provider will tell you that it’ll save you money, but that’s just not true! Renting the tank from the provider will prevent you from ordering from anyone else! You’ll have no freedom when it comes to ordering! In most states, it’s illegal to fill another provider’s tank. This means in an emergency situation, you won’t be able to order from someone else if you need to! If you want to change providers, you’ll either have to buy out your tank, buy your own, or contact another provider to put their tank in!

However, when it comes to heating oil, you’ll always own your tank! You can buy it directly from the manufacturer or a storefront such as Home Depot or Lowe’s. But you get the added benefit of having the freedom to order from whoever you want! So it’s best to own your tank regardless of whether you heat with heating oil or propane!

Standard oil tanks will look like this. Typically mounted on the side of the house, in the basement, or in the garage.

Which is More Efficient?

With how current prices are for heating oil, it might seem that propane is the better option to go with. However, just by looking at the price per gallon, you’re omitting two of the most important factors. These factors are BTUs (British Thermal Units) and Efficiency. BTUs determine how much heat is produced by a gallon of the desired fuel. For example, heating oil produces 138,000 BTUs per gallon! However, propane will only produce 91,000 BTUs per gallon. That is significantly less than what heating oil produces!

While BTUs are a major factor when it comes to heating, efficiency is important as well. Most modern-day boilers and furnaces tend to be 95% more efficient when compared to older furnaces. Propane furnaces will convert 95% of the propane into heat. Meanwhile, heating oil will only produce 85-90% heat from the boiler/furnace. Using 85% in our calculation below, we’ll get the following:

Propane: 91,000 x .85 = 77,350 Effective BTUs per gallon

Heating Oil: 117,300 x .85 = 117,300 BTUs per gallon

If we’re doing a comparison side by side, you’ll want to take a look at how many gallons of propane it takes to produce the same amount of heat as heating oil. This will be based on one gallon of heating oil. Heating oil produces 117, 300 effective BTUs per gallon, while propane only produces 77,350 effective BTUs per gallon. Using the following, you’ll be able to determine how many gallons of propane it takes to produce the same amount of BTUs as a gallon of heating oil.

117,300 / 77,350 =1.51 gallons of propane

As you can see, heating oil produces more BTUs per gallon than one gallon of propane! You’ll need a gallon and a half of propane to match the amount of heat that Heating Oil Produces!

Flexibility to Order From Who You Want

The nice thing about heating oil is that you have the freedom to order from whom and where you want to. Signing up for automatic delivery is a start. However, note that when you sign up for automatic delivery, you’ll end up paying a premium price per gallon. Call-by is much better in terms of placing orders. There are no hidden fees, and using reliable websites such as FuelSnap, you’ll end up getting some great prices!

Price shopping when it comes to propane is VERY hard. This is because most of the time, a propane tank is going to be rented from the provider. There’s a small percentage of propane tank owners who own their tanks. If you’re one of them, congratulations! But unfortunately, you won’t be able to do much shopping around.

However, with heating oil, the market is much more competitive. Due to this, prices tend to be a bit more sporadic than with propane. Dealers are constantly competing with each other to get customers on their schedule, so it’s advantageous to have the best price in the area. This gets them more orders and more new customers! Heating Oil tanks also get the bonus of utilizing the Smart Oil Gauge!

At the time of writing, these are the current oil prices in Danbury.

The Bottom Line

When it comes to which is better, heating oil is the clear answer. It burns much hotter, and you own your tank, which makes shopping around a breeze! Plus, with cheaper tanks and competitive pricing, you’ll be able to get a fill-up for a good price and not be restricted by the dealer!

However, that’s not to say that propane is without its merits. It’s versatile and is often used for more than just heating! If you find yourself needing to use propane for cooking, electric, and more, then this is your answer! Just be aware that you’ll likely have to rent from your provider!

At the end of the day, which you choose to use to heat with is up to you. They both have their positives and negatives and will both provide you with ample warmth and will be effective long-term heating solutions.

Happy Heating!

Hunter

How to Avoid Running Out of Oil

August 19, 2026August 18, 2026

With the heating oil season just over the horizon, it’s important to keep in mind how much oil you’ll use during the winter. But it’s also a good idea to start checking heating oil prices regularly! At the time of writing, oil prices have spiked due to the war with Iran! Heating Oil is at about $4.25- $4.50 per gallon! This is due to the price of crude oil, and it’s incredibly expensive to fill up a tank with oil! Especially with prices where they are now, it’s crucial to be on top of your usage and keep track of your oil level! So the question stands: “How do I avoid running out of oil? Well, don’t worry, I’ll be answering all the important questions below!

Filling up regularly will help prevent runout! The last thing you want is to wake up to a cold house!

Heating Oil Tank Capacity

The maximum capacity of a standard heating oil tank is around 275-330 gallons. But it’s a good thing to know that these tanks will rarely be filled to their true capacity. The reason for this is that dealers will fill up until the whistle stops. This’ll actually make the true capacity different. On a 275, it will be 250 gallons, while on a 330, it’ll be around 315 gallons. Your capacity will have some effect on how much and how frequently you order oil. Ideally, you’ll want to order oil when your tank gets to a quarter. On a 275-gallon tank, this is around the 75-gallon mark, while on a 330-gallon tank, it’s closer to 95 gallons.

You should NEVER let your tank’s oil level get below 1/8. The reason for this is that this is around the time your system might start to catch sludge. On Roth tanks, this isn’t a problem. However, on standard steel tanks, sludge can be sucked into the feedlines. When this happens, your lines will get clogged, which will cause the system to shut down, resulting in no heat! On a 275-gallon tank, the 1/8 mark is about 35 gallons. But if your tank’s feed lines are top-fed, then this will be the point at which you run out of accessible oil.

What Happens When You Run Out?

When you’re running out of oil, the first thing that’ll happen is that you’ll have no heat. No heat means waking up to a cold home, which isn’t a fun experience! However, it’s important to note that waking up to a cold home doesn’t always mean you’re out of oil. It could mean that there’s a faulty part in the boiler/furnace or the feed lines are clogged! It’s always good to check! One time, my boiler’s starter wasn’t working properly! We had heating oil, but the starter wasn’t working, so my family and I were freezing!

When you run out of oil, you’ll want to run and grab some diesel. This’ll hold you over until your delivery of oil arrives.

If you’ve run out of oil, the very first thing you should do is contact a local oil dealer to place an order! Try to see if they can put you in for an emergency delivery. Once you’ve placed the order, go to the gas station and get about 5-10 gallons of diesel. This should hold you over until your delivery arrives. If you need the step-by-step guide to this, you can check out what to do here.

How Long Will a Full-Tank Last?

If you know what size your tank is, then you’ve got a baseline. You’re going to have an easier time figuring out how much a full tank of oil will last you. However, a Smart Oil Gauge will make the process of finding this out much easier for you! In my articles on Spring and Winter usage, I calculate specifics on how much you’ll expect to burn if you’re interested!

However, if you haven’t guessed by now, winter sees the most heating oil usage by far! Primarily due to the cold weather outside, you’ll find yourself burning around 5-7 gallons a day! Sometimes even more if you have a large house and use it for both heat and hot water. You might see yourself ordering oil more frequently during this time! Typically, you’ll need to order oil every month or so, depending on how much you’re using.

But on the flip side, during the spring and summer months, you’ll end up using significantly less oil! During this time of year, oil usage is going to be at a low. So you might only see yourself burning less than a gallon a day. Running out of oil is very unlikely during this time. But even so, don’t let your guard down!

Your average daily usage is going to be different depending on the size of your home and what the temperature outside is.

Final Thoughts

Avoiding running out of oil is fairly easy. So long as you’re on top of your heating oil usage and tank level. Make sure that when your tank starts to get low, you order at a quarter tank. This gives you enough time to get the delivery before you run out! You can use a website like our FuelSnap website to get the best prices on heating oil in your area! With the combined use of the Smart Oil Gauge and FuelSnap, you’ll get a leg up on other homeowners!

Making sure that you’re on top of your level and usage is crucial to make sure you’ve got oil in your tank. Keeping an eye on this will prevent you from running out as long as you’re on top of it!

Happy Heating!

Hunter

Smart Oil Gauge: The Installation Process

August 12, 2026August 11, 2026

Making sure that your Smart Oil Gauge installation is correct is crucial for its functionality. Depending on your tank, the installation process is different and can sometimes be confusing with all the different adapters! The Duo and Standard models also have slightly different installations. Granby tank installations will end up being different than Roth installations. But before you install the Smart Oil Gauge, you must set it up and connect it to the app first! This will make the install process much easier!

What’s Required for Installation?

When it comes to installing a Smart Oil Gauge on a standard steel Granby tank, there are a couple of things that you need! Firstly, you will obviously need the gauge! Then, you’ll need a pipe wrench and pipe dope. Those can be purchased at Lowe’s, Home Depot, or on Amazon. DO NOT USE TEFLON TAPE! Finally, if you need an adapter, you’ll need that too! Don’t worry, I’ll touch more on that later in this blog.

However, for Granby double-wall tanks and Roth double-wall tanks, you will simply need the Smart Oil Gauge and the Roth adapter! I’ll touch more on those Roth adapters later, but the installation on these is a little bit simpler!

Steel Tank Installations

These types of tanks are the most common. Most homes in the United States that have heating oil will use a standard Granby tank, regardless of if its 275 or 330 gallons. If you don’t have an adapter for the standard Smart Oil Gauge installation, then all you need to use is the pipe wrench and pipe dope. Simply apply a thin layer of pipe dope onto the bottom threads and then hand-thread it into the tank as far as you can. Then, you’ll want to use your pipe wrench and thread it down all the way until you cannot thread it anymore. You can watch our video instructions here.

This is an example of installing the gauge onto the tank. You cannot install the Smart Oil Gauge onto a combined fitting with the vent pipe.

However, if you’re using an adapter, then you’ll want to thread the gauge into the adapter WITHOUT pipe dope. Then, put a thin layer of pipe dope on the bottom threads of the adapter. Once you’ve done that, use the pipe wrench to tighten the gauge and adapter onto the tank.

Granby and Roth Double Wall Tanks Installations

I mentioned this briefly, but when installing the Smart Oil Gauge onto a tank that’s either a Roth or Granby double-wall, you will just need the adapter and the device. You CANNOT install the Smart Oil Gauge onto the tank’s fitting that comes with the tank. The reason for this is that the gauge sends its signal in a cone shape, not straight down. The tank’s fitting doesn’t accommodate the gauge’s signal. Without the adapter, the Smart Oil Gauge will only read full.

For this installation, you DO NOT need to use Teflon tape or pipe dope. You can simply hand-thread the gauge into the tank and then remove the existing tank fitting from the tank. Then, put the Smart Oil Gauge and the adapter onto the white fitting in its place. You can watch an installation of this process here.

Smart Oil Gauge Adapter Compatibility

There are a couple of adapters for the Smart Oil Gauges, so it can be a little confusing which one you need for your setup. The standard Smart Oil Gauge has three adapters, while the Duo only has two.

The three adapters for the Standard Smart Oil Gauge are the 1.25″, 1.5″, and Roth adapters. The 1.25″ NPT adapter is used on tanks that have a 1.25″ fitting. This adapter is only usable with the standard Smart Oil Gauge. The Duo is not compatible with a 1.25″ fitting. Each of the adapters have their own SKU. CCF-905 is for the 1.5″ NPT, CCF-906 is for the Roth, and CCF-908 is for the 1.25″ NPT adapter. You can use the graph below to get a better idea of which one you need.

Using the above graph will help you understand which adapter you need!

Now, Smart Oil Gauge Duos only have two adapters. These are the CCF-905DUO and the CCF-906DUO. These are the 1.5″ and the Roth adapters, respectively. The Duo cannot be used on tanks with 1.25″ NPT fittings. This is because these fittings are too small for the sensors of the Duo to fit through the hole. But one thing you need to know about the Roth adapters is that you have to slide the guide cone into the body of the gauge first. Without doing that, the Smart Oil Gauge won’t be able to be read properly.

The Smart Oil Gauge installation must look like the one above. This will ensure that the gauge is reading correctly!

Non-Traditional Tank Installations

While Roth tanks are easy and Granby tanks are straightforward, non-traditional tanks will tend to be a little tricky. While most standard tanks are oval-shaped, these tanks tend to be more rectangular, cylindrical, and cube-shaped. However, as long as the tank has a fitting that’s 2″ NPT, you shouldn’t have any trouble installing the gauge onto the tank! These tanks will often have a 2″ NPT fitting, but in rare cases, they don’t. So make sure that your tank has one of these fittings!

However, if your tank fitting is larger than 2″ NPT, then the gauge won’t be able to be installed on this tank size. We don’t sell adapters that are larger than 1.5″ NPT. The Smart Oil Gauge cannot work with any of the off-the-shelf adapters. Standard off-the-shelf adapters don’t accommodate the Smart Oil Gauge’s ultrasonic signal, so the readings might not be accurate. The adapters we provide are specifically made for the gauge and to accommodate its signal. Adapters that are off the shelf do not.

What Can’t the Gauge be Installed onto?

While the Smart Oil Gauge can be installed on most tanks, there are a couple of tanks for which the gauge cannot be installed. The major tanks that the gauge cannot be installed on are Roth 1500L, Underground tanks, and fiberglass tanks. I go a bit more in-depth as to why that is in this article.

The Smart Oil Gauge can’t be installed on fittings that are raised, T-pipes, or extension pipes. Raised fittings will make it harder for the gauge to get the signal beyond the fitting, which will ultimately make the gauge read “Full” all the time. The same can be said for T-pipes and extension pipes. While the extension pipe raises the gauge higher than it should, on T-pipes, the gauge won’t even be able to see the oil!

Conclusion

Depending on your tank size and style, your Smart Oil Gauge installation will be different! Which is perfectly fine! As long as you are following the steps in the gauge’s instructions as well as the tips and tricks in this blog post, you’ll be able to install the gauge without any issues!

Just make sure that when you’re installing the gauge, you have all the necessary tools and equipment! Don’t forget to get the gauge set up in the app first before you go ahead and install it! That’ll make the process so much easier to get it set up and installed!

Happy Heating!

Hunter

Preparing Yourself for Heating Oil Season

August 5, 2026September 17, 2026

It’s officially August! Which means Heating Oil Season and Winter are just around the corner! Winter is peak season for heating oil, and now that it’s August, there’s a lot for you to do before winter is in full swing! Like every winter, you shouldn’t go in unprepared!

Fall and Winter are just around the corner! Which means soon your home will look like this!

Changing Out Your Air Filters

Forced air is an increasingly popular form of heating. If you use this, then now is the best time for you to change out your air filters. Ideally, these should be changed out every couple of months! However, if you have pets, then these should be changed out more frequently! But during the summer months, especially, they’ll get much dirtier. This is often due to collecting allergens, pet hair, dust, and dander! Changing out these filters is crucial to maintaining a healthy home, especially if you live with people who have allergies!

However, what’s the process for changing them? If you follow the steps below, you’ll understand exactly what you have to do to replace them!

The first thing you should do is turn off the furnace. This is crucial because your furnace might turn on if you’re changing out the filters! You don’t want that to happen!
Then, you’ll want to remove the side door to the furnace to access the filters. After doing this, snap a quick picture of how they’re installed currently. This will help you make sure the new ones are installed correctly after you’ve taken the old filters out!
Find out what size your filters are. If you haven’t done this before or are unsure as to what size filters you have, you’ll want to get this information. The most common size for these filters is 25x20x1. But if you don’t have any replacements, you can stop by the hardware store and pick up some.
Once you have the replacement filters, you’ll need to replace them! The replacements should have arrows showing how they’re installed. Follow those so you can install them properly!
You’re all set! Just close up the furnace door and turn it back on!

Changing out your filters is pretty easy! Just make sure you turn off your furnace when you do it!

Gathering Firewood

If you’ve got a fireplace or wood-burning stove at home, then you might know that you have to gather firewood. My family and I have a wood-burning stove, so typically we start to gather firewood around May-June. The earlier you gather it, the better, because it gives the wood time to try out before you burn it! But if you start stocking up now, then you’re still on the right track! Sometimes the cold weather doesn’t start until late September, early October anyway!

If you don’t have a lot of time to gather firewood on your own, then buying pre-cut wood is an option! However, it tends to be a little bit more expensive. You’ll be able to find them at places such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, Tractor Supply, and even some gas stations! But if you’re like my family and have been doing this for a while, you’ll have a log splitter! This speeds up the process of cutting up wood! Rather than relying on an axe. These machines streamline the process!

But if you have the time, gathering and splitting your own wood will save you so much money! Some woods, however, will tend to burn better than others. Oak, for example, is the most popular for burning. It’s not messy, and it takes some time to burn. However, pine is very sappy and can take a bit longer to dry out. Birch, on the other hand, burns quickly, and it doesn’t last very long. However, this makes it an excellent fire starter!

Stocking up on firewood is a great way to prepare your furnace and wood burning stove for the long winter ahead! This’ll also lower your heating oil usage if you have both!

Heating Oil Tank Inspection

As the years go by, your heating oil tank will get older. This often makes it susceptible to general aging over time. The tank itself will experience wear and tear as it gets older. For this reason, regular tank inspections are important for your tank. While this process doesn’t take a long time, it’s crucial for your system’s functionality and your safety.

In this section, I’ll be covering a brief explanation of what’s involved in a tank inspection. But if you want a more in-depth explanation, check out this article here.

Inspect the Legs to make sure that they’re sturdy. Also, make sure that there’s leaks in the tank.
Make sure there’s no rust on the seams of the tank.
Check the bottom and sides of the tank for any signs of leaking oil.
Make sure that the oil lines have no leaks.
Check the oil filter to ensure it’s not leaking.
Check the top of the tank and fittings for any damage, rust, or cracks.

These are the key points you’ll need to look at when getting a tank inspection!

System Tune-Up

Annual system maintenance is important for your heating oil system to function as intended. Making sure your system is properly maintained is a requirement to ensure that the system itself doesn’t shut down when you need it. If it’s been a while since your last system service, or you need one, contact your local HVAC technician. They’ll be able to do all the required service and maintenance to make sure that your system is in tip-top shape! But keep in mind the price. Usually, system maintenance will cost around $300-$400 on average.

However, when you contact your HVAC company, see if they offer a maintenance contract. These service/maintenance contracts will help you stay on top of your system’s maintenance. This’ll ensure that your system is in good shape for when you need it. Some HVAC companies will actually give you a discount when you sign up with them! It’s a good thing to ask!

Fill-Up Your Heating Oil Tank

Now that it’s getting to the end of summer, it’s a good time to fill your oil tank. Making sure that you have a full tank of oil will be very helpful when winter comes. Filling up your tank of heating oil will make sure your tank is ready to go when the temperatures start dropping! If you’re getting low now or are sitting at around half a tank, now’s a good time as any to order oil. It’s always a good idea to go into heating oil season with a full tank!

Your tank gauge is another important tool for you when it comes to monitoring heating oil usage and level. Most tanks come with a float gauge. However, the Smart Oil Gauge is another useful tool to track your data. You’ll have access to everything that you need at the touch of your fingers! You’ll even be able to order oil with our FuelSnap integration. FuelSnap lets you get the best selection of dealers and prices in your area!

Getting a fill-up now of all times is a great idea! This’ll make sure that you’re all ready for heating oil season!

Closing Thoughts

There are plenty of things that you need to do before heating oil season arrives. If you have the above-mentioned available to you, you’ll be fully prepared for the winter! Make sure you’re prepared when going into heating oil season and winter! You won’t want to be blind sided by a snowstorm or cold weather and not be prepared. If you’ve got a wood-burning stove or fireplace, stock up on firewood. If you’ve got a heating oil system, make sure that you get your tank filled and your system serviced!

As temperatures get lower and lower, we’re going to slowly start turning on our systems. Winter is around the corner, which means we’ll need to be warm for the cold months to come! Do not be un-prepared for what’s to come!

Happy Heating!

Hunter

How Long Does a Tank of Heating Oil Last

July 29, 2026July 21, 2026

It’s currently late July, which means that we’re in an awkward spot where you’re not burning heating oil. However, heating oil season is just over the horizon! During this time of year, you’ll likely only be using heating oil for hot water, if at all! But even though it’s currently summertime, it’s important to understand that heating oil season is getting closer and closer. So it’s time to start preparing! There are a lot of different factors in how long your heating oil tank will last you. Here’s what you need to know!

The Size of the Tank

It seems like a no-brainer, but the size of your tank will determine how long a full tank will last you! In the modern age, the most common tank sizes are the 275, 330, and Roth 1000L tanks. Now, something to note with these tanks is that while their maximum capacity is 275 and 330, their true capacity tends to be 250 & 300 gallons. The reason for this is that the oil companies will leave the top couple of inches of the tank open for airflow. This prevents the tank from leaking and overflowing when you receive a fill-up. It’s also important that your tank has a working vent alarm. This’ll help indicate when the driver will need to stop pumping.

An uncommon but effective way to store heating oil is with a dual tank system. Dual-tank systems utilize two tanks in tandem. One tank receives the fill, and oil pushes into the tank that’s vented. This pushes air out of the system that builds up when the tank is being filled. The benefit to these systems is that your capacity is twice the size and you don’t have to order oil as frequently. However, you’ll have to order in larger amounts. These tanks will also always be level with each other! The tanks will drain in tandem and then equalize with each other to ensure both tanks have the same amount of oil.

These are the different Roth tanks. They have an array of different sizes. Commonly, anywhere from 110-400 gallon tanks!

But if you have an underground tank, the capacity tends to be 500 gallons. Although they can get to sizes up to 2000 gallons in some cases! However, that’s very rare, especially nowadays! Underground tanks that are older than thirty years tend to be removed often. This is because underground tanks can now be environmental hazards!

How Your Home Effects Usage

Your home plays a major role in how long a full tank of heating oil is going to last you. I’ve compiled a list of all the major effects that your home has on your oil consumption.

Size of the House: Homes with an average square footage of 1500ft, you can see themselves burning around 500 gallons of oil annually. On larger homes, say 3500 square feet, they will easily burn around 1500 gallons every year!

Your Home’s Insulation: Homes that are well insulated will burn significantly less oil than those that aren’t. For example, a 2500 square foot home that has good insulation might only burn 600 gallons annually. However, if that same-sized home isn’t well insulated, you could see that home burning up to 1200 gallons of oil a year!

System Age: A home that has a system that is up-to-date and well-maintained will use less oil than a system that isn’t. Systems that are well taken care of and maintained can last upwards of thirty years! The newer the system, the less overall oil you’ll have to burn! This means the full oil tank you have will last you much longer! You might see your oil usage reduce by upwards of 30%!

Inside and Outside Temperatures: Both the temperature in the home and outside the home will determine how much oil you’re using. During the summer, you likely won’t burn much oil because it’s hot out. Meanwhile, during the winter, it’ll be much colder out. So you’ll tend to burn more oil during this time!

Daily Usage

Daily usage is an important part of your overall consumption! I mentioned this briefly in the previous section, but usage, at its core, is based on temperature. Both indoors and outdoors!

On a warm summer day, you’re likely not going to turn on your heat! So during this time of year, you’ll only use heat for hot water. That is, if you don’t have electric heat! During the summer, you’ll likely be burning less than a gallon a day. So during this time, your usage is at a minimum.

However, during the winter it’s different. This time of year is much colder than the summer, so you’ll often have your furnace turned on to burn oil to heat the home. If you don’t have a secondary form of heating, then you can see yourself burning anywhere from 5-7 gallons a day, at least!

Average daily usage for CT in the winter can change drastically. But this is a rough average.

When Do I need to order Oil?

A lot of homeowners ask themselves this question. Now, while everyone has a different system and consumption, I have an answer. At FuelSnap, we recommend ordering oil at around a quarter tank. On a 275-gallon tank, that’s about when there are only 75 gallons of oil in the tank. This is the perfect time to order oil! When you’re at a quarter, you’ll have enough oil to hold you over until your next delivery. But this will also allow you to order oil at a reasonable price for a fill-up! Most dealers will offer a lower price per gallon once you order a certain amount.

However, if you let your heating oil tank run out, then you’re going to want to order as soon as possible! Running out of oil can be dangerous for your system. When the tank runs out of oil, this can cause sludge to get caught in the feed lines. When sludge gets in the feed lines, it can clog your system and prevent oil from being drawn into the boiler or furnace! If you run out, you’ll have to have an HVAC technician prime your system.

Checking Your Tank Gauge

It’s important to check your heating oil tank gauge often! Checking your tank gauge will help you get a better idea of what your current tank level is. Checking it frequently also helps you monitor your usage and helps you estimate how much you’re using daily. But two different types of tank gauges are commonly seen today.

The float gauge is the most common. It comes with all heating oil tanks, and while some might look different from others, they function the same way. In short, they function based on a cork bobber on the end of a metal rod. That metal rod connects to a colorful disc in a plastic cylinder. The disc lines up with writing on the cylinder, with level displays. The disc will display 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, and more.

The Smart Oil Gauge is a wireless tank gauge that reads off an ultrasonic signal. This gauge sends its signal down to the oil level, where it then reports back to the app. You’ll then be able to see what it transmits on your phone! All you need is your smartphone and a WIFI connection! Once you have the Smart Oil Gauge set up and linked to the app, you’ll get usage data and level readings at the touch of your fingertips!

The Smart Oil Gauge is the perfect tool to be able to monitor oil level and use data! Simply connect it to your WIFI, get the app set up, and you’re good to go!

Conclusion

There are a lot of factors when it comes to how long your oil will last. This is combined with usage, level data, tank size, and house size. All of these contribute to how much oil you’re going to be burning daily. Your daily usage is the major contributor that determines how long a tank of oil will last you.

Ensuring your home has good insulation will determine how much oil your system is burning. If your home is well insulated, then you won’t have to worry about burning a lot of oil! Plus, the larger the tank, the larger the oil capacity is. The more tanks you have and the larger they are, will make or break how often you’ll need to order oil.

Happy Heating!

Hunter

Service Contracts: The Untold Truths

July 22, 2026July 21, 2026

Today, service contracts are a common thing with oil companies. Sometimes they’ll even sign you up for automatic delivery as part of your service contract. However, what they don’t end up telling you is that there are a lot of strings attached to these contracts. There’s a saying that if something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. So what are some of these “untold truths”?

Claiming it’s Automatic Delivery Only

When signing up for automatic delivery, you’ll often get the option to sign up for a service contract alongside it. They might try to scare you by saying, “Ordering from another dealer will put bad or waste oil into your tank. Placing an Order through us is the safest option”. But in reality, that’s false. There are thousands of dealers that are honest and reliable that you can order from! But if you’re still hesitant, feel free to check their reviews! That’s a good habit to get into before purchasing anything, not just oil! Additionally, DO NOT order from anonymous online dealers.

Something that you should definitely keep in mind is that there are a lot of dealers who offer service plans without the requirement of ordering oil from them! Dollarwise, for example, provides an annual maintenance plan that you can sign up for that doesn’t require you to order oil from them! They offer a lot with their service plan; this includes annual system cleanings, tune-ups, and even more! If you’re interested, I suggest contacting Dollarwise to get more information!

Dollarwise’s maintenance plan offers the above. For information on specifics, you’ll want to contact them directly!

Out on Long Island, Ryan Anthony’s Heating Service is another popular one. Amongst their customers, they’re very highly rated. They’ll also offer service contracts without the need to order oil from them! As the months go by, you’ll have to pay a small monthly fee if you’ve signed up for their maintenance plan. However, similar to Dollarwise, you can shop around and aren’t required to order from them! This’ll end up saving you more money in the long-term!

The Truth Behind “Free Service Contracts”

Have you ever heard the phrase “There are no Free Lunches?” It means that everything comes with a cost, even if you don’t think so! The same can be said about “Free Service Contracts”. Which can sometimes have hidden fees! Automatic delivery, for example, tends to cost .50 cents extra per gallon! In Connecticut, we’ve seen automatic delivery prices be increased by as much as a dollar! Although this is not very common. However, at the time of writing, oil prices are through the roof right now! I’m going to do a quick little math equation for you below!

Say your home uses around 800 gallons of oil yearly.
Let’s say that for automatic delivery, you’re paying an additional .60 per gallon.
That so-called “Free Service Contract” might cost you 800 X .60 = $480

If you’re spending that much money a year on a “Free Service Contract”, then you might as well put that money towards system maintenance!

24/7 Support is Only Available with a Service Contract

Annual maintenance for your HVAC system is crucial for a well-functioning system. Getting an annual tune-up is a good thing to ensure your system is functioning as intended. However, you might want to do a quick search on Google to find the best-qualified dealers in your area. This is to make sure that the providers in your area are reliable and trustworthy. Checking their reviews is a good way to weed out the good and the bad providers. If you think that they seem reputable and have good reviews, it’s not a bad idea to reach out and see if you can sign up for a service contract! This’ll not only help create a relationship between you and the dealer, but it’ll put you on good terms with them!

Making sure that you keep up with your system is crucial for it to function. It’s important to make sure that your system is working as intended so that you don’t have any unforeseeable problems!

However, you might be wondering if emergency services are expensive. In short, it is expensive! But, you do a little bit of quick math, spending around $500 every couple of years instead of an extra $480 annually, is much better. For that reason, you might just be better off not having a service plan. Although if your heating system is a bit on the older side, then signing up for a service plan might just be beneficial to prevent your system from regularly breaking down. But, you might as well just upgrade to a newer system at that rate!

Concluding Thoughts

At the end of the day, ensuring that your family is warm during the winter months should be your top priority! The best way to do this is to ensure that your system is well-maintained! Getting a service plan will help you stay on top of your system’s maintenance! Just make sure to do your research and go with a reliable and reputable company!

Just make sure that you don’t fall into the Automatic Delivery trap! You’ll want to find a company that you’re able to speak with freely and that’ll allow you to look around for a delivery. Especially if it’s an emergency and they cannot get to you quickly. In the long-term, you’ll save so much money by doing call-by only delivery. Plus, using the combination of a Smart Oil Gauge and FuelSnap will put you at an advantage compared to others!

Happy Heating,

Hunter

Natural Gas: What is it?

July 15, 2026June 11, 2026

As the name suggests, Natural Gas is a naturally occurring gas that can be used as a source of heat. While it derives mostly from methane, it’s still composed of other hydrocarbons, such as CO2 and water vapor. In today’s modern age, it’s used as a popular heat source for your home! But what exactly is it and how does it work? Below, I’ll be going over what you need to know about Natural Gas and what you can use it for!

Composition

Natural Gas is primarily composed of methane gas and other hydrocarbons such as CO2 and water vapor. It takes millions of years to form under conditions where there’s intense heat and pressure. This turns it into an odorless and colorless gas that’s a non-renewable fossil fuel. This means that it derives from prehistoric plants and animals and that the methane used in natural gas is in limited supply. We’re actually using more of it than what’s being produced. However, despite being made of primarily methane, natural gas is completely safe to use! It’s ignited in its gas state before it’s turned into heat!

This is methane. It’s the primary ingredient in natural gas.

Methane gas is the primary component in natural gas. As we know, methane is a biofuel, meaning it comes from organic life. Buffalo, cattle, and Sheep are some examples of animals that produce it naturally. In today’s age, we produce roughly anywhere from 580-640 metric tons of methane gas every year! For reference, that’s more than scientists believe was created annually by sauropod dinosaurs during the Jurassic period(530-570 metric tons)! However, we produce ours through many different ways, such as agriculture, fossil fuels, and landfills. So technically, the dinosaurs had us beat there!

Natural Gas Today

In today’s day and age, natural gas is used as a form of heating! It is used as a way to heat the home and for cooking. Some newer apartment complexes and homes will often use natural gas as their main way to heat!

Because it’s a fossil fuel, you must get it through a network of underground pipes that was put there during construction. It’s growing in popularity, but it’s only really found in towns and cities that have a dense population. Gas lines will tend to be a network of pipes underneath the town or city that connect to various buildings.

You’ll often see meters outside homes or buildings that use natural gas. These meters will help you understand how much you’re putting into your home or the building. Based on how much you use, you’re then charged by the utility company that maintains the system. But it still tends to be cheaper than heating oil and propane. I’ve seen monthly bills as low as $50 for a small apartment.

Natural Gas meters tend to look like this. They make a connection from the ground into your home and it monitors how much you’re using.

Natural Gas Vs Heating Oil

Natural Gas tends to be more efficient and tends to burn a bit cleaner than coal does. However, how does it compare to heating oil that’s fairly popular?

The major advantage of heating oil is its flexibility. The nice thing about heating oil is that you own your tank, and you can buy heating oil from pretty much anyone. This gives you the flexibility to shop around and get the best price possible for you! Websites such as Fuelsnap will allow you to shop around to get the best price. However, natural gas doesn’t tend to have this flexibility. Usually, you’ll only have to get it from your utility provider, so you won’t have much flexibility there.

The nice thing about Natural gas is that you won’t have to rely on a delivery to get it! Unlike heating oil, where you have to worry about when your next delivery will be, it’ll just flow naturally into your home through the network of pipes in your town! This makes it cheap and reliable!

Conclusion

Natural Gas is a cheap and reliable fossil fuel that’s becoming more and more popular by the day! While it’s only available for certain towns and cities, it’s still a great way to heat the home! However, while it is cheap and reliable, being a fossil fuel means it’s limited in supply! But, given the chance to buy a house or move into an apartment with it, I definitely recommend it! Being that it’s reliable and burns much cleaner than other options, it’s a great choice. However, be aware that you cannot order it around, and it tends to come from the provider and naturally enter the home!

Happy Heating!

Hunter

Smart Oil Gauge: The Differences Between the Standard and Duo Models

July 8, 2026July 21, 2026

The Smart Oil Gauge is a useful tool to be able to find out your usage and level data for your heating oil system! However, there are two different models of devices! There’s the Standard Smart Oil Gauge and the Duo Gauge. Both are great devices, but they do have differences that can set them apart from each other! Below, I’ll have everything that you need to understand the differences between our two Smart Oil Gauge devices!

Differently Designed Caps

At first glance, you can clearly tell the difference between the Duo and Standard Smart Oil Gauges. They both have differently designed caps. The standard gauge has a white PVC cap that’s a single piece. However, the Duo comes with a two-piece grey plastic cap. The reason for the Duo’s cap being in two pieces is to be able to provide a stronger seal. This is especially useful on outdoor tanks. This is because on Duos, the two-piece cap gives the gauge a better seal that prevents moisture from getting into the device. Part of this two-piece cap sits on top of the internals, while the other piece screws on over it. However, with the standard Smart Oil Gauge, the cap simply screws on!

These are the Duo and Standard Gauges. As you can see, they have different caps and sensor structures.

Notably, for the Outdoor Duos, you won’t need to apply Teflon tape around the top threads of the gauge. This is because the caps on the Duo provide a strong seal to prevent moisture from building up on the inside of it! With our previous Standard Indoor/Outdoor device, we had suggested wrapping Teflon tape around the top threads. On the Duo, that’s not necessary!

Sensor Sensitivity & Operating Range

If you’re a long-time user of the original Smart Oil Gauge, then you might be aware of a slight sensitivity that the gauge has when the tank is full. This is any time there’s oil within the top 8″ of the tank. This can cause the gauge’s signal to bounce around a lot when the tank is full. Which causes the gauge to read less oil at first when the tank is full.

However, as you burn oil, you’ll see the level slowly decline. The gauge will then give a sudden spike up in oil level on the graph. This is almost like you got another fill-up. But this is actually just the oil level clearing the top 8″ of the tank. If you’d like to learn more about this sensitivity, you can check it out on our website here. The reason for this is because of the standard Smart Oil Gauge’s operating range of 8″-72″. The gauge won’t be able to pick up anything within the top 8″ of the tank.

The Duo and Standard gauges have both different operating ranges and adapter compatibilities.

However, on the Smart Oil Gauge Duo, the operating range is slightly larger. The Duo has an operating range of 0-72″. This means that anything within the top 8″ of the tank, the Duo will be able to pick up without issue. This is because of the Smart Oil Gauge Duo’s dual sensor structure; the gauge has a much easier time sending and receiving the signal. One of the gauges sends the signal, while the other receives it. This makes the Duo more accurate overall, especially when the tank is full.

Gauge Compatibility

When using the Duo and Standard Smart Oil Gauges, it’s important to know their compatibility with adapters and tanks.

Firstly, when it comes to the adapters, there’s a major difference between the two models of Smart Oil Gauge! They both have different sensor structures, so their adapters aren’t interchangeable. Meaning, you cannot use the Duo adapter on a Standard Smart Oil Gauge and vice versa. The Duo has two adapters, being the CCF-905DUO and the CCF-906DUO. These adapters are for 1.5″ NPT tanks and Roth tanks, respectively. Meanwhile, the standard Smart Oil Gauge has three adapters. These are the CCF-905, CCF-906 & CCF-908. The 908 model is for tanks with 1.25″ NPT fittings. The Duo CANNOT be used on tanks with a 1.25″ NPT fitting. This is because the gauge’s sensors are too large to fit into the holes of the adapter. If you purchased a Duo for a 1.25″ NPT fitting tank, then you will need to return the Duo and purchase the standard model.

Adapters are important for the functionality of the Smart Oil Gauge. However, these are the adapters for the standard Smart Oil Gauge.

As for tank compatibility, both of these gauges are both compatible with and incompatible with the same tanks. Both the Duo and Standard model Smart Oil Gauges can be used on all standard oil tanks. However, there are three tank styles for which the gauges cannot be installed. These tanks are Roth 1500L, underground, and fiberglass tanks. Each tank has its own reason for the Smart Oil Gauge being unable to work on them. But in short, Roth 1500L tanks have an interior support baffle that prevents the gauge from reading beyond half a tank. Underground tanks are too far underground for the gauge to properly read the level. Fiberglass tank fittings will tend to have a “lip” that interferes with the gauge’s signal and prevents it from reading properly.

Fiberglass tanks tend to look like this. Their size and style are fairly unique, and often their capsule shape prevents the Smart Oil Gauge from properly reading.

Different Internals

On the standard model of the Smart Oil Gauge, the internal boards connect via pins on the bottom. These boards shouldn’t be disconnected, as it can be a little bit frustrating to reconnect them. Additionally, the Smart Oil Gauge won’t be able to read properly if they’re disconnected. If they’re not connected properly, the gauge will read beyond a full tank.

However, the Duo model has a set of internals that are stored in a trash can-like structure. You can take this trashcan-like structure out of the piping to troubleshoot or change the batteries if needed! This makes the process of troubleshooting the gauge or changing the WIFI information a lot less frustrating! By doing this, you don’t have to stay at the tank location and try to reconnect it. You can instead do it all from the warmth of the confines of your home!

Which Gauge Should you purchase?

Now, as strange as this sounds, which one you should purchase depends on your tank setup and personal preference! They’re both great! However, if you’re the type of person who likes to know the exact amount of oil in the tank even when it’s full, the Duo is your best bet! The Duo’s larger operating range is going to help you get an accurate reading of oil, especially with the full tank. But if the sensitivity isn’t a big issue for you, then the standard model is still a great choice!

However, if you have a tank with a 1.25″ NPT fitting, then you MUST get the standard Smart Oil Gauge. This is because the standard gauge is able to fit properly into the CCF-908 adapter, which the Duo won’t be able to!

Happy Heating!

Hunter

Replacing Your Furnace

July 1, 2026July 21, 2026

Once your furnace hits 30 years old, it’s the perfect time to start looking for a new one! Your annual maintenance is still plenty useful for your system. However, it’s still strongly recommended to replace your system after the 30-year mark. This is around the time the thought of replacing your furnace should be on your radar. If you’re reading this in preparation for that, then don’t worry, I’ll cover what you need to know! The summer is the perfect time to replace it!

What Exactly is a Furnace?

The furnace in your home has a simple job. That’s converting your oil into hot air that’s then spread around the house. Typically, your furnace is connected to a tank that stores either heating oil or propane. This is then heated up and pushed through the ducts of your home. Typically, your furnace will consist of the following:

Burner: This is what normally combines air with fuel and flame to produce the heat that’s distributed around your home.
The Heat Exchanger: This is where the heat in the combustion chamber of your furnace becomes clean air that’s then distributed around the home.
The Blower: This takes the air from inside your home and pushes it into the heat exchanger. This then blows hot air from the furnace into your house!

Heat exchangers are a vital component of your furnace. They’re how the air in your home gets converted into heat.

Deciding on a Fuel Source

When it comes to choosing a fuel source, you don’t always have much of a choice. Usually, the fuel source you use will more often than not depend on your location. For example, natural gas cannot be added to a preexisting home because it requires a network of pipes from underneath the streets. These pipes are usually put there when a home is being built.

Even if you don’t have natural gas available to you, don’t worry, because you’ll still have access to heating oil and propane! They can be a bit more expensive than natural gas, but overall, they’re easier to access.

The easiest thing to do when changing your furnace is to use the same fuel source you had before the switch. In short, if you’re using heating oil, then you should stick to heating oil. The same can be said about propane and natural gas. It’s also cheaper to stay with what you’ve got, because if you switch, you’re going to have to do a whole system overhaul. Propane dealers will actually try to get you to make the switch to propane. DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM. This is more profitable to them, and you’ll end up spending a lot more money. They’ll also try to tell you that heating oil is more expensive than propane. However, note that it takes more propane to produce the same amount of heat as heating oil does!

Picking a Brand

When it comes to oil furnaces, you have quite a few different options. But some of the top brands include Trane, Carrier, and Lennox. However, when choosing one of these brands, you’ll want to pay attention to the system’s efficiency, reliability, and the overall cost of the furnace. Those factors should play a key role in your final decision. However, if for whatever reason your furnace stops working in the winter, contact the manufacturer, and they’ll come out and repair it for you!

Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case with natural gas furnaces. Natural gas furnaces are typically built and sold across the country. This means that there are too many different types and styles of natural gas furnaces, which makes maintenance a little harder.

When it comes to replacing your furnace, you’re going to want to make sure it’s efficient and built to last. Thermo Pride is not only high-quality, but their furnaces are also very durable. Purchasing one of these furnaces should last you quite a while.

Thermo Pride furnaces are durable and reliable! They’re a fantastic brand of furnace to go with!

Furnace Size

Determining the size of your new furnace is easy to do. Most of the time, choosing a size that matches your current furnace is the easiest. However, things might’ve changed since the original construction of the house. For example, did you add any extensions to the home? What about windows and doors? Was the system properly sized at the start?

The following factors can often lead to your system being undersized or oversized, which can result in a shorter lifespan of the furnace as well as higher energy bills. This is why it’s important to have a qualified HVAC technician install the furnace. When they are installing it, they might ask you the following questions:

What’s the square footage of the home?
What’s the height of the walls?
How many windows are in the house?
What’re the windows’ dimensions?
Are the windows single or dual pane?
How well insulated is the home?

Keep in mind that if your HVAC technician doesn’t ask you a lot of questions or can’t properly answer your questions, you should find another technician. There are a lot more questions to be asked and factors regarding your home that can affect overall usage. If they only ask about square footage, then you should avoid them.

What’s it Cost?

The overall price of replacing the furnace is the number one factor. While this is a necessity after 30 years of use, it can still be expensive. Depending on where you get it from, the entire job of replacing your furnace can range from $8k-$10k. Most of the time, furnace companies will offer 0% financing on furnace installations.

Concluding Thoughts

Buying a new furnace after your furnace has reached 30 years old is crucial. This’ll help make sure that your home is heated properly and ensure the safety of your home during heating oil season. Doing this is a good idea to do sooner rather than later. Especially if you’re planning on staying in this home for the long-term!

While the price of the furnace might be a little bit higher outright, it’ll still help in the long run. A new furnace is ultimately more efficient and reliable at the end of the day. Just be sure to get your annual maintenance done on your furnace to avoid any unforeseen issues!

Happy Heating!

Hunter

Saving Heating Oil with an Older Home

June 24, 2026July 20, 2026

If you’re living in an older home, winter is likely a dreadful time for you. This is often a rough time for homeowners with older homes. Drafty windows and less insulation in the home will make you burn through more heating oil than you might think, which makes it harder to keep the house warm! So how exactly do you counteract this? Well, in this article, I’m going to go through tips and tricks on what to do!

What You Should Focus On?

In parts of New York and Connecticut, there are plenty of older homes! While older homes can sound appealing, they’re not without their downsides! For example, a home that was built during the 1900s will likely still have windows from the 1900s. These older windows might not always be properly sealed, so if it’s windy, you might catch a bit of a draft! These drafty windows can cause heat to leave the home, which makes it harder to keep the house warm, but also makes the heating bills very expensive.

However, not all is lost. I’ve spoken with some friends and family members of mine who have older homes, and they’ve given me some tips and tricks to keep the house warmer! I’ve even got a couple of things to share from my experience as well! But you should focus on the following areas first.

Finding out where the heat is escaping from, also known as Heat Loss
Ensuring that your burner is in good shape and that it’s efficient
Keeping track of your consumption and adjusting your thermostat as needed.

While this house looks beautiful, it’s a major money sink when it comes to heating oil.

Loss of Heat – Where’s It Going?

To find out where your loss of heat is coming from, monitoring your boiler and furnace would be a great place to start. Typically, as the warm air in your home escapes, it’s replaced by cold air. This’ll tend to lower the overall air temperature of your home. But these are typically the key places where heat escapes:

Doors
Windows
Walls
Ducts

Doors

This is by far the most common way for heat to escape the home. If you have a busy house, then the doors constantly being opened and closed will give heat in the home an opportunity to escape. It’s very rare that doors are properly sealed to be perfectly shut. This is often because the doors will need to be frequently opened and closed for members of the home to go in and out.

However, even when the door is closed, the bottom of the door might have a little bit of a draft. This is common, especially in older homes. However, you can put down a draft blocker or a door sweep in front of the bottom of the door. This will prevent the hot air from escaping and the cold air from entering! We use one of these on the front door of my house!

This is a draft blocker. It can be laid on a door or window, and it helps catch the draft of cold air. My family uses these, and they’re super helpful!

Windows

In older homes, single-pane windows were the more appealing option during construction. However, in terms of keeping the heat in, they leave much to be desired. In modern homes, two-pane windows tend to be more common and offer an airspace between them. That small airspace acts similarly to insulation and does a better job of keeping the heat in the home. However, on single-pane windows, there’s a way to counteract this. You can apply a thin layer of plastic film around the window. Doing this will create a makeshift insulation on the single-pane window, keeping the heat in. Cutting it to size and holding it down with some tape will keep it secure until you’re able to put a hair dryer to it. Using a hair dryer will tend to wrap it in place. Doing this will ensure the home is more comfortable and will help keep the heat in!

This is what the wrapping around the door tends to look like. It looks a little goofy, but trust me, it works well!

Walls

Walls are surprisingly another way that heat tends to escape the house. Some walls might not be as well insulated as others, which can cause the heat to escape through the thin insulation. You can also blow in your own insulation, which tends to be more cost-effective. However, you will also need to subsidize it through energy auditing from the state. But once you’ve managed to add more insulation, you’ll see that your usage drops significantly almost immediately.

Ducts

This one can actually be a little surprising. But it’s very important to know that ductwork in the home is very important. You might notice that on a lot of older homes, “Forced Hot Air” is a primary source of heating. With a Forced Hot Air setup, your furnace will often use what’s called a “Heat Exchanger”. These are used to push hot air through ducts in your home after the air has been heated by the furnace. These ducts will also suck in air from the “return vents” that are throughout the home. Due to this, the furnace won’t have to heat the cold air from the outside!

However, some basements can tend to be VERY cold and sometimes unheated. This tends to mean that a lot of these basements will have cold air cooling the ducts. This can cause your furnace to unintentionally work much harder to try to heat your basement. But you can also wrap the insulation to keep the heat headed in the right direction to make it where it really needs to go. This’ll also keep the returning air from cooling, to ensure that it returns to the furnace as it left. Insulating the ducts will also seal any leaks that would allow hot air to escape.

Generating Heat

While it might not seem like it, your home’s boiler or furnace is similar to the engine of a car. It produces heat so that you can stay warm! You know how you’re supposed to change your car’s oil regularly? Well, it’s important to get your burner serviced regularly! Annual clean-ups and tune-ups will help HVAC technicians see any issues or problems before they happen! Like a car, you should stay ahead of the game for anything that could be problematic for your system! This will help prevent any problems from arising during the cold winter months!

It’s important that you do regular annual maintenance at least once every year.

If you don’t get an annual tune-up, then this can lead to dangerous and even fatal issues. This could be something like a crack in the heat exchanger, for example. Failure to get this done can lead to a carbon monoxide leak, which can be lethal if inhaled! If this happens, then you’ll have no choice but to replace the furnace. Especially in an old home, it’s important to get your system checked regularly!

Most furnaces are quite durable and will tend to last anywhere from 20 to 30 years. But if your system is at least 20 years old and hasn’t been updated or replaced, then I strongly recommend replacing your furnace. New systems will often tend to be more efficient, quieter, and tend to output more heat compared to an older system.

A new heating oil system will tend to look like this. These systems will save you a lot of money in the long term. They tend to also give you the ability to program the temperatures in the home! That tends to result in lower usage!

Monitoring Consumption

While you can manually track your consumption by looking at your float gauge and doing the math, that’s a little bit more time-consuming. Especially if you’re busy, you won’t want to spend the time figuring out your oil usage. That’s why the Smart Oil Gauge is a great tool to have on your tank! It gives you the ability to monitor your system’s usage and what your oil level is at. By simply being installed onto the tank, the Smart Oil Gauge will keep track of your level and your usage all through its ultrasonic sensor. The Smart Oil Gauge can also be used in combination with a programmable thermostat! Your usage data will be reflected on the Smart Oil Gauge as well!

Homes that have radiators and boilers will tend to take a little bit longer to have the home reheat. The Smart Oil Gauge will be able to show you your usage for the day, week, month, and year. If you leave your thermostat on the same temperature for a day or so, the Smart Oil Gauge will reflect that with low usage. Your usage will be even lower if your home has good insulation.

Another thing that you can do with the Smart Oil Gauge is compare the previous year’s data to this year’s. However, you cannot do this through the app. You’ll need to log in to the website, click on the three grey lines, and click on “Export”. From here, simply choose a range of dates, and you’ll be able to export that data into a Microsoft Excel Sheet!

What’s your K-Factor?

Essentially, your K-factor is the number of days that your heating oil will last you. To completely understand this, you will need to know your degree days. Degree days are a representation of your demand to heat the home. This helps track outdoor temperatures that will determine how much oil you’ll burn on a specific day. The way to calculate this is easy. Simply take the outside temperature and subtract it from the average indoor temperature, and you’ll have your degree days!

As an example, if the outdoor temperature is 15 degrees and the inside temperature is 60 degrees. You’ll want to put them into the following equation (60-15= 45 degree days). In the entire state of Connecticut, we’ll see around 6,000 degree days over the course of a whole year.

Comparisons Between Your Old and New Furnace

If you’ve used the “Export” option on our Smart Oil Gauge website, then you can use last year’s usage data and compare it to this year’s. First, you’ll want to determine your K-Factor by using your average amount of oil burned throughout last year. Depending on where you live in the US, this will be different. However, starting with your overall yearly usage will help you start to understand what your K-Factor is.

The Smart Oil Gauge will track your hourly usage and level as it takes readings and uploads. On the left, you’ll see data from an older furnace. While on the right is for a newer furnace.

When you have a new furnace, your K-factor will most likely be increased. This means that you’ll end up using a significantly smaller amount of oil than with your old furnace. This is because, over time, your old furnace becomes less efficient, which means you’re going to be using more oil overall.

Conclusion: An Older Home’s Heating Oil

When it comes to heating oil in an old home, you might be asking yourself, “How?” How can you save the most on oil? The best way to go about it would be to get a new furnace. A new furnace would burn less oil and result in more money saved due to its better efficiency. However, replacing a furnace is expensive. Doing so will easily cost you several thousand dollars. So if you’re on a budget and don’t exactly have the funds, and your furnace isn’t that old, you can get away with it. But if your furnace is at least 20 years old, you should definitely get it replaced!

Getting an idea of your daily, weekly, and monthly consumption will also help you have a better idea of how much you’re going to burn moving forward! Installing a Smart Oil Gauge is going to be a major asset for you! Adding this to your system will help you manage your usage and give you a better idea of when you’ll need to order oil!

Happy Heating!

Hunter