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.
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!
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!
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
