How Quality Heating Oil Can Lower Your Heating Costs
Home heating oil may sometimes contains impurities such as sulfur, ash or other filth. Modern refining processes, however, give us a very clean heating oil which is not only good for the environment, but also for your budget. Clean oil burns more efficiently and is less likely to do damage to your system. Low sulfur oil can help you save 5% to 9% compared to the high-sulfur oil, or about 15 cents per gallon, considering current oil prices.
Combustion is a process in which hydrocarbon molecules are broken down, releasing heat. Fuel efficiency is all about allowing more molecules to burn, reducing the number of molecules dodging the fire. Oil companies may put various additives to improve oil usage at combustion, usually making it easy to finely disperse through the burner nozzle. If the system is properly maintained, impurities from the oil will likely not affect nozzle which would disperse the oil the best way.
Another kind of fuel impurities are wax molecules. These molecules can build up and form wax deposits, if the oil is cold (i.e. if your oil tank is outdoors). Large build-ups of wax can clog the oil pipes and filters, which can’t help much due to “dodgy” consistency of the wax. Some additives prevent the wax molecule build ups.
Water is also considered an impurity. It’s not just that water prevents or slows down combustion, it can also create some damage in a bit of aweird way. Since water is heavier than oil, it will fall down and form a “tank sludge” on the tank bottom. This sludge allows forming of a colony of microorganisms which release strong acids. These acids cause corrosion of your tank walls which can cause leaks.
Bioheat
Another option you can count on is Bioheat. Bioheat is a blend of heating oil and biofuel (or biodiesel) from plants or used cooking oil. Bioheat blends contain 5% to 20% of biofuel, (named B5 and B20 respectively). These blends have a greater viscosity which helps for a better oil heat system lubrication, and is more effective than heating oil which is 100% made of crude. A system which is better lubricated can last longer, and even the filters would require less frequent replacements.
Not to mention environmental benefits of Bioheat. Bioheat contains even lower amounts of sulfur and is a really healthy choice for your home.
Although quality heating oils, such as low-sulfur and Bioheat may be somewhat more expensive, you can save through Cash on Delivery (COD) orders, which allow you to buy a desired amount of oil at a discount price. Additionally, you can use a price comparison web site to find out which supplier has the best high quality oil in your area. Quality oils help both the environment and your budget and you should only order low-sulfur heating oil and bioheat which would burn more efficiently and extend the life of your furnace or boiler.