Topic 'Oil furnace ?' in forum 'Home Improvement' - dslreports.com

Re: Oil furnace ?

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:53:34 EDT

CylonRed posted : I think Subaru was thinking along the lines of people topping up their current tanks in the summer when he thought fuel oil should be cheaper.
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain

Re: Oil furnace ?

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:47:54 EDT

anon posted : A lot depends on whether it's a full loop (two pipe) system or a single-ended system. Single ended need to be primed to get working after running out, while full loop systems are self-priming. (Found that out when I ran out of oil in 1996. It took about 15 seconds, but the burner eventually fired and stayed on.)

Re: Oil furnace ?

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:50:43 EDT

jp16 posted :

said by Subaru:

Can I ask this.. why don't people stock up during the summer months or off-season??

I think the main reason is space. My 275 gallon tank takes up a sizable area. Adding another tank would take up too much space. Also, depending on the state, you may not be able to have a large quantity without special permits and licenses. In MA we are limited to 660 gallons without a special permit. With a tank(s) to hold 660 gallons, I would have no place for all my junk...

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 10:26:40 EDT

pandora posted :

said by rawgerz:

Just wanted to ask if one ran out of oil, would it stay shut off, or keep trying to burn air?

Assuming this isn't a very new home. You may have oil tanks underground, they may be leaking. In practice oil doesn't run out, it gets too low to be pumped, and in most homes with a few years in them there is sludge which will clog the oil filter before your tank is totally empty.
--
"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand." - Milton Friedman"

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 09:50:17 EDT

rockotman posted : I stand corrected on the locomotive and marine. Still, the only existing exemption this year for non-road are for small refineries. And next year, locomotive and marine will also be subject to the tighter limits, except for Alaska and Northeast.

Anything that a homeowner in Connecticut can buy is going to be ULSD, unless he gets a large delivery of farm diesel from a small refinery. I don't think Mr. Subaru is out buying large quantities of farm diesel. :p
--
Shine on you crazy diamond...

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 04:53:14 EDT

patcat88 posted :

said by rockotman:

All on and off road diesel is now ULSD by EPA mandate. ULSD by US standards is 15 ppm or less.

Even locomotive diesel is now ULSD. About the only non-ULSD is some marine diesel. And that is being forced to go ULSD some time in the next few years.

Not true. »epa.gov/oms/standards/fuels/dies···lfur.htm

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 03:14:14 EDT

Beezel posted :

said by swintec:

said by Subaru:

did not know about that between diesel and fuel oil.. I knew about the dye however

Don't get caught using dyed heating oil / off road diesel in your truck though. There is no road taxes paid on it so if they dip your tank you end up with a fine. State Police do it here but I have never seen a local / county police officer do it.

Lots of farmers will try and get away with it though.

Mainly I only encounter commercial trucks getting dipped(now more than ever because of the high price). But I think your fine is set per gallon they pull out if you are running illegal. Been out of the diesel game for a bit and not current anymore.

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 20:46:21 EDT

Subaru posted : Thanks did not know about offroad diesel

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 20:32:19 EDT

rockotman posted : All on and off road diesel is now ULSD by EPA mandate. ULSD by US standards is 15 ppm or less.

Even locomotive diesel is now ULSD. About the only non-ULSD is some marine diesel. And that is being forced to go ULSD some time in the next few years.
--
Shine on you crazy diamond...

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 20:24:32 EDT

Subaru posted : Well in this case diesel for a road vehicle.. aren't most all stations low sulfur now? I forgot what are the limits now?

I want to say 15, I never had issues with the pump that says it could exceed 500 ppm.

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 20:10:12 EDT

patcat88 posted :

said by Subaru:

A station I go to has un-dyed kero which last time I looked was around $4.29/gal I have a small heater that is tri-fuel (JP1, diesel, kerosene)

One question I have to ask.. I forgot what the PPM content was for the kero, I think the pump says it could exceed 500 PPM but I wonder what it would be for diesel? since I think diesel may be a little cheaper?

The good thing about the kerosene price is it does not go up and down much since it's use is very small.. I don't know how large the tank is but I remember the price was the same for at least 3-4 weeks once.

Depends on a crazy mix of

Category 1, is it heating oil, off road diesel for motor vehicles, diesel for marine, diesel for locomotive, diesel for plane, diesel for public road

Category 2 which state and county you are in

Category 3 3000, 500, 40 or 15 are the PPM sulferchoices

Its a matrix only a lawyer can understand.

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 18:21:19 EDT

swintec posted :

said by rockotman:

I think it is legal to use it in diesel equipment that does not use public roads; i.e. tractors or combines.

Use heating oil? I suppose. I have to imagine that off-road diesel may be similarly priced as well or could be once you get a fuel contract set up.
--
Usenet Block Accounts | Unlimited Accounts

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 18:17:09 EDT

Subaru posted :

said by swintec:

said by Subaru:

did not know about that between diesel and fuel oil.. I knew about the dye however

You can burn either or in your furnace or diesel vehicle. Works well if you get in a pinch and run out of oil. You can run down to the gas station and fill a few containers with diesel and throw it in your oil tank.

Don't get caught using dyed heating oil / off road diesel in your truck though. There is no road taxes paid on it so if they dip your tank you end up with a fine. State Police do it here but I have never seen a local / county police officer do it.

Lots of farmers will try and get away with it though.

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 18:15:14 EDT

rockotman posted : I think it is legal to use it in diesel equipment that does not use public roads; i.e. tractors or combines.
--
Shine on you crazy diamond...

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 18:08:02 EDT

swintec posted :

said by Subaru:

did not know about that between diesel and fuel oil.. I knew about the dye however

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 16:49:57 EDT

Subaru posted :

said by rockotman:

The only difference between #2 fuel oil and over-the-road diesel is the dye added to signify that the fuel oil is not subject to road-taxes. As a result, the demand does not go down by much, as a percentage of the overall demand for diesel. But as pointed out above, the demand for gasoline does go up in the warmer months, so the refineries change the quantities of each such that the price really remains relatively stable, and is proportional to the overall price of crude (subject to the typical market lags as varying price point works its way through the supply chain). Generally the price of fuel oil (at least here in PA) is about 25-30 cents higher than the prevailing price for gasoline. Again, it pays to shop around.

did not know about that between diesel and fuel oil.. I knew about the dye however
--
It's NOT Ni-kon It's NE-KON!

LG is NOT Lifes Good It's Lucky Goldstar!

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 14:14:59 EDT

rockotman posted :

said by Subaru:

said by rockotman:

said by Subaru:

Can I ask this.. why don't people stock up during the summer months or off-season??

I would if I could. Unfortunately, I only have a 550 gallon tank. And actually, this past summer the prices were even higher than they are right now.

Hmm I would of thought it would go down since hardly any demand to buy any oil.

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 12:35:38 EDT

alkizmo posted :

said by rawgerz:

Nothing is free, you pay 10K upfront to reclaim a well. This is a dead relative's property, and I'm not thrilled with the $1200 oil bill every month when the heat is at 50f.
I don't care what happens to the furnace, this **** is too expensive

Costs me 200$ for a month when the temperature is below 20F.
Yet my house is 1500 sqft living space.

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 12:25:06 EDT

garys_2k posted :

said by Subaru:

said by rockotman:

said by Subaru:

Can I ask this.. why don't people stock up during the summer months or off-season??

I would if I could. Unfortunately, I only have a 550 gallon tank. And actually, this past summer the prices were even higher than they are right now.

Hmm I would of thought it would go down since hardly any demand to buy any oil.

But the refineries switch over to making more gasoline so the supply is scarce, as well. Net result is that the price stays high.

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 10:54:12 EDT

Subaru posted :

said by rockotman:

said by Subaru:

Can I ask this.. why don't people stock up during the summer months or off-season??

I would if I could. Unfortunately, I only have a 550 gallon tank. And actually, this past summer the prices were even higher than they are right now.

Hmm I would of thought it would go down since hardly any demand to buy any oil.
--
It's NOT Ni-kon It's NE-KON!

LG is NOT Lifes Good It's Lucky Goldstar!

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 09:54:59 EDT

rockotman posted : I think he is referring to two different properties; his own with the well, and a deceased relative's with the oil heat.

Plus during the warmer months of spring, summer, and fall, heating oil usage drops to almost nothing.
--
Shine on you crazy diamond...

Re: Oil furnace ?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 09:27:56 EDT

CylonRed posted :

said by rawgerz:

No way it is $1200/month. If it was $1200/month then in about a year you should have saved the $10K to reclaim the well - well worth the effort - no brainer in fact.
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain

Re: Oil furnace ?

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 23:42:20 EDT

rockotman posted :

said by Subaru:

Can I ask this.. why don't people stock up during the summer months or off-season??

I would if I could. Unfortunately, I only have a 550 gallon tank. And actually, this past summer the prices were even higher than they are right now.
--
Shine on you crazy diamond...

Re: Oil furnace ?

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 23:37:17 EDT

Phillip posted : I payed $3.56 a gallon back in 10/12, and I am looking at a $3.76 a gallon tomorrow. I do the same as some of the others here, I call around to see who has the best price and order it from them.

A good place to see what the average price is in your area is here..... »www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pri_wfr···us_w.htm

Re: Oil furnace ?

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 22:16:15 EDT

Jeffrey posted :

said by rawgerz:

Whoa, whoa. $1,200 a month at 50 degrees? I'm locked at $3.89/g and I use about 500 gallons from Sept-April under normal circumstances.

Are you paying $1,200/yr for 50F? That's at least reasonable.
--
He used to say that soul shine, is better than sunshine, better than moonshine, damn sure better than rain.

Debunking the 2012 hysteria. | Always looking for a new job | Begging the Wilpons to sell the Mets.

Re: Oil furnace ?

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:56:00 EDT

Subaru posted : Can I ask this.. why don't people stock up during the summer months or off-season?? I ask because I know a person that had a large area that had I think 1,000 tank or so and they could only afford to maybe put like $600 in and it would only last maybe 2 weeks at the most.. All that time I would assume summer months would be cheaper? they could get the tank most to full and not have to worry about the renters complaining about not having any heat.
--
It's NOT Ni-kon It's NE-KON!

LG is NOT Lifes Good It's Lucky Goldstar!

Re: Oil furnace ?

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:53:58 EDT

PSWired posted : Same here. Was getting gouged with contract auto delivery, so now I shop around. $3.66/gal for last week's fill, the first of the winter.

Re: Oil furnace ?

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:54:10 EDT

rockotman posted :

said by patcat88:

Best choice is have 1 company for maintenance, and a 2nd, preferably delivery-only, for oil. Plus there is no conflict of interest for rich burn settings ;-)

This is what I do. I use a local heating/cooling outfit for the yearly boiler service, and I have three different local oil distributors that I call for price before ordering fuel oil.

I just had oil delivered today, and I ended up paying $3.87 a gallon; a few weeks ago, gasoline was cheaper, so the fuel oil would have been as well. Prices tend to bounce wildly this time of year. With the recent trend upwards, I figured I better order now rather than wait another week.
--
Shine on you crazy diamond...

Re: Oil furnace ?

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:31:23 EDT

patcat88 posted :

said by rawgerz:

Get a new oil company. The cheapest road diesel is $4.15, my oil company of many years in the last year, the price sky rocketted. They had the balls to sell at $4.15 a gal last delivery. Manager said thats just how it is and he cant do anything, ULSD heating oil yada yada he said. Switched, new delivery was $3.69 a gal. Huge difference. Shop around. Some companies have a business model of subsidizing service contracts with sky high oil prices. Best choice is have 1 company for maintenance, and a 2nd, preferably delivery-only, for oil. Plus there is no conflict of interest for rich burn settings ;-)

Re: Oil furnace ?

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:21:46 EDT

rockotman posted : $1200 a month? Dang - that is like 300 gallons a month at today's prices! Must be a really huge place to use that much oil in a month.

I'm down here in Butler, PA, and heating a 4500 sq. ft. house with the thermostats set between 65 and 70 (three zones), I use at best 150 gallons in the coldest of months.
--
Shine on you crazy diamond...

Re: Oil furnace ?

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:05:48 EDT

rawgerz posted : Nothing is free, you pay 10K upfront to reclaim a well. This is a dead relative's property, and I'm not thrilled with the $1200 oil bill every month when the heat is at 50f.
I don't care what happens to the furnace, this **** is too expensive

Re: Oil furnace ?

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 05:17:33 EDT

anon posted : It used to be that oil pumps would need to be re-primed if they ran dry. The oil delivery man should know how to do that.

Not sure if they still make pumps like that.

Re: Oil furnace ?

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:49:42 EDT

patcat88 posted : You might have clogged the filter can, or the strainer in the pump with sludge if it ran dry. The oil pump on the burner can't suck oil with vacuum, gravity must deliver it to the burner. You can take apart the pipe after the shut off valve near the burner, put a tray to catch the oil, open the valve, and it should tickle out (it won't be very pressurized and its thicker than water). If it doesn't you have a clog somewhere. If changing the filters doesn't help, you will have to CO2 blow out the fuel pipe. Google that.

Re: Oil furnace ?

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:38:28 EDT

jrs8084 posted : I thought you lived on land with a free natural gas well. Didn't you have to have water pumped out of the well about 6 years ago to restore service? I was somewhat jealous at the time.

Re: Oil furnace ?

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:31:17 EDT

Subaru posted :

said by PSWired:

All modern oil burners have a flame sensor inside. If the flame goes out the burner will try to reignite a few times like the last poster mentioned. After that it will need to be manually reset.

yep I had to help a friend with this.. then when he got oil back I had to bleed the air out because the flame would keep going out.

Re: Oil furnace ?

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:59:47 EDT

PSWired posted : All modern oil burners have a flame sensor inside. If the flame goes out the burner will try to reignite a few times like the last poster mentioned. After that it will need to be manually reset.

Re: Oil furnace ?

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:58:15 EDT

ame101 posted : It should lock out after 2-3 tries.

Oil furnace ?

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:56:45 EDT

rawgerz posted : Just wanted to ask if one ran out of oil, would it stay shut off, or keep trying to burn air?