What Makes Oil Heat Remarkable?

You probably have been using oil for heating for years now or maybe you’re used to natural gas, electricity, or some other heating alternative and wants to switch to oil. But whatever the case is, the fact that you’re here means you are very much interested in learning more about heating oil; and the good news is that this post will be talking about oil heat, more particularly the reason why it remains as the most popular way to heat and warm up people’s homes.

First off, it is important that you be reminded that oil back in the day is very different to heating oil of today. This is because several decades back, oil used for heating was notoriously very dirty and filthy. But today, it has become biodegradable and is even 95% cleaner. So, if you’ve been using oil to heat your home, you’re actually helping the environment’s cause because it comes with very minimal to zero emissions.

Next, unlike most other heating resources, specifically natural gas and propane, oil heat is very safe. The only way for oil to be ignited is when there’s an equipment capable of doing it like a sophisticated burning system in your furnace. The fact is if you attempt to drop a match into the oil, it won’t spark, ignite, or cause fire. The same can never be said with regards to natural gas. Furthermore, oil heat will never explode and when there’s a leak, inhaling the fumes it produces is not fatal. Again, the same cannot be said with regards to natural gas. In fact, there have been so many cases of homes exploding due to a natural gas leak. In the event of a system breakdown or malfunction, your oil-fired heating equipment will show signs of trouble such as smoke, soot, or odor. Yes, there will be a release of carbon monoxide, but you won’t be seriously affected by it since the signs will give you enough reason to go out and respond. On the other hand, gas-fired heating equipment does not have the same luxury.

Another remarkable thing about heat produced using oil is the fact that it is efficient and sustainable. Unlike about two decades ago, oil supplies in the U.S. today have become very stable to a point that the reserves can now meet the demand from the entire country. Also, because there are more than 30 oil producing countries all over the world, there really is no such thing as being reliant or dependent on a single or couple of countries for oil supplies in case we run out. But being the third largest oil producing country in the world, it’ll take many decades even a century before we even think about running out of it.

Finally, oil heat is energy-efficient, and this probably is the foremost reason why homeowners have been sticking to it for so many decades now. With heating oil, you get almost 20% more efficient burning compared to natural gas. And with the emergence of new equipment, owning and operating an oil-fired system today means saving hundreds of dollars of heating costs every year.