Written on: December 27, 2022
If you have recently moved into a home that uses heating oil, you may have a lot of questions. Our team has answered some common questions to help you get to know—and feel good about—your home’s heating fuel.
Absolutely. First, heating oil cannot burn in its liquid state. Before combustion can even occur, heating oil must first be vaporized into a finer mist by your oil burner at temperatures above 140°.
Second, the fuel you have stored in your heating oil tank right now is very safe because it can’t explode. In fact, if you were to drop a lit match into a bucket of heating oil, the flame would go out, just as if you dropped the match into water.
Third, unlike natural gas, a heating oil system poses a very low risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. If an oil burner ever malfunctions, you’ll most likely see smoke and the safety devices will shut the furnace or boiler off.
Fourth, the advent of Bioheat® fuel has made home heating oil even safer. That’s because Bioheat fuel has a higher flash point, also known as ignition temperature. It’s just one more thing that homeowners who use Bioheat fuel can feel good about.
Yes, advancements in both fuel quality and heating equipment have made that possible. Lawman’s Oil only delivers B20 Bioheat Plus® fuel. This is a blend of ultra-low sulfur heating oil combined with premium biofuels made from renewable resources such as animal fats, recycled restaurant cooking oils, algae, and plant oils. Our B20 Bioheat Plus fuel is made from locally sourced products, which aids in reducing waste within our communities. As ultra-low sulfur Bioheat fuel becomes more widespread in the future, home heating oil will move closer and closer to becoming a carbon-neutral fuel.
B20 stands for the percentage of the fuel that is made with biofuels. That means that our Bioheat fuel is blended with 20% biofuels, which is designated as Bioheat Plus Fuel. This high level of biofuel is why B20 Bioheat Plus fuel burns extremely clean—generating less greenhouse gas emissions than a natural gas system.
No. Most major heating system manufacturers accept Bioheat fuel as covered under their warranties for use, and you won’t need to make any changes to your furnace, boiler, or oil storage tank to use it. Performance standards for Bioheat fuel have been approved by ASTM International, an organization that sets industry standards for fuels and lubricants.
Yes. Oil generates a whopping 138,000 Btu of heat for every gallon burned and warms a home evenly and efficiently. An equivalent amount of natural gas only produces about 100,000 BTU of heat.
This is because the flame in a heating oil system burns much hotter than other energy systems. This produces more heat and warmer air or water, which leads to evenly distributed heat throughout the house. So, when the outdoor temperatures are in the single digits, that powerful heat output can help keep your home as cozy as ever.
Technology has also brought great improvements in heating oil equipment efficiency that has reduced annual fuel consumption by as much as 40%. This has saved oil heat consumers a lot of money on fuel.
You can make a difference by making Lawman’s Oil your preferred heating oil delivery company. For several years now, we have donated 1¢ of every gallon of heating oil we have delivered to the American Breast Cancer Foundation.
We supply high-quality, discount heating oil to Gloucester, Camden and Salem Counties in New Jersey; New Castle County in Delaware; and Chester and Delaware Counties in Pennsylvania. Please go to our Customer Portal if you want to get a heating oil delivery from us.