HOW
OIL HEATING SYSTEMS WORK
Every oil
heating system is based on one simple principle. The heat from the
burner flame produces hot water,hot air or steam which is then circulated
throughout the house for heat. Without question, your oil burner is
the most important part of your heating system. But contrary to popular
belief, an oil burner doesn't burn oil.
Instead
it combines fuel oil from your tank with just the right amount of
air and then delivers it to the point of ignition at the burner head.
This burning mixture of oil and air heats the air, water or steam
that's circulated through your home.
This is
an extremely safe heating method because fuel oil in its liquid state
will not burn. Ignition can only be achieved after the burner has
atomized the oil into a fine spray of minute oil particles. These
particles are mixed with air drawn into the burner, then ignited by
an electric spark generated by the burner's transformer. Oil burners
provide a steady flame which is better for your system's efficiency.
There are
three grades of heating oil, #2, #4 and #6. Homeowners burn #2 heating
oil, the cleanest and most refined of these three grades. Of the different
heating fuels available to heat your home, the hottest flame is created
by heating oil. Since oil burns 400º hotter than natural gas or propane
there are many advantages to using it to warm your home. Because it's
so hot, your home will naturally heat up faster, need less fuel, maintain
your desired temperature more efficiently, and provide an atmosphere
where you'll just feel more comfortable.
In principal,
all central heating systems work the same whether they are fueled
by oil, gas, propane, or electricity. They have three basic components
that work together to keep your home warm:
1. The
furnace or boiler - serves as a heat source.
2. The
ductwork or radiator - circulates the heat around the house
3. The
thermostat - turns system on/off and controls temperature In addition
an oil heat system includes a tank (your oil supply is stored locally
in a tank) and sometimes a separate water heater.
OIL
BURNERS
Oil burners
are all constructed with the same basic design. An electric motor
spins a fan and oil pump simultaneously. Air from the fan is directed
into a blast tube. At the end of the tube is a nozzle spraying the
oil the pump has put under high pressure. The nozzle resembles a garden
hose sprayer, but is smaller and more precise. It has a flow rating
( in gallons per hour ) to size the heat output. It also has a degree
angle that determines the width of the spray. A letter stamped on
the nozzle identifies the cone formed by the spray as hollow or solid.
Released
from the pressure at the nozzle, the oil atomizes into a fog and is
ignited with an electric spark. The spark is generated by a transformer
that boosts the voltage upwards of 10,000 volts or more. The spark
jumps across electrodes placed in front of the nozzle and is blown
into the oil spray by the blast of air. Watching the ignition is an
electric eye known as a cad cell.
Current
generated by the fire on the window of the cell is conducted to a
burner-relay and keeps the relay engaged and the burner motor running.
If the fire goes out, the burner will shut down to prevent a build
up of unburned fuel and an explosive condition. The burner relay also
has a transformer built in that sends a 24 volt current to the thermostat
that becomes the means of signaling for heat.
Why
Smart Homeowners Choose Oil Heat
Oil
heat Is Clean and Environmentally Friendly
Heating
oil is nontoxic, contains no carcinogens, and is biodegradable.
Residential oil tanks do not present a threat to human health or the
environment. A properly maintained oil tank can last for decades.
Oil heat has the least environmental impact of any type of space heating
and hot water fuel, attributable to it's high efficiency and clean
burning. Natural gas and propane are similarly benign, while electric,
coal and wood heat are far more detrimental to air quality.
Modern
Oil heat systems are among the cleanest of combustion devices.
New oil burners release near zero levels of smoke and combustion discharge.
Residential oil burners produce less than one-third of one percent
(.003) of total particulate emissions in the U.S. each year. Emissions
from residential gas burners are about the same as from equivalent
size oil burners, according to government research agency studies.
Neither fuel releases particulate matter of any consequence. While
electric heat at the point of use has no emission at all, the power
plant creating the electricity may be giving off significant emissions
depending on how power is generated.
OIL
HEAT IS EFFICIENT
The single
most important factor in your decision about home heating is the efficiency
of your equipment. Common efficiency ratings for modern oil heating
systems are over 80%. New technological and design improvements on
oil heating systems continue to produce increased efficiency ratings.
Heating
and hot water system efficiency is a measure of the amount of usable
heat extracted from the potential energy of the fuel. For example,
if your heating system is evaluated at 85% efficiency, it means that
85 cents of every dollar spent for heat and hot water are consumed
within the home. The balance is exhausted through your chimney or
flue exhaust. It's the combination of high efficiency and minimal
exhaust of emissions are desirable traits for a home heating fuel.
Oil-fired equipment has always provided these features for both heat
and hot water. There are many ways to compare heating system efficiency.
The most widely accepted measure is the U.S. Department of Energy's
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE). Using the AFUE benchmark,
Oil heat gets excellent ratings - Take a look:
- Efficiencies
of new oil equipment range from 83% to 94%.
- The
average gas unit sold has an AFUE in the low 80's, while ratings
on individual gas units vary from 78% to 95%.
- While
the high end efficiency of some natural gas systems may look attractive,
they exhibit higher water vapor in the exhaust than an Oil heat
system- which can be corrosive to the heating unit.
- Air
to air heat pumps between 51% and 62%;
- Geothermal
heat pumps 76% to 82% AFUE.
Electric
resistance heat has between 27% and 31% AFUE; Electric heat is inefficient
because nearly 66% of the heat value of the fuel is lost in the generation
and transmission.
Oil
heat Is Safe
Oil, gas,
and electric heat all have commendable safety records when the equipment
is installed properly and maintained regularly. However, when heating
units malfunction, safety hazards can occur. Should that situation
arise, Oil heat offers important safety advantages:
Heating
oil is non-explosive. If a heating oil leak should occur, it is not
an explosive hazard. When natural gas or propane leaks, an explosive
mixture of air and fuel forms rapidly. Heating oil will not burn in
a liquid state. If you were to place a lit match into a vial of heating
oil, the match would be extinguished because heating oil in liquid
form is well below it's flash point of 140 degrees F, the temperature
at which it begins to vaporize in order to fire inside a burner. By
contrast, natural gas and propane will burst into flames when mixed
with air if a match is struck in their presence.
Oil heat
is one of the safest fuels ever developed. A clear, champagne-colored
liquid that's nontoxic and non-explosive. An oil heat system doesn't
"burn" oil like a kerosene lamp. Before heating oil will burn, it
must be vaporized. The burner unit in an oil heat system acts like
a finely tuned carburetor, turning fuel into vapor for efficient combustion
in a sealed chamber. When is the last time you heard of an explosion
caused by oil heat? It doesn't happen! Compare that to the weekly
disasters involving natural gas, and you can see why oil heat is the
safe choice.
Oil
Costs Less
It costs
far less to heat your home with oil than with electricity. And oil
is competitive with gas. It's a simple fact. History shows us oil
heat costs less than almost anything you've bought in the last decade.
While postage has gone up 40%.. apples 68%.. and cereal 75%.. heating
oil has gone down 28%!
Comfort
We all
like to be comfortable. And oil heat is the most comfortable heat
of all. An oil heat system distributes the warm cozy feeling you want
quickly, bringing your home to a warm toasty temperature in less time
than other fuels. Which means less chill. And less money.
Versatile
Oil heat
can do a whole lot more than just provide efficient heating. New complete
oil home comfort systems supply cooling, and keep you in hot water
all day long, plus heat hot tubs and swimming pools. Today, you can
expect to get the most from your home comfort system. State of the
art oil systems provide heating and hot water for the same annual
costs other energy sources provide only heating. That's like getting
hot water FREE!
With an
oil hot water heater, your home will never run out of hot water. A
hot tub heated with an oil system will be heated to over 104 degrees
in less than an hour. And a hot tub heated with an oil system will
stay at a comfortable, constant temperature for a very low cost.
Supply
Heating
oil is always produced along with gasoline when crude oil is refined.
As long as we need gasoline, heating oil will be available. In fact,
increasing gasoline consumption is resulting in a surplus of heating
oil - a situation helping to keep heating oil prices low.
Most of
our home heating oil is produced and refined here in the United States.
Domestic and friendly petroleum reserves are available well into the
next century. The total known reserves in the world are actually increasing
rather than declining, due to improved exploration and extraction
technologies. The full tank of oil at your home represents another
measure of security.
Service
Last but
never least, service. The old American competitive spirit. With oil
heating, you get to choose who delivers your fuel at competitive prices.
You have the choice and control. So you can decide who you want by
price, service and quality. The American way.
What
Can You Do?
1) Tune-up
your Furnace: Make sure your system is operating at peak efficiency
by having our skilled, professional technician perform a comprehensive
tune-up. Call us and schedule a routine maintenance and inspection
of your furnace each autumn to make sure it is in good working order.
As part of our tune-up we will change your filter so that the boiler
will work less hard, use less energy and last longer.
2) If your
boiler system is old, you might consider updating it. New furnaces
are far more efficient than ever before which means that more of the
fuel used by the furnace gets upstairs as heat. Consider upgrading
your burner, furnace or boiler to a new high efficiency model. You'll
save moneyimmediately and for years to come.
3) Ask
us to install a programmable thermostat to reduce your fuel consumption.
4) Check
your home for drafts which rob it of heat.
5) Most
importantly, remember the value of quality service. When temperatures
are frigid, response and quality of service are of utmost importance.
At Rockingham Oil we pride ourselves on providing the highest quality
service possible when you need it most.
We want
your business and we'll prove it!
Call
us NOW at
1-866-348-FUEL ( 3835 ) or
Derry:
603-434-9224
Pelham:
603-635-9955
