Heating Oil: Clean, Efficient and Safe
The debate on heating oil versus natural gas has never been this intense in years. It’s fair to say that there is an increasing number of American households switching from heating oil furnace to natural gas. But the question is: is it really worth it?
They say that natural gas is far more efficient. Perhaps there’s a good case for that. However, as a homeowner, you must take into account some other important factors when choosing between heating oil and natural gas. For instance, you might be wondering why for so many decades, millions of people have stuck to using heating oil. The answer is quite simple – because there’s no other fuel source that combines stability and safety. You can go ahead brag about other renewable fuel sources or highly efficient ones. But why are you still reading this article about heating oil? The obvious answer is that you still believe it’s your best option.
For the sake of argument, let’s dig in and take a look at the news about incidents involving natural gas…
You should be aware by now that the main problem of using natural gas is the risk of leaks. Say for example, just this April, a home was torn into small pieces in Long Grove. At first, first responders and firefighters thought they were responding to fire emergency. But when they got there, it was more than just traditional fire. The entire home was obliterated and after months of investigation, it was ruled that the cause was natural gas leak inside the house. Fortunately, the owner was able to escape the ordeal before the property blew up.
A similar case happened in Seattle about three years back. An explosion, followed by a massive fire on a residential building sent two people, badly injured, to the hospital. It was later revealed that the explosion was caused by a natural gas leak inside the house. The effect of the explosion was actually quite massive. Aside from leveling the house, it also scattered debris extending to the entire block. The natural gas explosion was so powerful that most windows within the one-mile radius were shattered.
Natural gas advocates boast that this fuel source is far more superior to heating oil because it burns cleaner and may be more efficient. But you should know that the danger of having natural gas in an indoor setting is always present. It is much lighter than air, which means it naturally dissipates in an outside environment. However, when it is inside living spaces, it tends to collect in dead air spaces, making about 15% of the air flammable. Now that’s scary! Also, although it is not toxic, it will displace oxygen and lead to asphyxiation when it is trapped in a confined space.
So how about heating oil?
Oil heat on the other hand is arguably the most efficient and safest method of heating a home or business. It is combustible, non-explosive, and very stable. Its inherent properties address all the concerns related to natural gas. Here are some benefits we've listed courtesy of our Lehigh Valley heating oil suppliers.
Notable Benefits
1. Clean – Way back in the 70s and 80s, it’s fair to say that heating oil wasn’t really practical because it was dirty. But with the modern oil heat systems used today, it has become 95% cleaner. There are little to zero soot or dirt content. There’s even no more odor.
2. Efficient – Who says fuel heating oil is not efficient? With a modern heating oil furnace today, what you get is about 85% to 90% efficiency. In the modern heating industry, heating oil is surprisingly a leader in efficiency.
3. Safe – Because of the fact that it is non-explosive, heating oil is deemed as the safest of them all. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t’ even burn in its liquid state.
4. Abundant – Last but not the least, heating oil supply won’t run out. There are more than thirty oil producing countries in the world and all of them look up to the U.S. as a major consumer. So don’t worry about getting cozy and warm this winter. You’ve got plenty of heating oil coming your way.
They say that natural gas is far more efficient. Perhaps there’s a good case for that. However, as a homeowner, you must take into account some other important factors when choosing between heating oil and natural gas. For instance, you might be wondering why for so many decades, millions of people have stuck to using heating oil. The answer is quite simple – because there’s no other fuel source that combines stability and safety. You can go ahead brag about other renewable fuel sources or highly efficient ones. But why are you still reading this article about heating oil? The obvious answer is that you still believe it’s your best option.
For the sake of argument, let’s dig in and take a look at the news about incidents involving natural gas…
You should be aware by now that the main problem of using natural gas is the risk of leaks. Say for example, just this April, a home was torn into small pieces in Long Grove. At first, first responders and firefighters thought they were responding to fire emergency. But when they got there, it was more than just traditional fire. The entire home was obliterated and after months of investigation, it was ruled that the cause was natural gas leak inside the house. Fortunately, the owner was able to escape the ordeal before the property blew up.
A similar case happened in Seattle about three years back. An explosion, followed by a massive fire on a residential building sent two people, badly injured, to the hospital. It was later revealed that the explosion was caused by a natural gas leak inside the house. The effect of the explosion was actually quite massive. Aside from leveling the house, it also scattered debris extending to the entire block. The natural gas explosion was so powerful that most windows within the one-mile radius were shattered.
Natural gas advocates boast that this fuel source is far more superior to heating oil because it burns cleaner and may be more efficient. But you should know that the danger of having natural gas in an indoor setting is always present. It is much lighter than air, which means it naturally dissipates in an outside environment. However, when it is inside living spaces, it tends to collect in dead air spaces, making about 15% of the air flammable. Now that’s scary! Also, although it is not toxic, it will displace oxygen and lead to asphyxiation when it is trapped in a confined space.
So how about heating oil?
Oil heat on the other hand is arguably the most efficient and safest method of heating a home or business. It is combustible, non-explosive, and very stable. Its inherent properties address all the concerns related to natural gas. Here are some benefits we've listed courtesy of our Lehigh Valley heating oil suppliers.
Notable Benefits
1. Clean – Way back in the 70s and 80s, it’s fair to say that heating oil wasn’t really practical because it was dirty. But with the modern oil heat systems used today, it has become 95% cleaner. There are little to zero soot or dirt content. There’s even no more odor.
2. Efficient – Who says fuel heating oil is not efficient? With a modern heating oil furnace today, what you get is about 85% to 90% efficiency. In the modern heating industry, heating oil is surprisingly a leader in efficiency.
3. Safe – Because of the fact that it is non-explosive, heating oil is deemed as the safest of them all. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t’ even burn in its liquid state.
4. Abundant – Last but not the least, heating oil supply won’t run out. There are more than thirty oil producing countries in the world and all of them look up to the U.S. as a major consumer. So don’t worry about getting cozy and warm this winter. You’ve got plenty of heating oil coming your way.