Dispelling the Myths about Oilheat

Oilheat History   •   Benefits   •   Myths   •   Using a Local Oilheat Dealer

Conservation Tips   •   Upgrading Your System   •   Oilheat Equipment

Storage Tanks & Safety   •   Advances: Ohio Bioheat®   •   FAQs   •   Tax Incentives

There are a lot of myths floating around about today's modern Oilheat. Technological advances have made Oilheat safer, cleaner and more efficient than ever before. Know the facts:

MYTH: Oilheat explodes.

FACT: Oilheat does not explode.
Oilheat will not burn in a liquid state. In order to light heating oil on fire, you must heat it above 140°F, the temperature at which it begins to vaporize. If you drop a match into heating oil, it will go out as if dropped into water.

MYTH: Oilheat poses a health hazard.

FACT: Oilheat does not harm one's health.
The possibility of carbon monoxide entering the home from an oil burner is extremely rare. However, installing CO detectors is still good advice.

MYTH: Oilheat is not dependable.

FACT: Oilheat suppliers have always kept their customers warm, and will continue to do so.
There is no need to worry about world supply of crude oil — with over 50 oil-producing countries, the U.S. is not dependent on any one source for our supply. In addition, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the United States has a capacity of over 720 million barrels — the world's largest emergency crude oil stockpile. Moreover, the domestic increase in production of "green" Bioheat® from organic substances such as soybeans means that the U.S. is able to be less dependent on foreign oil.

MYTH: Oilheat is dirty.

FACT: Oilheat is now 95% cleaner than 25 years ago.*
Achievements in oil burner technology have resulted in emissions levels approaching zero. In fact, Oilheat burns so cleanly its emissions aren't regulated by the Federal Clean Air Act. On top of all this, low-sulfur products and biofuels, such as those made from soybeans, are reducing emissions even further.
_{*Source: USEPA, BNL Report 52249}

MYTH: Heating oil tanks are unsafe.

FACT: Oil tanks are safer than ever.
Oilheat customers benefit from having their fuel source safely stored in a tank on their property — with no need to worry about the weather or disruptions in their fuel supply. Modern tanks are made from corrosion-resistant materials to make them safer and more leak-proof than ever before.

MYTH: Oilheat is not a good value.

FACT: Oilheat means savings.
For the majority of the last 20 years, Oilheat has been a great value. Plus, many Oilheat dealers stretch their customers' energy dollars with value-added "full service" features like automatic delivery, 24-hour emergency service, maintenance contracts and budget and payment plans. There are inexpensive equipment changes an Oilheat customer can make — like installing a programmable thermostat, which can lower annual energy usage by up to 5%. Consumers can save even more — up to 40% off their annual heating bills — by replacing old, inefficient systems with modern Oilheat systems.