What Happens When The Furnace Runs Out Of Oil?
It might sometimes feel like you have endless chores as a homeowner. You complete one task, but two more take its place. You might find yourself repairing a fence, folding laundry, changing light bulbs, or calling a plumber to fix a leaky pipe in your bathroom. One more item in your to-do list includes having sufficient heating oil in your tank. Homeowners who opt for COD or will-call heating oil delivery should monitor their oil tank levels and make sure to call when it is around 30% full. However, life often gets so busy that you might forget. What happens when the furnace runs out of oil?
Does Running Out Of Oil Damage My Heating System?
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If you run out of heating oil, you might question some of the likely consequences. For instance, you might worry that you’ll end up with a damaged furnace when you have an empty tank, much like a car’s fuel injector getting damaged if it runs out of gas.
What Happens When It Runs Out Of Fuel?
The good news is that furnace damage will not happen even if you run out of home heating oil.
However, it is still the best practice that the tank is kept full. This way, you do not have to deal with the hassle of running out of fuel, especially during the cold season. Obviously, your furnace will not operate without oil, so you won’t have any heating until the tank is refilled. Therefore, ensure that you have a constant fuel supply to prevent any heating interruptions at home.
A furnace that runs out of fuel doesn’t mean it gets damaged or broken. However, it can happen at the worst time, when the frigid temperatures start to set in. Your furnace will consume more oil when this happens, so if you already have a low supply, you can expect to run out. This case is especially true for the elderly and children.
Regardless, you don’t need to worry that you’ll damage your furnace if it runs out of oil. You also do not need to worry about safety issues if this happens. However, this doesn’t mean that an empty heating oil tank does not come with other problems.
Bleeding The Line And Oil System Filter Replacement
If the temperature is unusually cold, the water pipes might freeze. The water pipes can burst, bringing many issues like mold growth, water damage to your property, and expensive repairs.
You need to reset the furnace once you’ve received your oil delivery. This is also a good time for an oil system filter replacement. The oil filter is usually a cartridge filter on your oil-fired boiler, water heater, or furnace. This means it is enclosed in a canister and is typically placed between the oil burner and the incoming oil line. Therefore, the oil is filtered before reaching the heating system. Running out of oil means that you will need to bleed the line. Call an experienced technician when this happens so they can bleed the fuel line and restart the boiler or furnace for you.
Bleeding the line is needed because the contaminants that had settled at the bottom of the heating oil tank go to the fuel lines when the tank runs out of fuel. You don’t want these contaminants to get into your heating system because they can lead to clogs and costly repairs. Therefore, it is a necessary service when your tank runs out of fuel.
This appointment isn’t free, so it is best to take special care in picking the right time for the HVAC technician to come. These appointments might not be conveniently scheduled, making this another good argument to avoid this situation from happening in the first place. Therefore, make sure you don’t run out of fuel.
When To Order Your Fuel Oil
The general rule is to refill your fuel oil tank when it is 25 to 30 percent full. You can opt to have automatic home heating oil delivery with a trusted delivery company, like R.F. Ohl, so that you don’t run out of heating oil again.
If you experience issues with your furnace or it needs a tune-up, call an experienced HVAC contractor. They can visit your home and help you get things back in proper working order.
Call R.F. Ohl For Fast & Affordable Heating Oil Deliveries
R.F. Ohl is a reliable HVAC company and heating oil supplier. We offer the most competitive heating oil prices in the region, and our deliveries are always completed in a timely and efficient manner. We offer many different delivery plans and financing options so that you can customize your heating oil deliveries to fit your needs. In addition, we employ only experienced, licensed HVAC technicians to complete any necessary heating tune-ups and repairs so that you can reduce your overall energy costs.
At R.F. Ohl, we provide and state-of-the-art HVAC repairs, replacements, tune-ups, and installations. Our professionals have the knowledge and experience to offer you practical and reasonably priced solutions for all your home comfort needs.
Contact R.F. Ohl as soon as possible, and we will be happy to schedule a complimentary, in-home estimate of your HVAC system. Likewise, call us today to find out more about our fuel deliveries.
Click here to contact us today or give us a call at (610) 377-1098 if you have any questions.