The oil man cometh (but didnst leaveth much oil)

[Badfish740]

Yesterday I heard some clanging outside while I was working in my basement. Once I heard the vibrations coming through the fill pipe for the oil tank I figured it out. The whistle vent started up and abruptly stopped after about two minutes. Later found the document below in the door. My last fill was in February of 2010, so this represents oil usage for the remainder of that February, March, a week or two in April, and then about half of October, and all of November and December. All in all I think it represents about 103 heating days.

 

[46hemi]

I honestly dont understand how you guys do it. Even running my rockland full tilt 24x7 I still need to keep the heat on even minimally or the house gets really cold (upstairs and downstairs..away from the stove)

 

[Skinn]

The only time my heat has been on in the last two years is when we went away for thanksgiving. If we are home to tend the fire then it keeps the house perfect. If we are going to be gone for 12 to 36 hours the pellet stove on a thermostat keeps everything nice. This is heating about 2000 sq ft, I do have a propane stove that heats around 500 sq ft but it is not always heated and is closed off from the rest of the house when not in use. It is a good feeling to get bills like that!!

 

[Badfish740]

I honestly dont understand how you guys do it. Even running my rockland full tilt 24x7 I still need to keep the heat on even minimally or the house gets really cold (upstairs and downstairs..away from the stove)

I should have tempered my bragging with full disclosure. I'm running an add-on furnace. It's a definite trade off as I'd love to have a stove on the first floor with a nice big window to sit in front of rather than a furnace tucked away in the utility area of the basement, but what I lack in ambiance I make up for in $$$ saved.

 

[Cate68]

Isn't that great? I laugh at my gas bill these days...

 

[Shari]

Previously: forced air / oil furnace

Currently: Jotul Oslo 24/7

Most recent oil bill: Sorry. I don't have one.

We've only used the furnace one night since 2/10 and 3 days while we were out of town during this heating season.

 

[lukem]

The propane man showed up Tuesday, removed the tank lid and shook his head. Pumped in 75 gallons. 15 of that was for heating DWH. 35 of it was where he filled up more than last time. That leaves 25 for heating since November; this was the 5th coldest December in the last 30 years. I'm still kinda disappointed i had to spend $50 to heat my house.

Last year I used 125 gallons on a "mild" December.

 

[Cate68]

Previously: forced air / oil furnace

Currently: Jotul Oslo 24/7

Most recent oil bill: Sorry. I don't have one.

We've only used the furnace one night since 2/10 and 3 days while we were out of town during this heating season.

That's excellent for Wisconsin - you folks get seriously cold up there!

 

[BURNSOFTEN]

HAHA
My delivery with the new oil company resulted in my tank taking 40 gallons.....for 2 months.....Nov and Dec..... the poor oil man spent more time setting up his truck and pulling the hose about 50 yards then he did fillingthe tank....it started then stopped 2 min later.....needless to say I got an email a few days later from the the oil co, they want to discuss the 1500 gallon estimate they gave me....

 

[westkywood]

I rented my propane tank for 12 years so I use to buy a minimum of 200 gallons a year. I finally wised up and bought my own tank this year. I've used my heater about 3 nights so far this year. If the temps get below 10 degrees or so, my woodstove wont do the whole house over night. I hate when that heat kicks on. I expect to get 2-3 years out of a 500 gallon tank of propane.

 

[Badfish740]

HAHA
My delivery with the new oil company resulted in my tank taking 40 gallons.....for 2 months.....Nov and Dec..... the poor oil man spent more time setting up his truck and pulling the hose about 50 yards then he did fillingthe tank....it started then stopped 2 min later.....needless to say I got an email a few days later from the the oil co, they want to discuss the 1500 gallon estimate they gave me....

The folks who own the company we use are good people. They called me last year after I got a delivery of barely 25 gallons The owner was genuinely concerned that something was wrong with the tank and that it could actually go dry which creates all kinds of headaches. I simply explained to him that I was just burning a lot of wood, he laughed and just said, "well you can't go wrong with that!"

 

[firefighterjake]

I think it was either last Fall or maybe it was the Fall before when I topped off my tank . . . I don't even remember how much it was . . . I do know I didn't bother topping off the tank this year since I still have over 3/4 tank full of oil.

I pretty much only use the oil boiler when we're on vacation or when the sub-zero temps cause the house to lose too much heat after a long overnight burn . . . well that and when I'm just plain lazy in the Spring or two weeks ago my wife was sick and she turned up the oil . . . all times when I don't mind the oil coming on to help my woodstove.

 

[firefighterjake]

I honestly dont understand how you guys do it. Even running my rockland full tilt 24x7 I still need to keep the heat on even minimally or the house gets really cold (upstairs and downstairs..away from the stove)

I think a lot depends on the size of the house, insulation, climate, one's own tolerance for heat/cold/etc.

I know in my house the Oslo works for me most of the time and is my primary heat . . . having a home that is moderately insulated, low ceilings, open configuration and 1,800 square feet helps . . . if I was living in a large, drafty Maine farmhouse with little to no insulation I suspect the Oslo would not be able to keep me as warm as I like . . . generally we run our house in the high 60s or low 70s . . . a bit warmer in the living room with the stove, a bit cooler in the bedroom located the farthest away from the stove. The oil boiler kicks on if temps dip below 60 degrees F.

 

[OhioBurner©]

The propane man showed up Tuesday, removed the tank lid and shook his head. Pumped in 75 gallons. 15 of that was for heating DWH. 35 of it was where he filled up more than last time. That leaves 25 for heating since November; this was the 5th coldest December in the last 30 years. I'm still kinda disappointed i had to spend $50 to heat my house.

Last year I used 125 gallons on a "mild" December.

We used about 500 gal of propane last year and have pre-bought as much for this year.

All winter long it only gets used when we are out of town, or if I'm working and there is no one at home since the stove wont last until I get back home. There really isnt any way around it... we are gone just about every other weekend, and usually leave the propane set at 60*. The other thing is during the shoulder season when its too much work to burn wood when its relatively warm out - burning wood when its 50* will usually heat us out of the house. My folks dont burn wood unless its below freezing they always said. In fall I do try to manage burning the stove because I am eager to do so, but by the spring shoulder season it seems I'm eager to be done with it so propane gets used a little more.

 

[Shari]

I honestly dont understand how you guys do it. Even running my rockland full tilt 24x7 I still need to keep the heat on even minimally or the house gets really cold (upstairs and downstairs..away from the stove)

Even though we are heating 24/7 there are some cool mornings around here. I am awake first (always) and have seen 67 in the living room where the stove is when outside temps are single digits with a 20 mph wind. Within a 1/2 hr. starting the stove our room temps are rising so when hubby get up 1-1-1/2 hrs. later its in the mid 70's and might still be climbing depending on outside temp/wind.

This is not to say who don't have 'leaks' around here. This afternoon we will be installing a new front door storm door. I'd love to replace our living room window but that is a real biggy - about 9' long. It wouldn't hurt if our house were 'tighter'.

 

[Scotty0844]

They forced us off of automatic delivery because they were "wasting their time coming to my residence". I have a 550 gallon tank. It was last filled in February 2010. I dipped it a couple weeks ago and to my surprise there was still nearly 500 gallons in there. I would say thats quite good considering our furnace also heats our hot water.

 

[branchburner]

Thou hast excellently entitled thy thread. May the oil man be banished from thy kingdom!

If you really want to banish the oil man, let your furnace fall into disrepair, then neglect to fix it. It has worked wonders for my heating bill.

 

[Mcbride]

They forced us off of automatic delivery because they were "wasting their time coming to my residence". I have a 550 gallon tank. It was last filled in February 2010. I dipped it a couple weeks ago and to my surprise there was still nearly 500 gallons in there. I would say thats quite good considering our furnace also heats our hot water.

Its going to go bad sitting there, not being used.
Good problem to have compared to spending say $3,000 a year.

 

[North of 60]

They forced us off of automatic delivery because they were "wasting their time coming to my residence". I have a 550 gallon tank. It was last filled in February 2010. I dipped it a couple weeks ago and to my surprise there was still nearly 500 gallons in there. I would say thats quite good considering our furnace also heats our hot water.

Its going to go bad sitting there, not being used.
Good problem to have compared to spending say $3,000 a year.

Its not a sure given that it will go bad. It depends on the situation of the tank. An outdoor tank that is exposed to warm and cold can collect condensation. If the tank is left full it will collect less. If you have an inside tank, less condensation will be created. Now if you were ti use a displacement anti-microbial fuel treatment then again your possibility of bad fuel is avoided.
For the last ten years my fuel tank remains full. 295hrs run time. In my basement. No conditioner/treatment. Our dry climate may have something to do with it. It gets an average of 125litr/33 gal a year top up. Other than last year. No fuel was used. -30c/-22f was our coldest. That fuel sat non topped up for 2yrs. This year I had it topped up before Christmas and only ran the furnace as I was away. My dip tube showed 48 ltres/ 12gal used in that period. 16 days of -30c/-22f Maybe the 125ltr top ups have enough treatment/stabilizer from the refinery to maintain my tank. I dont know. I do know that I have never had a fuel/burner issue ever. I did do my nozzle and filter for the 1st time this year in 10 yrs just before I left.

We have large bunkers of fuel underground up here for our Large set ups. If we have a large amount of water above the dam and a mild winter with no local mines operating we have a surplus of electric. No diesel generation required. That creates 2 situations. Fuel oil in the 1000gals sitting for up to 2yrs for the gen sets and various oil boilers that are turned off with fuel tanks and electric ones being used. No oil being consumed. Fuel additive is being used at these sites. Use conditioner/stabilizer when in doubt.

Badfish740, its a good feeling isnt it.

 

[wkpoor]

I honestly dont understand how you guys do it. Even running my rockland full tilt 24x7 I still need to keep the heat on even minimally or the house gets really cold (upstairs and downstairs..away from the stove)

There is a million factors that make up whether or not 100% wood heat works or not. Based on our house design and climate it works so well for us we are going into or 3rd season (out of 9 total) without any other heat source and we've never been warmer, aaaaand I don't even own a "Blaze King". Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I had actually designed and built our house with wood heat in mind rather than an after thought.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I honestly dont understand how you guys do it. Even running my rockland full tilt 24x7 I still need to keep the heat on even minimally or the house gets really cold (upstairs and downstairs..away from the stove)

We do not have an oil tank. We do not have a furnace. 100% of our heat comes from the Woodstock Fireview. Sweet....

 

[Mad Tom]

I honestly dont understand how you guys do it. Even running my rockland full tilt 24x7 I still need to keep the heat on even minimally or the house gets really cold (upstairs and downstairs..away from the stove)

We do not have an oil tank. We do not have a furnace. 100% of our heat comes from the Woodstock Fireview. Sweet....

I was curious how some of you gentlemen and ladies heat your hot water ??

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Tom, we do our level best to stay away from heating our hot water. But we do heat the cold water using LP plus some gets heated on the wood stove.

 

[Wallyworld]

I was curious how some of you gentlemen and ladies heat your hot water ??

Solar, Heat pump, electric resistance depends on whats going on.

I have my oil burner switch off, once its cold enough for 24/7 burning, wood does it all. Small well insulated house

 

[Mad Tom]

Tom, we do our level best to stay away from heating our hot water. But we do heat the cold water using LP plus some gets heated on the wood stove.

If you ever give up wood burning you could go on the road as a comedian!