Heating oil is still revered by many as their favorite way to heat their home. Although the vast majority of systems use electric heat pumps, millions of people rely on heating oil and natural gas to stay warm in the summer. In this post, we want to discuss the differences between electric heat and heat produced by heating oil. 

Both systems achieve the end result which is to heat a space where you live to make it habitable in winter months. Without a heating system, a home would simply be uninhabitable in winter. Temperatures in Lynchburg can often get below freezing and a blanket is simply not enough to fend off the creeping cold. 

Heating systems which use heating oil heat your home faster than electric heat. This is because heat is being generated from a flame vs an electric heating coil. The flame from heating oil burns at about 2,650°F to 2,850°F, which is 400°F hotter than gas flames and even hotter than a heating coil.

For those worried about how heating is for the environment, it should be noted that heating oil is non-toxic. Heating oil is biodegradable and contains no carcinogens. Heating oil is as clean as it has ever been. Upgrades to the distilling and processing have made it much cleaner than years past. 

Heating oil is safe. It does not ignite at room temperature. In fact, heating oil must be heated to 140 degrees and then evaporated before it will light. This is all done in your heating oil furnace. If you dropped a lit match into a puddle of eating oil it would simply extinguish. 

During a mild winter, some folks can get by on less than a tank of heating oil. It burns at a much slower pace than an engine of a vehicle for instance. Heating oil is now even cheaper than it was in 1980.

Tanks are usually kept in the basement or outside the home. Accidents involving these sturdy tanks are very rare. Your heating oil delivery person can do a quick cursory check of your tank when he or she fills it up. The system is solid, safe and secure.

If you are thinking about installing a new heating system, you should at the very least consider what heating oil can do for you. If you are thinking about replacing your heating oil system, perhaps consider what can happen with different kinds of heat. The electric bill can skyrocket. Gas furnaces are much more flammable and a leak can be very dangerous. Heating oil is a calm and steady heating system.