How to Be Ready for a Delivery and More Tips
Anyone who has been forced to drive on icy or snowy roads during a New Jersey winter storm can emphasize with what heating oil delivery drivers have to contend with sometimes. Ice and snow can turn an already tough job into a potentially hazardous one. Maneuvering with a heavy hose while navigating slippery surfaces can be challenging as well. In some cases, drivers have sustained injuries when they lost their balance.
Here’s a common question heating oil companies in New Jersey hear: what can I do to be ready for a delivery? First, you can help the driver make safer deliveries by keeping the path to your oil tank clear of snow and ice and removing any nearby obstacles, such as fallen branches.
It is also important to shovel or plow your driveway and keep it free of ice. Safety codes prohibit your heating oil company from parking an oil truck on an incline unless it is perfectly dry. Just because you can get your car down your driveway doesn’t mean a 15-ton heating oil truck can make it too.
Marking the edges of your driveway also makes it easier for delivery drivers to navigate.
How Can I Avoid Running of Oil?
To make winter deliveries easier and stress-free for you, ask your heating oil company if they offer automatic delivery service. They will use your past heating fuel usage and current weather conditions to know when to schedule a delivery before you run low. This eliminates the work and worry of managing your fuel supply.
But if you still prefer to call for heating oil, you need to give your heating oil company extra time when conditions are harsh in order to avoid running out of fuel. It’s best to call for more fuel when your oil tank falls to the one-quarter mark.
How Do I Read My Oil Tank Gauge?
If you’re a long-time heating oil customer, you can probably read your oil tank gauge in your sleep. But for those you who are not as familiar with the oil tank gauge, here is a review.
On top of the heating oil tank, you’ll see a clear glass or plastic cube that is marked with numbers that resemble the gas gauge of your car: F, ¾, ½, ¼. A red marker or float commonly indicates the amount of fuel left in your tank – if the float is at the bottom of the gauge or not visible at all, your tank is empty or nearly empty.
To make sure the gauge is working, carefully remove the outer case and gently press the float down. If it bobs back up to the original position, the gauge is working. If the gauge is not working, contact your heating oil supplier and let them know. The last thing you want to do is to start guessing how much oil is left in your tank—especially when the outdoor temperature plunges into the single digits.
What’s That Whistling Sound I Hear?
If you have a heating oil tank in your basement, you’ll hear a whistling noise as your tank starts to fill up. But don’t worry. This is perfectly normal.
Besides the tank itself, your heating oil storage system includes important components like the fill pipe, vent pipe and vent alarm.
After the driver arrives, he connects the hose from his oil truck to the fill pipe and starts releasing the oil. As oil flows into the tank, air is pushed back out of the vent pipe. As the air goes through the vent alarm–located between your tank and vent pipe–it makes a whistling sound. When the whistling stops, the tank is just about full.
Since your basement tank is out of sight from the driver, the vent alarm prevents overfilling and the possibility of a spill. Safety codes do not allow your heating oil company to deliver your fuel if the vent alarm is not working.
Staying Warm with a Safe Home Heating Fuel
Remember that when you get a heating oil delivery, you’re receiving a home heating fuel that has a remarkable safety record because it is biodegradable, nontoxic and nonflammable.
For further peace of mind, modern heating oil tanks have been designed to be virtually leak-proof. Whether your oil storage tank is located in your basement or outside your home, the tanks being installed today are designed with corrosion-resistant materials.