Long Island is known for having fairly erratic winters as of late. A cold week or two can be followed by a few warm days leading into a snowstorm. We’ve had a couple of winter storms this season in close succession, but for the most part the roads have been fairly clear, making street parking more manageable.
While a milder winter can be good for many reasons, it may create a false sense of comfort that could lead to being more lax on home upkeep – such as keeping tabs on our home heating oil. And since the winters can be erratic, you may find yourself low or even out of heating oil as a winter storm comes to our front door after days of higher temperatures. So, what do you do if you run out of heating oil during a winter storm?
What Happens If You Run Out Of Heating Oil?
It is important to avoid running out of heating oil not only because of the discomfort it will cause in your home, but because of the strain it inflicts on your home HVAC system. A home furnace that runs on heating oil will undergo an emergency shutdown, which is bad for longevity of your furnace.
Reigniting a furnace can prove to be an ordeal and cause additional strain as the furnace will need to exert extra power when heating your whole home once again. Even when doing your due diligence, it’s possible that the oil gauge may be faulty and give you inaccurate information. Which is why it’s important to have regular checkups on your HVAC systems by professionals.
Will My Pipes Freeze If I Run Out Of Oil?
If the temperatures go below freezing and you are not heating your home, then unfortunately pipes can freeze. If the pipes do freeze, they are likely to burst and cause flooding and additional damage based on where the pipes ended up bursting. If you’re a snowbird (or spend days or weeks at-a-time away from your home) in the winter months, it’s even more important to be aware of the amount of heating oil you have to avoid this costly home disaster.
How To Start A Furnace After Running Out Of Oil?
Unfortunately, restarting a furnace after the oil has run out is an ordeal that often requires some level of handiwork and expertise. It’s a job that can easily get messy and involves oil and fire. Unless you have training in this area, it is highly recommended you have a professional restart your furnace. You could even schedule an oil delivery and HVAC expert to restart your furnace together.
Express COD Provides Fast, Affordable Home Heating Oil Delivery To Keep You Warm This Winter
At Express COD, we make it easy for our customers to order heating oil online at any time, on any day while guaranteeing speedy delivery and competitive discount pricing. And we don’t stop there, as we bring decades of experience in home heating, cooling, plumbing and more. Our skilled professionals can perform routine maintenance and system repairs to keep your home running smoothly this year. Contact us today to learn more.