There are so many chores to be done around the house in the winter. With a long to-do list, it’s easy for out-of-sight, out-of-mind tasks to slip through the cracks. Checking your oil tank gauge is easy to forget until you run out of heating oil in the middle of a Long Island winter. What happens to your furnace when you run out of oil, and what should you do when it does?
Will a Furnace Run Without Heating Oil?
When you run out of heating oil, your furnace will automatically shut down and stop heating your home. Before restarting your system, you may need to clear the fuel line and replace the filter. We can check your lines and filter and take care of this for you. In the case of some modern oil furnaces, some have a built-in shutoff feature to prevent damage to the unit.
What to Do If Your Oil Tank Is Empty
- Check Your Oil Gauge: Ensure the lack of heat is due to low oil levels and not a mechanical issue with your furnace or a blockage in your fuel line.
- Schedule an Emergency Delivery: If you are out of oil, call us immediately to arrange an emergency delivery. Let us know you are completely out so we can plan to prime your system if necessary.
- Monitor Your Oil Levels Regularly: Check your oil gauge often and place an oil delivery order when your tank reaches the one-quarter mark. This helps prevent heat loss and avoids the need to bleed the lines before rebooting.
- Avoid Using Alternative Fuels: Some people use diesel or kerosene in emergencies, but we don’t recommend it—especially since we can typically refill your tank within 24 hours. Both fuels are significantly more expensive than heating oil. Kerosene, in particular, has a higher burn temperature and lower flashpoint, making it a fire hazard.
- Check Your System’s Requirements: Before using any alternative fuel, review your system’s specifications and warnings to ensure compatibility.
Get Speedy On-Demand Oil Delivery with Express COD
Express COD Heating Oil Delivery is a division of Long Island’s trusted Tragar Home Services. More than 60 employees provide speedy, discount home heating oil delivery services to Long Island homes to keep you warm and safe all winter long. When you’re running low, you can contact us for more information or place an online order 24/7. We offer traditional home heating oil as well as environmentally friendly Bioheat® oil.
If you need any other type of HVAC service, our sister company, Tragar Home Services, can handle all your installation, maintenance, and repair needs.