A couple of simple observations:
1. We have an oil burner and every so often, although we are on an automatic delivery system, we have run out of oil. I have never run out of gas. And when the oil runs out, sometimes you need service to restart after the oil is delivered, since you sucked the muck from the bottom of the tank into the heater and may need to prime the supply line.
There are two answers to this -- One your delivery company simply screwed up, and two you changed your "usage profile."
Automatic deliveries are based on "degree days." These are a statistic computed by the US Weather service based on the degrees below 65 F. (Heating days are below 65 cooling days are above 65.)
A "prototype" property will consume X amount of oil per degree day. To this you deliver company will (should) add and subtract the information about your property -- kind of system, level of maintenance, occupancy pattern, past usage. "Obviously," any such system is prone to missing the mark pretty easily. Things like staying home with a sick person and keeping the house warm during the day, instead of everybody being off at work and it being cool; open windows, doors, etc.
Most companies try to compensate for this by scheduling you for a refill at 1/4 tank remaining... which should be about a week or two's supply.
However, one thing which has become more true. Because of the complaints that some have mentioned -- "scheduled" deliveries made where no oil was delivered, or less oil than was claimed, etc. -- several of the dealers who service this area have, in fact, dropped automatic delivery and replaced it with "instant response" to your call. [It's like the Philadelphia Police responding to a crime instead of preventing the crime.]
As for needing service if your tank runs dry ... any time I've had to call for a dry tank, the delivery person sees to it that the burner is running as part of the delivery process. Of course if you are not home at the time...
2. As someone mentioned, oil can be a bit smelly, but it is rare that you smell it unless the delivery guy spills it. On the other hand, we do have a little leak at the moment after a new filter was installed. I think I prefer smelly leaking oil to stinky and explosive leaking gas though.
Other than the spills, oil, like gas only smells when the burner is not working correctly.
BTW, kitty litter (new or "slightly" used) is very good for absorbing oil spills!!!
["Slightly used" litter has the added advantage of providing a "different" smell than that of hydrocarbons.]
3. I'm guessing (one of our neighborhood experts in everything will be able to provide definitive, irrefutable truth on this) that pricing is something to consider in that the prices of both fluctuate, but not necessarily in the same way, with one being more economical at times than the other.
For about the past 10 or 15 years (or maybe even longer, I forget when PGW began adding a "fuel surcharge" to their bills), in Philadelphia, Oil Heat has been significantly cheaper than Gas. Primarily because of PGW's incompetence. In theory, they should be very close to the same price. However, as they say at the EPA, "Your milage may very."
The actual cost of either will depend both upon the particulars of your heating plant AND on the whims of the occupants of the premises. Just as some people hate "force air" others can't stand radiators. But gas or Oil (or coal) can be use for either style heating.
In my experience, if you use gas for domestic hot water and cooking, then adding it for heating is only an "incremental" fuel cost. Similarly, if you have oil for domestic hot water and heating and cook with electric, the PGW "overhead" ($16 a month now, I think) is "overhead." If you want to change from either one to the other, the infrastructure costs can be substantial if you do not already have that infrastructure in place ... piping and meter for gas, tank for oil. Most contemporary heating plants can take either as a heat source, you just change the burner. Coal conversions are a different story (converting either direction).
T.T.F.N. William H. Magill [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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