halter91 Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 I recently bought a house, it's a 3 bedroom row home, pretty big, not sure exactly on square footage, but it's a nice size. I've already gone through 2 tanks of oil and just had it filled last Monday, I just checked the tank and I'm already @ 3/4. Is it possible to use a 1/4 tank of oil in less than a week? We don't even have the thermostat very high, we keep the house kinda cold (68) so we don't kill the oil. Any ideas? Oh yeah, the heater is brand new, they installed it the week before I moved in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teller Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 I've never had oil heat myself, halter, but my dad does. I'm pretty sure he only fills it once a year. Something sounds wrong, especially if you're keeping the house fairly cool (68). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Die Hard Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 I'm in the same boat Dave... except the heater is much older. Been in this house for 2.5 years now... and the bills during winter are outrageous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrockster21 Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 Maybe you've got a leak, or just a really small oil tank? :whoknows: If I were you, I'd check with the manufacturer of the heater itself to see what kind of oil consumption rate you should be getting. That will give you a good idea of how fast your oil should be burning up. But h_h is right - that doesn't sound right at all, bro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 How many gallons does the tank hold? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLeVan Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 It really depends on the size of your fuel oil tank. For example, my parents own a 2000sqft farm house built in something like 1910. You can pretty much guess the insulation in it is absolute junk. 250gal will normally last about 2-2.5 months in the winter. The oil furnace heats baseboard radiators so it may be different than what you have. Possible causes for high fuel consumption: 1. The furnace hasn't been cleaned => soot has built up inside the furnace reducing heat transfer => requiring more fuel to heat the air/water. (annual maintenance should be performed on your furnace, usually as a service offered by your fuel oil supplier) 2. The burner fuel nozzle is dirty/wrong size/out of adjustment =>can lead to to either a rich or lean burning furnace. (this should be included in the annual maintenance provided by your fuel oil supplier) 3. If you have an electric water heater, be sure that the thermostat on your furnace isn't designed to start up thinking that your water heater is heated by the furnace. You would be surprised at the number of times a furnace control module breaks down and is replaced with one designed to supply central heat and a hot water heater. 4. Failing insulation in walls/attic/and windows. I don't know how old your house is, but this could be a possible cause. If you haven't set up a service contract with your fuel supplier, it's a good idea to. Here in VA, it's anywhere from $35-$150 per year. On the cheaper end, is just your standard cleaning and furnace adjustment. This usually takes about an hour to do, something you may want to look into. On the higher end, it's like insurance in case you have a service call for anything covered under what they maintain/clean. Oil furnaces should be cleaned and adjusted every year, normally in early fall. It will save you the hastle of possible failures and usually saves you money in the long run as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teller Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 How many gallons does the tank hold? This is it: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skins247 Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 I recently bought a house, it's a 3 bedroom row home, pretty big, not sure exactly on square footage, but it's a nice size. I've already gone through 2 tanks of oil and just had it filled last Monday, I just checked the tank and I'm already @ 3/4. Is it possible to use a 1/4 tank of oil in less than a week? We don't even have the thermostat very high, we keep the house kinda cold (68) so we don't kill the oil. Any ideas? Oh yeah, the heater is brand new, they installed it the week before I moved in. Let me get this straight, you just bought a house and you don't know how much square footage the house has? Dang, dude, that's pretty sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsNut73 Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 I have oil heat....Feb was a pretty cold month so we went through about three-quarters of a tank. In other winter months we average about a half tank per month. Our tank is 275 gallons. Do you have thermal windows? In my previous home it made a huge difference when I replaced the windows. I had an old house with single pane windows/storm windows. I replaced them after the first winter in the home and saved 50% on my heating bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stophovr6 Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 I hate oil heat. It sounds like something is wrong though. I have a furnace from the 80's and we don't burn through that much oil. Start by getting your furnace checked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyansRangers Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 you must have a small tank. A leak or a very poor insulated house. How warm are you keeping your home? if you keep it at 75 Degrees its going to burn oil all the time. Plus turn it down when you leave the house. Note - next time you buy a home ask to see thier power and oil bills for summer and winter months. Most provide this if you ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark The Homer Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 A few ideas: Turn the heat down at night. Close some or all of the blow vents upstairs. Heat will rise naturally. If you have intake vents upstairs, close the ones downstairs. Wear sweaters made of lopi icelandic wool ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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