Heating Oil History and Usage

Heating oil is commonly known in the United States as No. 2 heating oil. Heating oil is a low-viscosity liquid petroleum product commonly used as fuel in furnaces or boilers. This type of fuel or heating oil is a fossil fuel product that comes from refined petroleum. Other familiar forms of fossil fuels are natural gas and coal.

As a fuel source, heating oil dates back to 4th century China, where the first oil wells were dug and the extracted oil was used in lamps and possibly even heating. The first U.S. well that actually pumped oil from the ground was built in 1859 in Titusville, Pennsylvania. But the real history of heating oil in U.S. homes began in 1935 with the invention of the first forced-air furnaces. The original forced-air furnaces used coal, but gas and oil soon followed. In addition, oilheat systems allowed the average homeowner to easily control the temperature in their home by simply adjusting their thermostat – no more shoveling coal! Heating oil systems were also highly dependable – by comparison to earlier heating methods. Heating oil systems allowed the family to go to work or even leave the house for days and return to find their homes still heated and comfortable.

Today, nearly 10% of all homes are heated with oilheat (as opposed to gas-fired furnaces). There are an estimated 9,100 retail heating oil businesses in the United States, employing nearly 100,000 people, and with sales exceeding $16 billion annually. Heating oil is typically delivered to residences and commercial buildings by tank truck and stored in tanks above or below ground. Storage tanks are often located in the basements, garages or adjacent to the buildings they serve.

Heating oil companies like Quarles offer customers a "menu" of heating oil and heating oil system services. From convenient “budget” plans to comprehensive service contracts, heating oil systems offer value in every drop of oilheat delivered to your home. To find out how your home may benefit from using a heating oil system, check out the Fuel Savings Analysis Calculator at the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA). This tool uses information from the U.S. Department of Energy to give an accurate estimate of how much money you’ll save with a heating oil system and service from Quarles.

Source: Wikipedia