You Ran Out of Heating Oil! Now What?

You Ran Out of Heating Oil! Now What?

Since 1976, OK Petroleum has been making sure Long Island properties are safe and warm with their high-quality, reliable heating oil delivery services. A family-owned and operated company, OK Petroleum offers excellent products and competitive prices to meet the needs of their customers. If you’ve been looking for a heating oil delivery company that you can rely on, with OK Petroleum, your search is over!

You wake up in the morning and start the shower, only to discover that there’s no hot water. Then you realize that your house feels a little chillier than normal, even though you haven’t touched the thermostat. You check your oil tank, and much to your dismay, you discover that you’re out of oil!

Running out of heating oil is every homeowner’s worst nightmare; but, believe it or not, it’s common. Even if you check your oil tank regularly and you are usually on top of your deliveries, life can get hectic. Forgetting to schedule a delivery happens!

If you’ve discovered that you’re out of heating oil, don’t panic! First, shut off your heating system. Next, read on to find out how to handle the problem so you can restore your home’s comfort.

Contact a Heating Oil Provider

Once you’ve confirmed that you are out of oil, put a call into a heating oil delivery company as soon as possible. Do a quick search on the Internet and you’ll find several companies that offer will-call delivery. However, when searching for companies, try to resist the temptation to place an order with the first one you find. Do a little research first. You want to find a company that won’t charge for emergency deliveries. You also want to choose one that can quickly make a delivery. Also, see if you can find out how long the company has been in business. Generally, those that have been operating for a long time are the most trustworthy.

Get Diesel Fuel

If your tank is completely empty and you need heat and hot water now, diesel fuel will tide you over until the oil delivery company arrives. Diesel fuel and heating oil are very similar, and you can easily add it to your tank without any problems (however, you shouldn’t make a habit of using diesel fuel to heat your home.)

If you have a portable gas can available, grab it and head to your local gas station; if you don’t have a can, you can pick one up at your nearest automotive or hardware supply store. Many gas stations also sell portable gas cans.

Adding diesel fuel to your oil tank is easy; simply find the inlet valve for the tank (where your heating oil is delivered) and pour the diesel in. Give it a few minutes to settle in the tank and then fire it back up. You should have enough fuel to keep you take a hot shower and keep your home warm until your oil delivery arrives; just make sure you keep your thermostat settings low so that you don’t burn through it too fast.

Plan for the Future

Running out of heating oil can be a major inconvenience. To ensure you don’t have to go through the hassle again, plan ahead. Keep track of the oil in your tank. Check it every few days so that you know how much oil you have and can get an idea of how much you are using. Schedule a delivery before you get too low; you don’t want to go below a quarter of a tank.

Lastly, make sure that you monitor your heating system and have it serviced regularly. If any issues arise, you could start burning through oil more quickly, which may increase the chances of running out of oil. By paying attention to how your heating system is operating and having routine maintenance will prevent you from getting stuck in the same predicament.

If you do run out of home heating oil – or you’re running low – call OK Petroleum for a fast, easy delivery of heating oil. For more than 40 years, we’ve been meeting the oil heat needs of Long Islanders. We never charge a fee for emergency deliveries, and we’ll make sure that you receive your delivery in a timely manner so that you can maintain the comfort of your home.

Running out of heating oil can certainly be a pain, but our fast, affordable services can make it a little less painful.