For those that have oil heat.......How many gallons per month are you using?
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Oil Heat
- Thread starter ALLSKIING
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Savemeasammy
New member
We did really well in Nov/Dec. I'm not exactly sure when we filled our tank, but it was near the beginning of the heating season, and we didn't have to refill our 250 gallon tank until New Year's Eve. Right now we are at about 5/8 or less. January has been a pisser... Fwiw, our house is a Victorian monstrosity...
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Filled up end of November (250 gal tank) probably will need to fill up end of Feb or early March, then won't need to fill up again until Fall. I don't use it for hot water so it's just heat and my house is small 1500 sqf.
skifree
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Around 200gpm during winter
Savemeasammy
New member
I will also mention that we have steam heat, and we supplement with a wood burning fireplace insert. We bought 6 cords of wood this year.
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St. Bear
New member
One of the best things I ever did was take the hot water off the boiler, and install an electric hot water heater. Now we get 3-4 deliveries a year, and shut down the boiler from March-Nov.
St. Bear
New member
It's been a while since i've updated this. my house is ~2500 sq feet I think. 4br colonial.
Do you run a whole house sauna? Just looking at this is making me sweat.
drjeff
Well-known member
I'm guessing that a bunch of Nick's spike can be attributed to new kid(s) in the house and then also the associated care takers of said kids wanting the house warm and toasty 24//7 instead of the usual turn down the thermostat during the day and while sleeping that most of us do
I just got delivery #2 for my 250 gallon tank since November 1st - 220 gallons of oil this time for my 3300 sq ft house - had many days due to the holidays and my in-laws being over where the main thermostat zone (I have 3 zones in my house) spent the full day at 72 rather than the usual 5 hours it spends at 70 and 19 hours at 60. I know a burned a bunch more oil on those days to keep my in-laws toasty! :lol:
Yep, the kids are a huge part. My wife and I used to both work outside the house and we would be gone from 8 to 5 every day.
Now, she is home with the kids. Also, the kids take 2 naps a day, so I can't let the upstairs cool down either that much.
We usually keep the heat around 68 - 69 degrees, the upstairs does go down between naptimes and the downstairs temp turns down to 62 at night.
But yeah us being in the home all the time makes it run constantly.
Now, she is home with the kids. Also, the kids take 2 naps a day, so I can't let the upstairs cool down either that much.
We usually keep the heat around 68 - 69 degrees, the upstairs does go down between naptimes and the downstairs temp turns down to 62 at night.
But yeah us being in the home all the time makes it run constantly.
So yeah basically in the coldest parts of the winter it's around 6 gallons per day so 180 gallons a month? That's probably when the temps are around 10 - 20 degrees
SkiFanE
New member
We have 1700 sq. foot colonial, old boiler, shitty windows, oil hot water. We'd go through about 150-200 gals/month in dead of winter previous years (and we NEVER have thermostat above 68, usually at 62 and we go away every weekend and set it at 58 or so). This fall we got a woodstove 
Last delivery was 12/15, just checked a few days ago and we were only down 1/3 So for 250 gals I'm guessing it was 75 gals or so over the month. Of course...when oil is cheap haha...last winter we got reamed big time (hence wood stove). Ski house is heated with oil, but mostly with woodstove when we are there. WE got through about 500 gals/winter (1400ft ranch). Ski house we got wood delivered, main house we are chopping own wood from our woodsy acre...THAT is a nice little core workout.
Last delivery was 12/15, just checked a few days ago and we were only down 1/3 So for 250 gals I'm guessing it was 75 gals or so over the month. Of course...when oil is cheap haha...last winter we got reamed big time (hence wood stove). Ski house is heated with oil, but mostly with woodstove when we are there. WE got through about 500 gals/winter (1400ft ranch). Ski house we got wood delivered, main house we are chopping own wood from our woodsy acre...THAT is a nice little core workout.
SkiFanE
New member
Keep the heat down for kid's naps. Honestly...chillier house is a healthier house, as long as they have sleepers on and a blanket, trust me..they'll be fine. I never put heat above 62 upstairs - I always like sleeping in chiller house. If it's warmer, I get all stuffed up.
Those of you in Mass with leaky houses really should give MassSave a call http://www.masssave.com/. They come in and do a free energy audit, put in cfls everywhere for no cost, and then give you huge discounts on insulation, windows, etc ...
I do also, we used to put it to ~66 or 65 at night. My daughter sleeps with a sleep sack (she just turned 1) but my son is 2 1/2 and still doesn't want a blank, and I don't think his PJ's alone are enough to keep him warm. I used to put a small space heater in his room just to accomodate him. also my upstairs doesn't really heat that evenly. Our master bedroom has a return in it where the thermostat is but the other bedrooms vent under the door to the return in the hallway. Sometimes I walk into her room and it's hot and other times it's cold even though it's the same in our bedroom.
I might need to get an HVAC guy to come balance the entire thing. I did do the masssaves thing 2 years ago and they weather sealed and did the door blower test and all that good stuff.
I might need to get an HVAC guy to come balance the entire thing. I did do the masssaves thing 2 years ago and they weather sealed and did the door blower test and all that good stuff.
SkiFanE
New member
Last year we had a $1k boiler repair. We considered getting a new one. But our 1700 sq ft house is the smallest in our neighborhood, McMansions of 4-6k sq feet surround us. We have a beautiful acre of land. So basically...we have a tear-down quality home - or one that would be blown out to double in size...and we won't be in it for more than 8-10 years, we're selling out as soon as kids are done with public school. So...amortization wasn't there, and the next buyer (probably a developer...just got mail asking if we would sell to a builder) will not care about new boiler/windows. Maybe we're being shortsighted, but we just didn't want to get into debt for new windows/boiler when it wouldn't save us $ in the long run. Although we didn't do en exhaustive research/study - but it was way more $ than we wanted to spend.
And with oil costs so much less...longer time make our $ back (correct?).
Not Sure
Well-known member
Make sure you get your Boiler/Furnace serviced every year! It's expensive but a little layer of carbon inside can reduce heat transmission drastically, Lots of old boilers can waste alot of fuel, I've seen some stack temps of 700 deg.
Shutting of your boiler in summer can save money but can do some damage, moisture buildup can rust steel boilers and deteriorate masonary chimneys, a Stainless flue liner can prevent that issue.
Moisture can get into oil tanks through leaking fill caps , put a coffee can over fuill line outside.
Shutting of your boiler in summer can save money but can do some damage, moisture buildup can rust steel boilers and deteriorate masonary chimneys, a Stainless flue liner can prevent that issue.
Moisture can get into oil tanks through leaking fill caps , put a coffee can over fuill line outside.
A new boiler doesn't seem like something you need, but I think I paid less than $700 to have the attic insulated (18" blow-in insulation). I'm sure that would save you some dough over 8-10 years. I did it right when I moved into my place so I'm not sure what the previous owner was burning, but I only go through 2 tanks of Oil a year. New storm windows don't cost that much either. There's a lot of small things you can do that will have a pretty big impact.
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