Heating oil is the most essential thing for winter. You already know how merciless is the winter which covers everything in snow and spread freezing cold. It becomes impossible for one to survive without a heating machine at their home. Despite closing all vents and gaps in the home, it is impossible to live when the mercury reaches the sub-zero temperature. Hence, it is mandatory for every building, be it residential or commercial to have one heating machine.
You already know what a heating machine is but do you know how it works? Mostly people know that it is electrical appliance that heats up the environment inside home. But, how does it work? Here are some information for you from Oil Heating Specialists of North Jersey.
Oil-fuelled heating system is designed to spread heat in three ways – warm air through the vents, steam through the radiator and hot water through baseboards. These are the most common three ways. Thermostat or the heating machine is designed to sense the temperature of the room and with the signal of a fallen temperature it starts working to heat up your room automatically. It happens to the automated system which is a more popular one.
At the time the heating oil gets engaged, it travels through the tank to the burner with a pump and there it becomes a fine mist that is mixed with air. The mixture then is inserted into the burner for ignition in the combustion chamber.
Type of Heating Systems
Based on your system type, water-based or warm air, the system actually works accordingly to disperse the heat throughout your home. Typically two types of heating system are available in the market where either the water is heated in the cast iron or steel boiler before the dispersing.
Hot water system: In the hot water system, the water is circulated through the baseboards or radiators.
Steam system: In the steam system, the water is steamed and rises through the pipes into the radiator.
Warm Air System: Here, the furnace heats up the air and a blower sends the heated air through the ducts and vents in the walls or the floors. The air then gets back to the furnace through a return duct and cycle repeats.
Finally, the discharge of the hot air from the combustion of fuel and air gets released from the system though a pipe that emits the air through a chimney.
Securing the Heating Oil
As heating oil is the main fuel to let this entire thing work and keep your home warm and comfortable, it is of course holds immense importance in the winter. Because of its high demand and price in the winter, we suggest you to get it beforehand to avoid the price rise and save some bucks in your pocket. However, if you buy enough heating oil for winter, it is vulnerable because it is easy target for the thieves. The price is high and if a thief can steal substantial amount of heating oil from somewhere they can get some money by selling that is an even higher price. Hence, it is your responsibility to make your heating oil secure so that investment doesn’t go in vain and in the winter you don’t have to look for the same.
Here are some useful tips for you to keep your heating oil secured in this winter from theft.
Lock the Tanks
You must have a tank where you store the heating oil, right? Well this is the prime target of the thieves to access your oil and steal it. To protect it from the unauthorised access, you can consider locking up the tank. Locks are available in the market in various ranges and you can choose one as per your requirements. The locks are user-friendly and no hard and fast rule is there to install the same. In a very less time you can install the lock. To get the best lock, just keep in mind that the caps are all sturdy and they don’t break easily. A shackle padlock is better in this case the bolt copper is difficult to be broken. These are inexpensive so you can get it easily.
Tank Alarms
There are some electronic oil tank which can be linked to an alarm inside your home. The alarm notifies you if the oil level drops all of a sudden. Before winter arrives, make sure that the alarm is working properly; if not, call a repairer to mend it now. Check the alarm batteries and refill it before winter so that the purpose is solved when required. You can add a sign or sticker about the lock and alarm so that thieves can know about it and don’t try to steal your oil.
Security Lighting
Generally, thefts are performed at night when everyone sleeps. For this reason, you are suggested to install a motion-activated security light that will make you alert of any trespassers at your premise. The installation is not recommended if the tank is out of your view. The lighting wouldn’t help you to know about the thieves then. An outdoor camera can help you as well to see if anyone is stealing your oil.
Insurance
Despite all these precautions, possibilities are there where you find yourself in such unpleasant situation. To address the problem, it is always better to cover your household with proper insurance plan. Check whether the current plan is covering your oil theft or not. If not, include that too because oil is expensive these days and an insurance will help you get the compensation for your loss. You can compare the coverage and price of various insurers available in the market and choose the best deal as per your requirements and preferences.
Hide the Tank
People hide their treasures in such place where none can reach it; the same is applicable for your oil tank. It is better to locate your tank out of the roadsight so that none can usually find the same in one glance. The fences should be properly installed so that one has to put a lot of effort to enter your premises. High fences often work well to keep your belongings including the tank out of the thieves’ reach.
In case you couldn’t stop the theft and lose a substantial amount of oil, you must follow the below-mentioned steps:
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Calling the police is the first thing you have to do. You have to report the theft immediately. In addition to it, you must hand over the evidences to prove your belonging to the police. If the outdoor camera has recorded someone, hand it over too. Once you get the crime number, you will be provided with all possible assistance regarding it.
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Check your insurance policy at once to know how much coverage you will get for your loss. Call the insurer and explain the enter incident to them.
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Make your neighbours notified about the problem so that they can be aware of the same and take precaution to prevent such mishaps.
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Check your tank. It is possible for it to be damaged during the theft. Repair it immediately and protect it to avoid such problem again.
Hope this guide has helped you. Share your thoughts on it.