We’ve got enough on our plates this year without having to deal with a heating system problem—but that’s exactly what you could end up with if you don’t pay attention to heating oil sludge! Heating oil sludge is a combination of dirt, rust, and oxidized fuel that settles to the bottom of your oil tank (the fuel is oxidized by bacteria that grows in the presence of water in the tank, which accumulates as condensation when the tank warms and cools during temperature changes). Typically the pick up line for an oil furnace rests several inches higher than the bottom […]
Did you know that today’s heating oil burns 95 percent cleaner than it did 50 years ago? One major reason that’s true is because so much sulfur has been removed from the fuel – a process that has happened slowly over time, but more quickly in recent years. Today’s super-clean, ultra-low sulfur heating oil (ULSHO) contains 15 parts-per-million (ppm) of sulfur or less – down from the 500 ppm levels established in 2014 (and 3,000 ppm before that). What do those numbers mean though? Those numbers mean a lot for the environment, and ultimately for you, since ULSHO produces 90% percent […]
Sure, we’ve had a mild start to fall 2020 here in Suffolk County, but we all know that the cold weather will be here momentarily – and with all of us still being home far more than usual, we certainly want to keep our heating systems running like clockwork in the coming months. The key to doing that, of course, is to have your furnace or boiler serviced by a heating professional every year. Why Annual Tune-Ups Matter Just like your car, your heating system needs routine maintenance to keep it running well and reliably. An annual tune-up – included in […]
With everything that’s happening in the world these days, it’s easy to let little tasks like checking your fuel gauge or calling for a heating oil delivery slip through the cracks. The only problem is that you can pay a heavy price for forgetting to do those “little” tasks, especially once temperatures start dipping later in the fall. Besides the inconvenience and potential dangers of being trapped in a cold house on a frigid day, a heating oil runout can cause problems with clogged filters and fuel lines as sediment from the bottom of your heating oil tank enters your […]
At Southville Petroleum, we work hard every day to deliver quality fuel and expert heating service to our loyal customers – and peace of mind to everyone in Nassau and Suffolk County who we serve throughout the fall, winter, and early spring. The question is, are we doing it well enough for you to recommend us to someone you know? If you like us enough to Refer a Friend, we will post a $100 credit to your account for each person you recommend who signs up as a Southville Petroleum customer. * The more people you bring into the Southville family, […]
How knowledgeable are you when it comes to diesel fuel? If you have your own trucking company, you know that you rely on diesel fuel every day to get your loads where they need to go. You also know that weighing your truck comes with the territory. But do you know how much your diesel fuel weighs, and how that weight might affect your planning? Here’s a quick Q&A to give you the basics. Q. How much does a gallon of diesel fuel weigh? A. Each gallon of diesel fuel sold in the U.S. weighs just less than seven pounds. […]
The first month of summer may not seem like an obvious time to schedule a heating oil delivery here in Suffolk County – but if your oil tank is less than half full, it might just be the best thing you can do for your home heating system. That’s because empty steel heating oil tanks are more vulnerable to a build-up of condensation (water) on its interior walls than one that is more than half-filled with fuel. Condensation creates two problems for your oil storage tank: First, a damp environment encourages the growth of bacteria within your fuel; over time, that […]
With things are as hard to predict, as they are right now, anything that adds a little certainty to our lives is a good thing. That’s just what a budget plan from Southville Petroleum can do! If you pay for your heating oil deliveries as you go, you have probably gotten at least one unwelcomed surprise in your mailbox during a particularly cold stretch here in Long Island. If you sign up for our budget plan, those unexpected billing spikes would become a thing of the past. Here’s how it works: we’ll estimate of your annual heating oil use based […]
With most of us home more than usual these days, it’s important to keep all our home comfort systems running like clockwork – even our heating systems, which we will need for cooler evenings right into June here in Nassau and Suffolk counties. After months of working to keep your family warm, your furnace or boiler is ready for a little professional TLC – especially since you’ve probably been using your heating season more than usual this year with the onset of COVID-19. By keeping up-to-date with your routine heating equipment maintenance, you will: Keep your heating system running at peak […]
Your furnace puts in long hours during the winter as it works to keep your home warm and comfortable. So does its air filter. A furnace air filter is tasked with removing the hair, dust and other particles that routinely circulate through the air in your home; if you haven’t checked in on your filter since before the holidays, you are overdue for a look. Here’s why: when an air filter clogs, it traps heated air before it has a chance to flow into your home, making your furnace work harder to do its job. Long term overwork of your […]