Our heating oil benefits page and no heating page answer some of the questions we as fuel distributors have been asked. Below are some more answers to questions that have been asked during the course of our business. I hope these are of assistance to you. Should you have any questions that are not answered in our benefits page, no heating page, or below please do not hesitate to Email us and we will do our best to provide an answer or further guidance. |
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| This whole page is downloadable as an Acrobat File Heating / Boiler Help | |||||||||
| Acrobat available here | |||||||||
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| Boiler Questions | Delivery Questions | Tank Questions | Other / General Questions | |
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Boiler Questions Back to top |
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| Are oil fired boilers safe? | If your boiler is installed to current building regulations and recommendations, then it should be safe, and give many years of safe operation. As a safeguard we recommend that a remote sensor fire valve is fitted, as this should cut off the supply of fuel to your boiler if a problem occurs, and we recommend smoke detectors be fitted in your home. A correctly installed and annually serviced boiler should be safe. | ||||||||
| Should I be able to smell oil in my house? | No. A smell of oil in your home indicates that something is wrong. It could be caused by any number of faults in or around your system. It is imperative that you call a experienced oil engineer to check your system. | ||||||||
| Where is the pilot light? | A pressure jet boiler uses an electronic ignition system, similar to a spark plug in a car, and thus does not require a pilot light. | ||||||||
| Can I use a match to light my boiler? | As above a pressure jet boiler uses an electronic ignition system. Putting any object into a boiler is dangerous. Try your restart button once or twice, but should this not work seek the assistance of an engineer. | ||||||||
| Should I have black smoke from the exhaust? | A properly set and tuned boiler should produce very little emission, either visible or otherwise. Black smoke, or a build up of soot on the wall around the boilers' exhaust, suggests that the boiler is not burning efficiently. An experienced service engineer should be called in to adjust the boiler | ||||||||
| What is the "commissioning" of a boiler? | Commissioning is the fine tuning of your oil fired boiler to your individual heating system to ensure optimum boiler efficiency and reliability. Commissioning usually occurs the first time a new boiler is put into operation, and is normally a warranty requirement for all types of oil fired boilers. | ||||||||
| Does my boiler need servicing? | Yes, your boiler should be serviced regularly, at least once every year. Annual servicing will maintain a boilers efficiency, reliability and longevity, and is also a requirement of all boiler warranties. | ||||||||
| Delivery Questions Back to Top | |||||||||
| Can you deliver when the boiler is on? | A properly set up and maintained system should not be effected by the change of oil in your tank. If a delivery causes your appliance to stop working it has not been set up or serviced correctly. | ||||||||
| Do I have to be at home for you to deliver my oil? | If our driver can gain access to the tank safely then he will be his utmost to deliver your oil. If their are special circumstances regarding the delivery we will do our best. If you have any doubt please ask when you place you order. | ||||||||
| How do I know how much oil was delivered? | All our oil deliveries are made through the meter on the lorry. This meter stamps the start volume and the finish volume. The difference is what has passed to your tank. All meters are set, sealed, and checked by Trading Standards. Thus you have received what has been stamped on the meter. | ||||||||
| How far can the tank be from the tanker? | The oil tank should be no further than 150 feet from the position where the delivery tanker is expected to park. This is a maximum distance and must be in a straight line. If the course of the delivery hose is bent, or has to go round a number of corners, e.g. the side of a house, then the maximum distance is reduced. Goff petroleum drivers will always attempt to make a delivery, and will often consider a number of options to get as close to the tank as possible, but a delivery man cannot fill a tank if the delivery hose cannot reach it. If you require any further advice or would like a driver to assess the tank location then please do not hesitate to call or email. | ||||||||
| How can I make a delivery safer? | Goff delivery drivers are fully trained, and highly experienced in
making fuel deliveries. However as both the deliverer and the purchaser have a duty of
care it is advisable to ensure that the following safety tips are observed.
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| Tank Questions Back to Top | |||||||||
| Do I need a sight gauge? | To minimise the risk of spillage all tanks should be fitted with a fully functioning level gauge, and high level alarms where appropriate. A gauge allows a delivery driver to check whether the tank has sufficient room for the delivery ordered, and allows him to monitor the delivery whilst it is being made. | ||||||||
| Why do I keep on running out when my sight gauge says I have got oil? | You should check your tank and sight gauge regularly to ensure that you have oil. Sight gauges usually have a valve which when opened allows the level in the sight gauge to reflect the level of oil in the tank. If this valve has been shut then the sight gauge is not reflecting the true tank level. Thus the tank can run out whilst the gauge shows oil. | ||||||||
| Should my sight gauge be left open or closed? | Wherever possible a sight gauge should be left closed. Although this means that the reading on the gauge does not reflect the level of oil in the tank until it is opened, it also means that if the sight gauge is detached the oil is still trapped in the tank. Thus you will prevent the contents of your tank discharging on to your garden. | ||||||||
| What is a Bunded tank? | A bunded tank is a tank that is contained within a surround that is capable of holding 110% of the storage capacity of the tank. A bund is usually constructed of masonry, steel, or strong plastic, and coupled with an impervious bottom prevents any oil spilt from the tank from polluting the surrounding area. | ||||||||
| Do I need a bunded tank?
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If you are a commercial oil user, or the fuel is stored on a
commercial site, then it must be stored in a bunded tank. If you are a domestic oil user,
you will not normally be required to bund your tank if it has a capacity of less than 2500
litres. However all oil users - including domestic users - will need to have a bunded tank
should one or more of the following risks apply to their particular tank location:
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| How much oil is in my tank, and how much I need to order? |
The sight tube is your gauge to how much fuel is in your tank. Make sure the tube is in the "on" position when you take a reading and that you have allowed time for the fuel to settle in the gauge. If you are in any doubt of the reading, then a garden cane or similar can be dipped in the tank to act as a dip-stick, so giving a physical indication of the tanks level. |
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| Other / General Questions Back to Top | |||||||||
| How long can you keep Kerosene? |
Kerosene does not really have a shelf life. Many customers only fill their tanks once a year and thus just prior to refilling the Kerosene in their tank is a year old. As a distributor we will always endeavor to buy recently refined Kerosene. However all products delivered by ourselves will meet or exceed British Standards at the time of delivery. |
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| What is the right amount of fuel to use to heat my house? |
The consumption of oil varies from property to property. Consumption is depends on the efficiency of your insulation, the performance of your boiler, and the temperature you like to keep you home.. As these vary between individuals, the right amount of fuel can only be considered at an individual level. Thus the right amount is the average for your home. Should your usage vary widely then you should investigate the reasons for that. |
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| Why does the oil price vary and what is the best time to buy heating oil? |
The simple answer is market forces. For an insight into these see our own oil market commentary by Ollie Barrell. In reality the best time to buy is when you feel the prices are good and the demand is low. For example the warmest day in the summer. |
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