There are millions of homes in the United States that use oil boilers as a source of heat. Most of these households are located across the northern states and the mid-Atlantic. Although there are options for residential heating, boiler systems are an effective, cost efficient choice.
What is an Oil Boiler?
Oil is used to heat the water in boilers that produce either steam or hot water to maintain a comfortable temperature in the building. Pipes are used to distribute steam to radiators to transfer heat to a room. If a hot water system is used, heat is transferred by baseboard radiators, or floor systems that incorporate radiant heating.
The system works as follows:
• A pump is used to circulate heated water from the boiler in pipes installed throughout the building
• This water cools as it circulates on its journey back to the heating boiler
• A thermostat in the boiler will sense when the temperature of the water in the boiler falls below a certain point, and will send a signal to the oil burner
• The oil burner pump moves oil from the holding tank through a nozzle so that fine drops of oil are sprayed into a fire chamber and ignited
• Gases from the burning oil heat tubes in the boiler that in turn heat the water in the boiler to a safe temperature
• This heated water is again moved through the building, directed by a thermostat in the building