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
These boilers are particularly popular in those parts of the country that have limited access to natural gas. Developers often install energy efficient units in new homes. Older homes can be retrofitted with units to improve efficiencies.
Here are some of the advantages of using an oil-fired system for home heating:
• Energy efficient residential boilers are very reliable and are precision engineered to conserve energy
• They provide long-term efficiency, proven performance and superior heating comfort
• Computer designed components extract more heat and increase efficiency
• The boiler is easily inspected, cleaned and maintained
• Safety features such as a limit and low water cutoff ensure safe operation
Design Variations
There are boiler designs and models to fit any residential environment:
• Choose from between 50,000 to 300,000 BTU's to suit specific heating requirements
• Decide upon an efficiency level; the newer high efficiency systems can achieve efficiency up to 98.5%, cutting fuel bills and reducing furnace pollution; check the Energy Star label information when shopping
• A chimney could be used to vent burner gases, and interior air could be used for combustion; a second option is the sealed combustion boiler, which draws air directly from the outside, and vents exhaust gases directly to the outside
• Options are available that allow partial use of renewable fuels like biodiesel to be mixed with the heating oil
Consult with a well-established plumbing supply company for more information about oil boilers. They can provide professional technical advice for retrofit of an older system, and can recommend a new installation that meets all heating requirements for the building. With a properly sized and installed system, the homeowner will enjoy years of heating comfort.
This article was written by Lucy Robertson.
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