Oil use

Money goes in, heat leaks out
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

kevm14 wrote:Oil use from 2/7/17 to 3/17/17: 186 gallons. 4.9 gallons per day.

Total cost from 4/29/15 through today: $2688.16, or averaging about $118.84/mo.

Paid $2.00. Their prices change every 50 gallons basically (around 2 cents/gal) but at the 200 gal mark it decreases 4 cents. And again at the 300 gallon mark it decreases another 4 cents. The sweet spot for me, then, is the 200 gallon mark. I did not achieve that this time though I wasn't really trying to - I also didn't know exactly when they'd come when I ordered it and I think I was lower than is safe last time.
Oil use from 3/17/17 to 10/17/17: 196.9 gallons. 0.92 gallons per day. Paid $2.13.

Total cost from 4/29/15 through 10/17/17: $3,107.56, or averaging about $104.79/mo.

I am running quite low now and it will likely take ~250 if they come today (tank is a 330 but not sure how much is usable). I screwed up and was busy at work and pushed delivery out a week. That was a mistake because the holiday + cold weather. Yesterday, I ran the wood stove starting at like 11:45am and the heat did not run from around then through about 10pm. I saved quite a bit of oil there. They are supposed to come today. I have like 1/8th of a tank remaining and I don't really know how accurate it is. I'd hope it is conservative. But I don't want to run out as that is a big pain in the ass.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

kevm14 wrote: I am running quite low now and it will likely take ~250 if they come today (tank is a 330 but not sure how much is usable). I screwed up and was busy at work and pushed delivery out a week. That was a mistake because the holiday + cold weather. Yesterday, I ran the wood stove starting at like 11:45am and the heat did not run from around then through about 10pm. I saved quite a bit of oil there. They are supposed to come today. I have like 1/8th of a tank remaining and I don't really know how accurate it is. I'd hope it is conservative. But I don't want to run out as that is a big pain in the ass.
Well...they aren't coming until Friday and it is going to be single digits at night. I really don't know if I will make it. I will probably just do the best I can with the wood stove and see what happens. If we run out I'll dump my gas into a car and fill my cans with diesel. I can get 20 gallons at a time. I will have to prime the burners but I already figured out how to bleed so I guess I'm not afraid of it and I really want to see what kind of reserve my tank has. I want to know. It is possible that I will have enough if i can access 300 gallons of the 330.
bill25
Posts: 2583
Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2013 2:20 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by bill25 »

Just some ideas. I would use as much wood as possible. We generally waited till 1/8 to get a fill because they are usually very responsive. We did need a fuel/oil pump for the boiler though and I am not sure if letting it get that low caused the problem. I thought maybe sediment in the tank may have caused an issue. No actual data or facts. We still wait until it is down to a 1/4 because the price is better for over 100 gallons. I believe our tank is either 250 or 275 gallons.
bill25
Posts: 2583
Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2013 2:20 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by bill25 »

Also, Diesel is supposed to be blue cans right? They might give you a hard time at the pump if they notice or care, but more importantly, would you really want to mix gas with the diesel residue left in the can afterwards?
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

I tried Chariho and Patriot. I think Patriot was Saturday earliest and Chariho was like Tuesday. Guess I'll stick with Friday.

I just looked at mine again. Definitely a 330. Also, the location where the outlet is would seem to allow just about all the contents to be used. Given that I think I will be ok, but I am still going to run the stove as much as possible. It is small and really only cranks if you jam it with wood, which is like a game of tetris with the small firebox. Sometimes you can only put so much in.

Our bedroom is now 57 degrees. The furnace actually came on despite my low setting. Hmm. Maybe I will actually turn the fan on and see if I can balance out the heat that way. Not sure why I didn't think of that before.

I would like to believe that sediment would be caught in one of the filters before it caused a problem in the pump. I replaced mine this summer at least.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

bill25 wrote:Also, Diesel is supposed to be blue cans right? They might give you a hard time at the pump if they notice or care, but more importantly, would you really want to mix gas with the diesel residue left in the can afterwards?
Yeah blue cans. I don't know if they'd care or notice.

I think a few ounces of gas in 20+ gallons of diesel, or an ounce of diesel in 5 gallons of gas is not going to hurt anything. That gas will go in my small engines anyway.
bill25
Posts: 2583
Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2013 2:20 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by bill25 »

Yeah. Makes sense. We use Patriot.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

Warm in here. Rest of the house, not so much.
Attachments
WP_20171227_20_55_54_Pro.jpg
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

7:15am. Stove already running...outside thermometer says 3 degrees.
WP_20171228_07_23_29_Pro.jpg
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Oil use

Post by kevm14 »

Outside thermometer back to like 5 degrees. Bedroom 56-57. Heat ran a few times early in the morning and then pretty much not at all. I do have a space heater going in the kitchen which I guess helps a little bit. Great room is quite warm.
Post Reply