Reliable Oil Heat

Reliable Oil Heat has been providing Fast, Friendly, and maybe most importantly, safe service for Juneau residents since ( ???? ). Reliable makes sure all of our drivers have the proper training and knowledge to do the job safely and correctly. As time goes by, new technologies emerge that shape the oil industry. Reliable Oil Heat employees have "The Scoop" and we want our customers to be informed also. This page is designed to take some of the guesswork out of ordering fuel oil or other products that we offer.

Q: What is the difference between #1 and #2 heating fuels?

First of all, #1 and #2 are simply the different grades of fuel oil (like you may have guessed) that are offered for home heating fuel. #1 heating fuel is a clean burning fuel that is similar to Kerosene but costs much less. #1 heating fuel does not provide the BTU's of #2, but is required by some of today's extremely efficient and sensitive heating systems. #2 heating fuel is the less expensive of the two fuels and provides more BTU's per gallon, however, these BTU's come at the price of a "dirtier" burn. This may sound bad, but it's really not if your furnace is designed to burn this type of fuel. #2 heating fuel contains a Paraffin or "waxy" substance that provides this extra energy and leaves the extra residue after combustion.

Q: What type of fuel should I order?

This is mostly dependent on what type of heating system that you have. If you know that you have a boiler or furnace then #2 heating fuel is recommended (with one exception). Generally, Mobile homes or trailer furnaces are smaller systems, that when supplied with #2 heating fuel can "gum" up and malfuction, or worse, overheat causing fire danger. Reliable Oil Heat strongly recommends that these furnaces be supplied with #1 heating oil, which burns cleaner than #2. If you know that you have a Monitor or Toyo-Laser heating system then #1 heating fuel is absolutely required. If #2 heating fuel is inadvertently supplied to one of these highly sensitive systems they will not function correctly and damage to them can occur.

Q: How do I know what size my tank is?

If your tank is above ground, this will be easy! Here is a link to some tank pictures and their measurements. If your tank is below ground, you will most likely have to refer to the contractor that built your home, or any documents pertaining to the construction of your home that you may have. The size of your tank is important to know because when setting up a "Keep-full" account with Reliable Oil Heat, the bigger the tank, the better your price will be!

Q: Ok, I have an above ground tank and I use #2. Should I be concerned about the Cold?

Absolutely! Remember the Paraffin or "waxy" stuff that we mentioned above that is part of the make up of #2 heating fuel? Well, this stuff can "gel" up on you in the cold winter months and this will effectively shut your heating system down. If your tank is buried below ground then most likely you will not have to worry about this (unless your copper fuel lines are exposed). If your tank is above ground and you use #2 heating fuel, Reliable recommends that you request a 50/50 blend for winter use. If your tank is in an area that is particularly exposed to a high wind-chill factor, then straight #1 is definitely the way to go in the winter. Remember this key point, #1 will not hurt a furnace system that burns #2, just don't put #2 in that monitor or Toyo! Generally if you start blending your tank in September, by the time Old Man Winter really hits, you will have a good blend in your tank to protect you.

Of course, We are always happy to answer all of your questions!

(Weekdays 8-5)