Countdown to Spring - Fuel Consumption

Heating fuel has been delivered.  It's been a little under a month since the last delivery and I've gone through about 100 gallons.  To some that may seem like a lot.  But, believe me, it's wonderfully less than normal for this house.  The cost of heating for a season has sometimes outdone property taxes for the #1 spot on the budget crunch list over the years.  The topsy-turvy warm temperatures have been a blessing with regard to the heating bill this season.  While I needed the help the of HEAP again this year, and I am incredibly grateful for that assist, I was also able to pay my own way for half my needs as well.

The next two days will be markedly chilly.  They're now saying temperatures may be in the single digits tonight.  There was a time when I might have worried about that, not because of a lack of fuel, but because I have an outdoor tank.  Anyone who has one who lives in a northern state (or country) understands my concern.  People say that the fuel freezes, but it doesn't.  Without anything to prevent it from happening when the temperatures are below freezing, regular old #2 heating oil as well as diesel become very thick, sometimes even waxy, and won't flow from the tank through the line to the boiler or furnace.  Many a service technician has worked the night through just restarting these mechanical beasts when this happens.  You might feel a lack of sympathy for these techs, considering the amount that's charged for an emergency call, especially in the wee hours of the morning.  But, just remember, they're coming out to help you in the same cold weather you're dealing with.  Yes, I really could see it from their point of view even when I was waiting for them to finish other calls that came in before mine.

Anyway, some folks deal with this problem by building insulated housing around the tank or by buying a warming device for the tank to keep the oil thin enough to flow.  Both of these methods of dealing with the problem have gotten mixed reviews from people who have chosen them.  Not financially practical for me. Others use kerosene or a 50/50 mix of heating fuel and kerosene during the winter months instead of regular heating oil.  This does work and I can attest to it.  But kerosene generally runs about 125% to 150% the cost of heating fuel and even a 50/50 mix of the two isn't exactly economical.

There are additives which can be added to heating fuel to prevent the gelling.  I tried several before I finally found one that, when used regularly from the beginning of the heating season, prevents clogged fuel lines from happening.  It's only been tested down to -7°F since I started using it several years ago, but it's supposed to handle even colder temperatures.  All I know is that it has come through for me every year and it is markedly less expensive than using kerosene.  The manufacturer, Power Service, even puts out a product which several service techs swear really does cut through cold temperature clogged lines and lets them sleep during the below freezing and subzero nights.  I've never had to use it, but I have it on hand just in case.  I don't normally endorse products in my blog, but this company's products really work when others have not.

Anyway, I'm ready for our two-day cold snap, which will be followed by 40s, 50s and 60s again starting Monday.  Much as it's still not normal, it's closer to the time when it will be normal   and that's all right by me.

Stay warm, everybody.

Only 16 more days until Spring.

Countdown to Fall–The Final Observations of Summer

And so, as the sun sets on the final full day of summer, even though I can’t see it because it’s been cloudy all day, the sights I’ve seen show that, while things are still mostly green in my area, the summer solstice is definitely losing its grip on our physical reality.

It isn’t just the color changes which are slowly overtaking the shrubs and trees.  Plants which were thriving in the late summer have now matured and are dying back, some with roots that will survive to send up growth next year and some which have dropped seeds to begin again.  In their place, the fall asters, goldenrod, late morning glories and the like are giving us color which will also fade in a matter of weeks.  For those who mow, you probably have noticed and are thrilled that your lawn or experimental weed factory isn’t growing as quickly as it was just a few weeks ago.  Sure, just when you don’t work up a sweat during mowing, you don’t have to do it so much, although I do know one fanatic who mows right up until the first snow. 

As I noted earlier, the bird songs have diminished.  The migration has begun and a number of species have already begun the trip south.  In their place, the songs of the birds which remain year-round become more noticeable.  The variety of singers may be less, but their songs are still welcome.

There are several marinas nearby and boats are slowly being hauled out of the water and either prepped for winter storage or hitched onto pickups and taken home for the season.  The people hanging out at beaches aren’t swimming anymore.  The land activities now rule.  Home improvements to prepare for the cold are now in full swing.

Speaking of cold weather, the fuel oil trucks are starting to roll in greater numbers than they did just a month ago.  People are stocking up on wood and wood pellets as well.  They’re having all manner of house heating equipment serviced to make sure it starts and keeps going.  Everybody want to be prepared for that chilly morning when they can no longer avoid cranking the thermostat up just a few degrees.

The first day of fall will likely look a lot like today, although it is supposed to be sunny tomorrow in my area.  The changes which are occurring aren’t going to suddenly speed up just because September 23rd has arrived.  It might seem like it in some ways, but really, the season comes in on its own timetable.

Only 1 day until Fall.