What to Do If You Need Emergency Heating Oil
It’s freezing outside and suddenly you’re in a no-heat situation. The middle of the night. Pipes about to freeze. Here’s exactly what to do.
It’s freezing outside and all of a sudden you find yourself in an emergency no-heat situation. You’ve run out of oil in the middle of the night, your home is getting colder by the hour, and the pipes may be on the verge of freezing.
Call (631) 779-2716 for emergency oil delivery. We dispatch 24/7. Then read on for what to do while you wait, and how to avoid this situation in the future.
How to avoid running out of heating oil
First, how do you avoid this situation in the first place? A few habits that keep you out of the cold:
Sign up for automatic oil delivery. The simplest fix. Your oil company monitors your usage and delivers whenever your tank gets low. With our automatic service, you pay the same low COD oil price as everyone else. There’s no extra charge.
Track your oil level yourself. Order a delivery whenever your gauge hits a quarter tank. Check that your gauge is working (they sometimes stick) by tapping it lightly. Check every couple of weeks in winter, every couple of months in warmer weather.
Don’t let your tank run dangerously low. Beyond the obvious problem of running out, an empty tank disturbs the sludge on the bottom, which can get sucked into your fuel lines and clog the burner. That turns into a much more expensive problem than a regular oil delivery.
What it actually costs to run out
If you get too low or run completely out, you’ll likely need a prime-start, which runs about $40 to $50. In some cases you’ll need full oil burner service, where the burner has to be cleaned out and the filters replaced. A burner service call typically runs $140 to $170 including parts and labor.
None of which is necessary if you keep the tank above a quarter. Worth the small effort of checking the gauge.
What to do when you run out of oil
As soon as you notice you have no oil:
- Call a heating oil company immediately. Emergency Oil Delivery Inc. delivers 24/7, including weekends, holidays, and overnight. This is your best chance to get oil fast. We can typically reach you within 1 to 4 hours, with emergency oil delivery throughout Nassau, Suffolk, and Queens.
- Turn off your furnace. After placing the delivery request, switch off the furnace. Don’t turn it back on until the delivery is finished.
- After oil arrives, press the red reset button on your burner once. If it doesn’t start, the lines need to be bled. Don’t keep pressing reset, which can flood the chamber.
- If lines need bleeding, call us back. The driver or a technician can take care of it.
How to stay warm while you wait for delivery
- Turn down all thermostats to conserve any remaining heat
- Dress in layers, wear hats and gloves indoors if needed
- Avoid opening doors and windows (keep cold air out)
- Gather everyone in the warmest room of the house
- Use blankets and space heaters in that room if you have them
- Wrap exposed pipes (especially in unheated basements) to slow freezing
- Run a small trickle of water through faucets to prevent the pipes from freezing
Long Island winters can be brutal. A few hours without heat won’t cause major damage if you take these steps. Skipping them can mean frozen pipes, water damage, and a much bigger repair bill.
What our customers say
★★★★★“I ran out of oil. I called my regular oil company for a same-day delivery but they couldn’t come. I called Emergency Oil and was able to get the oil delivery as well as a system restart. The driver was very nice and made sure the heat was working before he left.”
Michael R., Long Island homeowner
★★★★★“Called them early on a Sunday morning with no oil, no heat emergency. They responded quickly and sent out a truck the same day. Great service, great communication and very reasonable. Don’t waste your time with anybody else.”
Jennifer K., Suffolk County resident
Install a tank monitor
To prevent running out of oil in the future, consider installing a tank monitor. These small devices track your fuel level in real time and alert you (and us, if you authorize it) when the tank gets low. Combined with our automatic delivery service, a monitor essentially eliminates the risk of ever running out.
Call (631) 779-2716 to learn more about automatic delivery, tank monitors, and how to keep your home warm year-round.