Oil furnaces are composed of a burner, heat exchanger, fire box, blower, and cabinet. These operate by burning fuel oil that is stored in an outside tank. This storage tank can be above ground or buried under ground. These are often seen in rural areas or in neighborhoods where natural gas is not available.
The most common fuel oil for an oil furnace is called Number 2. An oil furnace works by heating the fuel oil in a closed cylinder. Electricity is required to start the process. A motor is started that draws air into the combustion chamber of the burner. This is because Oxygen is required for the fuel burning process. An oil pump pressurizes the fuel oil and sends it through an oil nozzle. The liquid fuel oil is transformed to a vaporous gas state. The oil vapor is heated in the chamber which is made of material that heats up, but will not burn. The heat passes to the heat exchanger. The fan blower forces air past the “heated” exchanger before pushing the heated air through the attached ducts and into the house.
A high efficiency oil furnace has a secondary fan or blower. The heated air comes out of registers in the home. Registers can be in the floor, on the ceiling or on walls. Because of the amount of soot that is produced by these furnaces, annual oil furnace servicing is necessary. An oil furnace produces a small amount of carbon monoxide. Any appliance that performs fuel combustion should be in a well-ventilated area to prevent accidental death by carbon monoxide poisoning. It is also a good idea to have the fuel oil tank and its connecting pipes and seals inspected as well.
The advantages of an oil heat furnace are many. Fuel oil is not as easy to ignite as the more volatile natural gas. The oil furnace of today is more efficient than those of the past. This is good for the environment as well as for the wallet. A home heated by an oil furnace tends to heat up quickly, which makes oil a convenient and comfortable choice. For this reasons, many people are happy to heat their homes with an oil furnace.