OIL FIRED HEATING

Liquid petroleum products are used as fuel for furnaces and boilers, mostly in the northeastern United States where   No. 2 heating oil must conform to ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standard D396.  Deisel and kerosene must also conform to ASTM standards.  Heating oil is delivered by tank truck to homes and commercial businesses and most commonly stored in above-ground tanks located in basements, garages, or outside adjacent to the building. Less common are underground storage tanks.

    Heating oil is considered a hazardous materials (HazMat) and regulated by both federal and state government on issues of transportation, proper storage and burning. Leaking from tanks or piping is considered an environmental concern.

WOOD FUELED HEATING

Since the earliest humans discovered control over fire, they have used wood as a fuel source. Today wood burning remains the most common heating fuel around the world. The development of the chimney and fireplace allowed for better exhaust of smoke and the invention of various types of metal stoves made heating more efficient.

     Benjamin Franklin developed a popular manufactured stove featuring an open front and a heat exchanger in the back. By the 1800s, the cast iron stove was popular and local foundries would make their own distinct designs for a variety of purposes.  Both wood and coal could be burned in these stoves, the first to require routine maintenance Airtight stoves became common in the 19th century.

    As coal, fuel oil, natural gas and propane become available, wood burning declined in popularity. Beginning in the late 1960s, wood burning stoves again became popular in the United States. In areas where firewood is abundant, burning wood is common in stoves, fireplace inserts and furnaces.

   Today clear burning biofuel pellet stoves are popular for efficiency and concerns about climate change, pollution and deforestation. Biomass pellets are made from both compressed wood sawdust and corn.  These stoves can be located in any room that allows for a four-inch pipe outdoor venting pipe.

PROPANE HEATING

The use of propane gas for heating and cooling is growing in popularity.  As of 2007, 9.7 million American households used propane as their primary heating fuel. Used as fuel in furnaces for heat, propane is also used as an energy source for water heaters, laundry dryers, barbecues, portable stoves, and motor vehicles. Propane is also used for refrigeration and serves as a efficient replacement for stationary air conditioning systems. Propane, like fuel oil, is delivered to permanently installed tanks.

   Propane is by-product of petroleum refining and natural gas processing. About 90% of U.S. propane is produced domestically with the rest coming mainly from Canada via rail or pipeline. A smaller amount of imported propane is shipped to the U.S. from overseas. North American propane is stored in huge salt caverns hollowed out in the 1940s. Propane is transported throughout the states via pipeline, or shipped by truck, ship, barge, and railway.