Guide · Home care

Heating Oil Systems

A plain, friendly guide for homes heated with oil: watching the fuel level, the red emergency switch, why the reset button is not a resident's job, and what to report.

Start the checklist

Where to start

The heat just stopped?
Check the red emergency switches first, and do not press the reset button. See if the heat stops.
Smell heavy fuel or see oil on the floor?
Keep away from it and call your owner or the oil company right away.
New to an oil heated home?
Find the switches and the tank gauge, and save the right numbers. Tick through the checklist.

The short version

Some furnaces and boilers burn heating oil stored in a tank, often in the basement or outside. It is a steady way to heat a home, as long as the tank never runs low.

Letting a tank run low can pull sediment from the bottom of the tank into the fuel line and clog filters and other parts. Plan deliveries so the tank never drops below about a quarter tank.

Oil burners usually have an emergency switch, often with a red plate, at the top of the basement stairs or near the door to the room, and sometimes a second one on or near the burner. They are easy to bump or mistake for a light switch.

The burner also has a red reset button. Pressing it again and again can pump raw oil into a hot chamber, which can ignite violently. Residents leave it alone and call.

Who does what

Every home and lease is a little different, so these are examples. When you are not sure, ask first.

Residents can often

Watching the gauge on top of the tank, without opening anything
Checking that the red emergency switches are ON
Keeping the area around the tank and burner clear
Reporting a low tank, an oil smell or any drips

Leave to the owner or a pro

Measuring the tank with a stick and checking for water
Ordering fuel, depending on your lease
The yearly tune up and cleaning, including the fuel filter
The reset button, the burner and any leak

If the heat stops

Check that both red emergency switches are in the ON position.
Look at the tank gauge from where you stand. If it reads near empty, say so when you call.
Do not press the red reset button on the burner.
If you smell heavy fuel or see oil on the floor, keep away from it.
Call your owner or the oil company and tell them exactly what you saw.

Try it

Your oil heat checklist

From the guide’s own checklist. Tick each one as you go. These are examples; your home may need others.

0 of 8

Red emergency switches found, at the stairs and near the burner
Both switches ON
Tank gauge found, read without opening anything
Who orders oil is written down
Delivery planned well before a quarter tank
Owner and oil company numbers saved
Everyone in the home knows to leave the reset button alone
No oil drips seen along the fuel line (looking only)

An everyday example

During a cold snap, an oil furnace kept shutting off, and someone pressed the reset button over and over. A neighbor smelled heavy fuel and said to stop. The technician found the tank nearly empty, with sediment from the bottom clogging the filter. Stopping and calling made all the difference.

Test yourself

How much do you remember?

4 quick questions from this guide, with a one line why for each. Totally optional, no sign in, and your answers are never saved.

From The Perfect Series

Go deeper with The Perfect Seasonal Home Care Checklist Workbook

Fall, spring and everything in between. Simple, step by step checklists you can write in, one topic at a time, to help any home stay warm, safe and dry all year.

See The Perfect Seasonal Home Care Checklist Workbook All books in The Perfect Series

Keep this guide handy

Save this page, come back to your checklist any time, and share it with anyone in your home who could use it.

See all guides

From the Bunklow shop

Take it with you

Bunklow Home Guide 014: Oil-Fired Residential Heating Systems, Fuel Measurement, and Safety SwitchesA printable guide to oil-fired residential heating systems, fuel measurement, and safety switches, in plain steps.
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Bunklow Home Guide 115: Heating Oil Tank Wooden Gauge Stick Dipping and Condensation ControlA printable guide to heating oil tank wooden gauge stick dipping and condensation control, in plain steps.
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This guide shares general information to help you, and is not legal, tax or safety code advice. Rules vary by state and city, so check with your local officials or a qualified professional. Please follow the maker's instructions for your equipment. Bunklow does not inspect properties or make repairs.