Heat People - Williams Oil Co. - Uncasville, CT

Heating Oil Prices









Hot Water Heaters

Your family uses a lot of hot water and you need a water heating system that delivers. The last thing you want to worry about is your hot water heater. What you need is an oil-fired system that can achieve a new standard in high efficiency and trouble-free operation. The “Oil burner” is the key element in high efficiency water heaters. They are specifically engineered for high volume, rapid recovery and reliable performance. It all adds up to a lot more hot water with less cost and bother to you.

Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters are also known as “on demand” and “instant” water heaters. Tankless water heaters are designed to heat the water as the water flows through. Unlike conventional tank water heaters, tankless do not have any type of storage tank. Tankless water heaters come in natural gas, propane, and electric models. Tankless water heaters can be broken down into two categories: “full on/full off” and “graduated”. Full on/full off units do not change the power output at all. The unit is either on or off. Graduated tankless water heaters base the power output on the flow of water running through the unit. This is usually done through the use of a “flow switch” and means that you will receive the same output temperature of water at .5 gallons per minute (gpm) as you will at 3.0 gpm. Tankless water heaters are generally more energy efficent than conventional water heaters because they do not store heated water, which is subject to heat loss.

Boiler Water Heaters

A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated under pressure. The steam or hot fluid is then circulated out of the boiler for use in various process or heating applications. Boilers can also be classified into fire-tube or water-tube boilers depending on whether the heat source is inside or outside the tubes. The goal in both cases is to maximise the heat transfer between the water and the hot gases heating it. In water-tube boilers the water flows through a large number of narrow tubes around the fire. The tubes frequently have a large number of bends and sometimes fins to maximise the surface area. This type of boiler is generally preferred in high pressure applications since the high pressure water/steam is contained within narrow pipes which can contain the pressure with a thinner wall.

Water Heater Safety

Water heaters potentially can explode and cause significant damage to a house if certain safety devices are not installed. When the water temperature exceeds 210 degrees Farenheit, the pressure and increasing heat of the water will cause a violent explosion. A safety device called a TPR valve, temperature pressure relief, is normally fitted on the top of the water heater. The TPR valve senses when the pressure is too great and will discharge water out of the valve. Often a discharge pipe is connected to the valve to direct the flow of water to a drain. Most home inspectors recommend the discharge pipe extend to outside the home so that it does not cause flooding damage. If a water heater is installed in a garage, it is recommended that it be elevated 18 inches off the ground so that the potential for catching fire due to low ground flowing exhaust is eliminated. Some building codes will allow for the discharge pipe to terminate in the garage.