What you should know about… Seasonal/Unoccupied Homes No matter how you heat your home, maintaining your heat to a certain level is critical. Freeze-ups in an occupied/empty or unoccupied dwelling or home can cause expensive losses. Water from broken pipes can flood a house in a matter of hours causing structural damage to the house and loss of personal property. … Continue reading Important Safety Tips
Category: Articles
The Future of Heating Oil in Massachusetts…Is Here!
As of July 1, 2014, the sulfur content in heating oil will be reduced to 500 parts per million (ppm). The de-sulfurization down to 500 ppm, also referred to as low sulfur heating oil, is nothing new. Diesel fuel went through this process twice a number of years ago. The first reduction of sulfur in diesel fuel in the 1990s … Continue reading The Future of Heating Oil in Massachusetts…Is Here!
Diesel Fuel 101
The development of the internal combustion engine began in the late eighteenth century. Slow but steady progress was made over the next hundred years. By 1892, Rudolf Diesel received a patent for a compression ignition reciprocating engine. But his original design, which used coal dust as the fuel, didn’t work. Thirty-three years earlier, in 1859, crude oil had been discovered … Continue reading Diesel Fuel 101
Increase in Gasoline and Special Fuels (Diesel) Excise Tax Rates
Effective July 31, 2013, the state of Massachusetts is increasing the excise rates on gasoline and on-road diesel fuel. There will be a three cent increase on these fuels, taking the excise tax from $0.21 per gallon to $0.24 per gallon.
New Heavy Duty Lubricant to be Developed
A new heavy duty diesel engine oil (HDDEO) specification is being formulated to debut in January 2016. The new spec will help engine manufacturers meet coming federal standards for improved fuel economy and reduced greenhouse gas emissions in model year 2014 – 2018 diesel engines. The new oil category is currently called PC-11, which stands for Proposed Category 11. The … Continue reading New Heavy Duty Lubricant to be Developed
IRS Continues to Levy Hefty Fines for Failure to Display Dispenser Tax Labels
IRS fines for incorrect or missing labels are significant. The IRS requires all dyed diesel and dyed kerosene dispensers to have a specific label indicating that the fuel is for nontaxable use only. The labeling requirement has been in place for diesel dyed diesel dispensers since 1993 and for dyed and clear kerosene dispensers since 1998. The IRS has recently … Continue reading IRS Continues to Levy Hefty Fines for Failure to Display Dispenser Tax Labels
Today’s Diesel Fuels and Winter in the Northeast
Formulation of a consistently top quality diesel fuel for use in the Northeastern United States is an ongoing challenge. Several years ago when on-highway diesel fuel was reformulated to meet the EPA’s low sulfur requirements, many diesel marketers encountered fuel operability problems. The de-sulfurization process left the diesel fuel lacking the lubricity needed to keep fuel pumps operating properly. Cold … Continue reading Today’s Diesel Fuels and Winter in the Northeast
Homeowner Oil Heating System Upgrade and Insurance Law
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Safety: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. The incomplete burning of materials that contain carbon, like natural gas, propane, coal, wood, fuel oil and gasoline produces it. Its inhalation at low concentration levels can cause such symptoms as nausea, headaches, or dizziness. Higher levels of concentration have been known to cause brain damage and death. Each year, nearly 300 … Continue reading Safety: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
