Now is the time to have your heating equipment checked and cleaned. If you have a contract with a heating oil company, they will usually clean it free of charge if you get automatic delivery of heating oil. You should also ask to have an efficiency test done to make sure all the oil is being burned - if not you can have a puffback. A puffback can spread soot throughout the entire house. Obviously, gas fire heating equipment does not have the same problems (it has its own), but in some areas, especially here on Long Island, where Meticulous Home Inspection is located, many people do not have gas, and oil heat is still quite prevalent.

House fires occur in all neighborhoods, from rich to poor, but some of the statistics are really an eye opener. Heating equipment fires are the second leading cause of fires in peoples homes, but fires from cooking are, by far, the leading cause.

Fires confined to boilers, chimneys, and chimney flues account for more than 80% of building heating fires in homes.

More than 25% of residential building heating fires result from improper or poor maintenance of heating equipment. Not having the equipment regularly serviced and cleaned is the cause of this.

My local home inspectors association MAHI (the Metropolitan Association of Home Inspectors) has monthly meetings, and we have experts in the field speak about their specific expertice. This information above was gotten from this meeting last year.

If you have not had your oil heat system serviced, you now have good reason if you did not before.

Learn not to burn! - Ray