Glossary of Commonly Used Terms

AFUE – Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. A good gauge when comparing true efficiencies of different heating appliances.

Air Conditioning Condensing Unit – The portion of the air conditioning system that is located outside of the building, where compression of gases is performed, and heat that was absorbed inside the building is disposed of outdoors.

Air Handler – A blower unit that moves air across either, or both, a heating and/or cooling coil. This unit can have controls and motors that make it a variable speed or single speed unit.

Aqua-Booster – A hot water storage tank, used in conjunction with a domestic water coil. Domestic hot water is made in the domestic water coil, and then stored in the aqua-booster.

Automatic Delivery – Make fuel deliveries based on weather, (degree day accumulation) and fuel consumption for domestic hot water.

B.T.U.– British Thermal Unit. The amount of heat required to heat one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.

Boiler – A heating vessel used to heat water, used in a hydronic system, or a vessel used to boil water to make steam in a steam system.

Budget Plan – An even monthly payment system. Estimated annual fuel consumption is divided into equal monthly installments. At the end of payment period, the account is reconciled, balancing to actual fuel consumed.

Capped Price – An agreement that prices will not exceed a specific level, but may be lower on date of delivery.

Compressor – Often called the heart of the air conditioning system, this "pump" draws in low-pressure gas, and pumps out high-pressure vapor to be condensed and fed back to the evaporator coil.

Degree Days – Degree days are determined by subtracting average daily temperature from 65° F. Example: average daily temperature is 25° F, (65 - 25 = 40) then we have accumulated 40 degree days on this date.

Efficiency Test – Combustion efficiency is determined by sampling flue gases for CO² and temperature. This determines the combustion efficiency of the oil burner, not necessarily the heating appliance.

Electronic Air Cleaner – Electronically cleans the air by charging cell plates. This unit will "zap" airborne particles, similar to a bug zapper eliminating bugs. This unit requires frequent maintenance.

Evaporator Coil – A cooling coil located inside of ductwork where high-pressure liquid refrigerant is passed through a metering device. Once through the metering device it boils or evaporates, absorbing heat from the surrounding cooling coil surface.

Fixed Price – An agreement to pay a specific price per gallon regardless of whether prices increase or decrease.

Fuel Lines – Pipe or pipes that bring fuel from the oil tank to the oil burner. May also have a return pipe to return oil back to the oil tank on a two-pipe system.

Fuel Storage System – This consists of a fuel tank, fill and vent pipes, and fuel lines to supply the oil burner with usable fuel.

Furnace – An appliance used to heat air in a warm air heating system.

Futures Market – A market where the future price of a commodity is based on current prices, extended out over future months of delivery. Anticipated supply and demand will cause price movements.

Gallon Fuel Oil – Measured by volume through a meter. Contains approximately 140,000 BTU’s.

Heat Pump – An air conditioning system that reverses the flow of refrigerant, thus removing heat from outdoor air and disposing of the heat through a coil indoors.

Indirect Water Heater – A super insulated tank, with a heat exchanger built into it. Hot water from a boiler is pumped through the exchanger, which in turn heats the domestic hot water. This creates an abundance of hot water quickly, at an economical price.

K-Factor – Specific to each home. The number of degree days accumulated per gallon of fuel consumed. A good comparison is miles per gallon in an automobile.

Media Air Cleaner – Cleans the air by passing air through a dense filter material. Filter media material is periodically changed.

NYMEX – New York Mercantile Exchange.

Oil Burner – This device is what actually generates combustion and in turn provides heat to the appliance (boiler, furnace, water heater). It has a fuel pump, motor to drive an air fan, and an ignition system.

Oil Fired Water Heater – A separate vessel used to heat domestic hot water. An oil powered water heater has its own oil burner attached.

Price Protection Plan – An agreement between the company and a customer that defines a capped price or fixed price per gallon. This applies to a specific number of gallons purchased in a defined time period. Terms and conditions apply.

S.E.E.R. – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. Applies to air conditioning systems. It is the number of BTU’s of cooling power received for each watt of electricity consumed. Examples: A system with a SEER of 7 provides 7,000 BTU’s of cooling power for each kilowatt hour purchased. A system with a SEER of 14 provides 14,000 BTU’s of cooling power for each kilowatt hour of electricity purchased.

Service Contract – An agreement to service the oil burner and components. It includes an annual tune-up, annual efficiency test, and replacement of defective parts that are covered. Terms and conditions apply to all service contracts.

Therm – 100 cubic feet of Natural Gas equal to 100,000 BTU’s. To get comparable fuel oil cost, multiply price by 1.40. Don’t forget to also add the monthly service fee that the Utility Companies charge.

Variable Speed Air Handler – An air handling unit that gradually ramps up to full speed and ramps down upon completion of cycle. Generally using less electricity, is less noisy, and does more dehumidification than a Standard speed air handler.

Vent Alarm – A metal tube that hangs into the oil tank that releases an audible tone while air passes through it. when the tank is full, liquid passes through the tube and the whistling sound stops, signaling the tank is full.

Email: customerservice@DanielsOil.com