How Long Will 5 Gallons Of Oil Last Me? (2024)

Waking up in the summer with no hot water, or in the winter with no heat often means one thing: you’re out of heating oil. The good news with heating oil is you can always grab 5 gallons of diesel oil to hold you over until your next delivery. Click here for a step-by-step guide for what to do if you’re out of oil.

Since diesel and heating oil are virtually the same, you’ll want to know how long those 5 gallons of heating oil will last you. We’ll break this down here!

How Long Will 5 Gallons Of Oil Last Me? (1)

Heating Oil Usage in The Winter Months

Expect to use significantly more heating oil in the winter months than summer. Your usage in the winter will depend on a few factors. The first factor is the climate: how cold it is, on average. The second factor is how high you keep the thermostat: the higher the temperature, the more oil you will use.

Next, you’ll need to consider the size of your home. Finally, your home’s efficiency plays a major role in your heating oil usage.

Using the figures below, you can estimate that a home may use 3-7 gallons of heating oil on a typical winter day.

How Long Will 5 Gallons Of Oil Last Me? (2)

Heating Oil Usage During the Summer Months

If your hot water heater runs on heating oil, then you can expect to use oil year round. Your usage in the summer will depend on how much hot water your household uses.

One factor that contributes to your heating oil usage in the summer months is the age and efficiency of your hot water heater: the newer the better. Additionally, the more teenagers taking long hot showers, the more heating oil you will be using.

In the summer months, expect to use between 0.5 and 1.0 gallon of heating oil per day.

How Long Will 5 Gallons Of Oil Last Me? (3)

Total Heating Oil Used Per Year

The best way to determine how much heating oil you will use during the course of a year is to install a Smart Oil Gauge. This will tell you how much you use by hour, day, week, month or year. It will also alert you when you are low on heating oil.

To get a baseline, however, refer to the chart below for heating oil usage in a given year. These ranges are for a typical CT winter. For a less energy-efficient house, refer to the numbers in the ‘high’ column. For newer, more energy-efficient houses, refer to the ‘low’ column on the left.

A typical home in CT will use approximately 880 gallons of heating oil per year.

How Long Will 5 Gallons Of Oil Last Me? (4)

So, How Long Will 5 Gallons of Heating Oil Last?

In the summer months, expect 5 gallons of heating oil to last 5-10 days. On a cold winter day, however, 5 gallons of heating oil may not even last a full day. Order heating oil as soon as possible when you are low during the winter to prevent a runout.

Happy heating,

Steve

How Long Will 5 Gallons Of Oil Last Me? (2024)

FAQs

How Long Will 5 Gallons Of Oil Last Me? ›

So, How Long Will 5 Gallons of Heating Oil Last? In the summer months, expect 5 gallons of heating oil to last 5-10 days. On a cold winter day, however, 5 gallons of heating oil may not even last a full day. Order heating oil as soon as possible when you are low during the winter to prevent a runout.

How long will 5 gallons of oil last? ›

The answer depends on a variety of factors, but on a typical winter day, in an average-sized house, you can expect 5 gallons to last up to a day. On an extremely cold day, your house may go through 10 or more gallons, so it's important to make sure you don't run out of home heating oil.

How many gallons of oil a day does a house use? ›

As a result, a typical home utilizes around 5.3 gallons of oil in one day. This means that a full tank will last approximately 52 days during the coldest months of the year. A 275-gallon tank is usually enough to keep a typical home warm the entire winter season.

How many gallons of oil does a shower use? ›

Heating Oil For Water Heaters

Water heaters typically use an average of 0.5 to 1.0 gallons of heating oil each day. The exact consumption depends on your home's size and the number of individuals using the shower daily.

How many gallons of heating oil do you burn a day? ›

In the U.S., the average household that uses oil for heat uses about 500 gallons between October and March (182 days). If you divide the average amount of fuel used (500 gallons) by the number of days (182), the average home uses about 2.75 gallons of oil each day.

How many gallons of oil to heat a house? ›

As a general rule of thumb, most homeowners use tanks 300 gallons or less for one and two-bedroom homes. Larger three and four-bedroom homes require tanks closer to 500 gallons. On average, an oil-burning furnace will burn between 0.8 and 1.7 gallons per hour while in operation.

How much oil goes in 5 gallons? ›

ANSWER:
50:1 GAS/OIL MIXTURE
Gas (US Gallons)Oil (Ounces)Oil (Liters)
5.012.800.38
6.015.360.46
10.025.600.76
9 more rows

Is 5 gallons enough for a shower? ›

With a large 5-gallon capacity, the Coghlan's comfortably provides over 4 minutes of continuous shower time. The black plastic of the pouch helps heat water relatively quickly in the sun, giving you a hot shower in a matter of a few hours.

How much water does a 20 minute shower use? ›

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the typical shower head sprays about 2.5 gallons per minute. If you take a shower that lasts 20 minutes, about 50 gallons of water are used. Some high-powered shower heads can use between 20-35 gallons of water for a five-minute shower.

How many gallons does a 15 minute shower use? ›

That -15-minute shower that some of us like will result in 90 to 120 gallons being used, while a shorter shower will result in less water being used. Regulatory standards enacted almost 20 years ago required showerheads made as of 1994 to use no more than 2.5 gpm.

How long will 1/4 tank of oil last in summer? ›

First: How much does a tank even hold?
Average Outside Temperature (°F)Approximate Gallons Used in 1 DayApproximate Days 1/4 of a Tank of Heating Oil (60 Gallons for average tank) Will Last
15106
2097
2588
3079
4 more rows

How much heating oil is used in an hour? ›

how much heating oil do I use in a day / hour? The rough answer for a domestic central central heating boiler is 1.5 litres to 2.5 litres an hour if it's continuously alive and burning oil.

Why is my heating oil burning so fast? ›

Many people do not realise that, if their thermostat is set too high, it could end up impacting their heating oil usage. Equally, if you have an inefficient heating system, this can also burn through heating oil quickly and therefore increase your oil consumption.

How long should 5 quarts of oil last? ›

It used to be normal to change the oil every 3,000 miles, but with modern lubricants most engines today have recommended oil change intervals of 5,000 to 7,500 miles. Moreover, if your car's engine requires full-synthetic motor oil, it might go as far as 15,000 miles between services!

How many gallons of oil a day in winter? ›

In 20-degree days, an average home will need 7 gallons of oil. This means the full tank won't make it past 39 days. Homeowners may want to study the average annual winter temperature in their areas. If they expect to hover around the 30-degree mark, then their furnace is likely to consume 5.3 gallons of oil daily.

How long does it take for heating oil to go bad? ›

Heating oil can be stored in your tank for up to two years without problems. In fact, it can last for 10 years if stored in ideal conditions. Heating oil is more stable compared to gasoline and other kinds of fuel, meaning it doesn't break down easily.

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