Heat Your Home with Oil? New State Law May Affect You
If you heat your home with oil, a new Massachusetts
law requires you to have equipment installed to prevent a fuel leak between your furnace and tank, and the pipes that connect them. The law took effect July 1, 2010.
In addition, you will have the opportunity to purchase insurance for heating oil leaks in your home. Homeowner’s insurance companies are required to offer coverage from July 1 onward.
If you own a residence for one to four families and heat with oil, you will have to install an oil safety valve or an oil supply line with a protective sleeve. The work can be done by
your heating oil contractor or other licensed oil burner technician.
If your heating oil equipment was installed after January 1, 1990, it is most likely in compliance since the state fire code required valves and protected supply lines for new installations after that date.
The typical cost of mandated equipment and installation ranges from $150-$300 including local permit fees. For low-income individuals and families, financial assistance may be available. Find out more by calling 800-632-8175.
“Not only is compliance required, it makes good financial and environmental sense to do so,” said Alan Long, president of Eldredge & Lumpkin Insurance. “By taking these preventive measures, homeowners can avoid the expense and disruption of an oil leak.”
State officials warned that if an oil leak reaches soil or groundwater beneath your home, an environmental cleanup would be required. These can cost from $15,000 to $250,000 in the worst cases.
Click here  to see a diagram showing a heating oil system with an oil safety valve and a protective sleeve.
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