Oil tank on E....1 degree outside...

[bicentennial_baby]

I want to go back to my apartment NOW! x(

I'm pissed off that my brother didn't bother to check the tank before the holiday, and this house will be in the 40s by dawn. Not just the human concerns, but we have a dog, 2 cats (1 kitten), and 2 lizards to be concerned about. :wtf:

If I didn't have to be here through morning, I'd be on my way back to my apartment already.

This sucks... x(

[rug]

1. Why don't you drive home?

[bicentennial_baby]

2. As I said, I have to be here in the morning

I'm here to do banking errands for my Mom and Dad, who are both hospitalized. Otherwise, I'd be home and not here.

[lizziegrace]

3. Do you have a gas can?

I was told I could burn off-road diesel or even regular diesel in my furnace. Just a suggestion.

Wish I was closer. I've got a couple 5 gallon gas containers and two radiator-style space heaters I brought when I moved from the farmhouse.

[lizziegrace]

4. Oh, and most importantly

:hug:

I'm sorry. You've got so much to deal with.

[bicentennial_baby]

8. I'm on the verge of tears...

I can't do this. I try so hard, and people can't do simple things like check the oil tank. Second time in a month this has happened, and last time I had to get my Ex's Dad to help us. I give up.

[lizziegrace]

10. Unfortunately, you can't give up. Trust me.

but we can prop you up and help keep you going.

Do you have any neighbors or know anyone who might have gas cans you can borrow? 4-5 gallons of diesel will keep the chill out of the house for a day or two.

:hug:

[Mrs.Matcom]

5. Go buy a new gas can then

go to the station and buy some diesel fuel, it's pretty much the same stuff as 'oil'. Unless you can get the oil company out to bring an emergency delivery tonight??

[bicentennial_baby]

6. If we could pay for it, sure...

we're $1000 in the hole to them already. Don't ask. It's a disaster already. I'm ready to cry. x(

[bigwillq]

7. Some questions:

Why did the whole family go? By that I mean, all the pets?

Other questions:

How long have you been there?
How far away is it from your place?

:shrug:

That does suck. I hope you all can find a way to stay warm. :hug:

[bicentennial_baby]

9. No, it's my parents' house.

The pets are here. I got here today. 100 miles, and I have to be here tomorrow, for family reasons.

[LostinVA]

13. The lizards will be perfectly fine -- take the furry pets to bed with you

[bigwillq]

16. So I take it sniffa

went too (along with the pets) so you could all be together for the holiday? :shrug:

I guess if I could, I would've let the pets home as long as there was someone there to watch them but it doesn't seem like you had that option.

Anyway, stay warm! :hug:

[Shakespeare]

17. No, the pets are her parents' pets. n/t

[bigwillq]

18. Got it!

Wow, I was confused. Sorry. :)

[annabanana]

11. The dog & kitties should be ok... but you might have to bring the lizards

to bed with you...

[LostinVA]

12. Get a gas can and put about 20n gallons of diesel in the tank

It's the exact same thing as heating oil. DO NOT USE A GAS CAN THAT'D HELD GASOLINE.


Call another oil company and get the min. delivery as soon as you can.

[bicentennial_baby]

14. This is a one-oil company town...

The only game in town...sigh.

[lildreamer316]

21. Seriously?? I am going to make a note of that!!

I could have used that info earlier this year and last. Thank you so very much!!

[LostinVA]

23. I'm serious

When we were moving out of the rental house, we refused to fill the oil tank when we knew we were moving out in a couple months. We got through the summer with about 25 gallons of diesel. We only needed it then for the hot water heater.

[Chan790]

15. In addition to what everybody else has said about oil...

Go around the house and find the thermostat(s). Close off as many rooms and areas (you can use towels to seal-off door-gaps) that you don't need to keep warm except the one with the thermostat in it and any room with plumbing. Bake something now or before you go to bed. Using the oven at 350'F for an hour will raise the ambient temperature of the living space (I'm assuming after closing off spare bedrooms, closets and the such we're talking under 1000SF) by about 10'F. When you get up in the AM, bake something else...or just turn the oven on but don't leave it unattended.

That should get you through until you can get more oil tomorrow sometime. It won't be toasty but it should keep you around 55'F at-least which is bearable.

[DS1]

19. So which is it, lounge?

Cats to bed or the lizards to bed?

And yeah, this cold snap is a bear, and if our landlord doesn't find someone to move into the 3 bedroom across the hall, which has the burden of heating oil for the house, it's going to be chilly in here. We have electric in our two other apartments, but that oil heats up the common area at least.

[ThomCat]

20. Damn. I hope you and the beasts can stay warm enough.

Your brothers should be forced to stay in the cold house for a night for that. What if one of your parents had come home to a freezing home? x(

Can you get oil delivered quickly? Are there funds set aside already for that? :(

[leftyclimber]

22. Hang in there, bi_baby.

:hug:

[CreekDog]

24. do you have license to operate that thing?

:hug:

[Bombero1956]

25. has it run out completely?

if it has then it will have to be bled before you can run it. I've run out before and the delivery person would do it until I had him teach me how.

[JenaLaw]

26. did you make it through the night?

hugs of support to you! :hug:

try to keep the water running ... even at a very slow drip... in the faucets. It will prevent the pipes from freezing up on you and causing a bigger $$ problem down the line (trust me...I learned my lesson on this one BIG TIME a few years back).

Is there a space heater in the house?

If the oven is electric, you can keep it running with the door open (attended, of course) and put a fan on the floor nearby. It will warm things up for you (but raise the electric bill as well...a toss off for you to think of).

Load up the fur/scale babies in the car and take a tosty warm drive as a last resort.

and the diesel oil works well...we have gotten through many pinches that way!

good luck...keep us up to date on how things are progressing. Hope your parents are ok. I would make your brother sleep outdoors for a few nights so that he knows what you have suffered :evilgrin: