They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure—and the best way to avoid having to call for a heating repair is put seasonal maintenance at the top of your Fall to-do list.
A tune-up will ensure your oil-fired boiler or furnace is running at peak efficiency. That will help keep heating costs down, because your equipment isn’t working so hard to produce heat. But regular maintenance also prevents many of the problems that lead to breakdowns. Our affordable service plans include annual maintenance and can also help you save money on repairs, if you do require a service call.
Because sometimes your heating system can still go on the fritz. Maybe it shuts down for no obvious reason, or maybe it seems like your rooms just aren’t getting warm. The good news is that there’s often an easy fix that you can handle yourself. That can help you avoid the expense of a service call—and free up our techs to help others.
1. Check Your Thermostat
Make sure your thermostat is set to a temperature at least 5° above room temperature and set to “heat.” Is it the batteries? Try installing fresh ones.
2. Check the System Switch
Did the switch for your heating system accidentally get turned off? This happens more often than you’d think. Don’t overthink it, just turn it on.
3. Check Your Fuel Supply
If you haven’t checked your tank gauge in a while, you may have run out of fuel—especially if it’s been very cold recently, or if you’ve been spending more time at home during the day. If you’re out, know that we’re on call 24/7 for emergency heating oil deliveries.
4. Check Fuses and Circuit Breakers
Circuit breakers can easily trip. Check the breaker that your heating system is on, and turn it on if it’s off.
5. Check the Air Filter
When the air filter on your furnace gets clogged, the system will shut down. Replace it and keep a note on your calendar to check it once a month.
6. Check the Boiler
If you have a steam boiler, check the water level gauge. It should be at least half-full. Call us if it isn’t. Have a hot water boiler? You can skip this step.
7. Reset the System
If none of the previous steps work, push and hold the Reset button for 30 seconds. Only do this ONCE. Doing it more than once floods the combustion chamber with too much heating oil. That’s an expensive repair job on top of any other repairs you may need.
If DIY isn’t your strong suit, call us and we can talk you through the steps. And if none of these steps resolve the problem, we’ve got your back, day, or night. Call us and we’ll dispatch a technician to get you up and running as soon as possible.
Want more information about our service plans, scheduling a tune up or any other way we can make winter easier? Contact us today.