Q: My heating system won't come on, what can I do before I call for service?
A. There are 5 steps you should take before you call for service.
- Check the heating system switches. There are frequently two in the home
with one located at the top of the stairs leading to the basement and the
other near the heating unit. These switches are often red and should both
be in the on position.
- Check the oil tank and make sure there is enough fuel in the tank.
- Go to the thermostat in the home and make sure it is set above the room
temperature and the switch is set to "heat".
- Check the fuses or circuit breaker assigned to your heating system and make
sure it is not tripped into the "off" position.
- If nothing is wrong in steps 1-4, press
the reset button on the burner relay ONLY ONCE. We have included a diagram
showing where the reset button is on many units. If you cannot find the reset
button, call us and we will help you.
If the unit comes on and stays on, you're probably okay. If it comes on for
about 90 seconds and then quits, or if it doesn't come on at all, call us
and we will schedule a service call with one of our technicians.
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Q: I seem to be using more
fuel than last year, what is the reason?
A. There are several changes
in your home or lifestyle could cause increases in the amount of fuel used
in heating your home. Did you:
- Add a new room to your house?
- Turn a basement into a bedroom or family room?
- Install a dishwasher, washing machine, new bathroom with shower or bathtub.
- Bring home a new baby?
- Have a family member spend time at home because of illness?
- Stop using a space heater or wood stove?
- Allow children to move back into the house?
- Install a new oversize bathtub?
- Have a leak from a hot water faucet that wasn't repaired?
Whenever there is a change is your life that may affect
the amount of oil used to heat your home, please let our office know so we
can adjust your automatic delivery record and keep you from running out of
fuel.
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Q:. How much will I save by installing a new heating system?
A. The answer to that question is based on the fuel efficiency of both your current heating system and your new equipment. We have included the following formula to help you determine your annual fuel savings.
Take your current equipment efficiency rating and divide that rating by the efficiency of the equipment you are considering installing in your home. The efficiency of your furnace must be taken from information from your equipment manufacturer; the efficiency test done by our technicians tests the efficiency of the burner, not the furnace efficiency. Then multiply that number by your annual fuel cost to determine your new annual fuel cost.
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Q: I just had a
new system installed in my home; do I need to have it serviced?
A. When you get a new car, do you still change the oil, rotate the tires, and get a tune-up and find out what causes the funny noise in the door? Of course you do, but some people forget about all that when they get new heating equipment. They spend a lot of money for high efficiency, but sabotage their savings by neglecting proper boiler maintenance and furnace maintenance.
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Q: What regulations exist for underground tanks?
A. Your heating oil tank is not a significant threat to your well-being or to the environment. Less than 1.5% of all residential home heating tanks tested in a recent study failed the Environmental Protection Agency's tank tightness test, according to a study conducted from Maryland to Maine by Groundwater Technology, Inc. The other 98.5% were sound.
After reviewing all the available information, the EPA decided it was not necessary to include home heating oil tanks in regulations for underground storage tanks. Not only is the percentage of worn tanks small, but your oil dealer can monitor your tank to protect you from worry.
For more information on fuel tanks, click here.
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Q: I am looking
to sell my home, what suggestions do you have if the new homeowner has questions
about oil heat?
A. Get your heating
system evaluated to make the potential buyer feel at ease. Have your heating
system tuned up before showing your home. Beside making sure your system
is operating properly, the service technician will clean the outside of your
system and surrounding area to improve it's appearance.
Provide a "proof of contents" (or best estimate)
of the fuel left in the tank so you can receive the full value of that fuel
at the time of settlement.
If you have a service agreement, offer to transfer
the balance of the agreement to the new homeowner, providing peace-of mind
protection on the heating equipment.
Have information about the dollar amount you
paid the last year for heating your home. If the new homeowner isn't familiar
with oil heat, they may not understand the value or cost savings of oil heat.
If there are any other questions, please contact us, and we will be happy to talk to the prospective buyer and show them how
your system operates and the advantages of heating with fuel oil.
Ask us about our new customer referral program.
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Q: Why should I
have my chimney cleaned and how often should this be done?
A. There is some
soot produced by your oil fired equipment and this should be cleaned out every
few years. When you have work done on your chimney, also have it checked
for cracks in the lining, and remove of leaves and other debris.
If you burn a wood stove, you should have your
chimney cleaned every 2-3 years.
Sometimes birds will build nests in the chimney
and cause problems by restricting the flow of air away from your furnace.
You can reduce this problem by placing a cap on your chimney. They will not
restrict the airflow, and will keep leaves, rain, and other types of debris
from becoming lodged in your chimney.
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Q: I hear clicking
coming from my baseboard when my system starts up. Should I be concerned?
A. There is no
need to be concerned, the noise is the pipe expanding because hot water is
flowing through the pipe and has heated the pipe causing it to expand.
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Q: Why should I
have my heating system tuned up?
A. The
best way to improve your heating system is to get regular tune-ups. Besides
saving money on fuel, tune-ups can reveal safety problems such as frayed
wires, worn parts, or a blocked chimney or flue.
A tune-up also removes the impurities that build up in your system, and reduces the need for a heating system repair. Besides returning your heating system to peak efficiency, you’ll extend the life of critical parts like the heat exchanger by having your system cleaned and tuned regularly.
For more information on the procedures done during
a tune up of your system, click on preventative
maintenance inspection and we will take you to that part of our website.
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Q: Do I need a
chimney to use an oil-fired heating system?
A. No,
oil heat systems can now be vented other ways. This technology
has dramatically cut the cost of converting from an electrically heated
home (which usually lacks chimneys) to an oil fired home.
We can use a power ventilator to remove
the exhaust from your oil fired heating system and provide fresh air for
your new equipment. To view information on this equipment, click on the link http://www.tjernlund.com/oilsidewall.htm and
you will find answers and specifications about this particular option.
The following link shows a heating system Utica Boilers that uses a direct vent providing fresh air and removing exhaust. This type of
system is an excellent choice to use when converting from an heat pump using
the electric resistance heating for extra heat in the winter to having an
oil fired boiler provide this heat and heating the domestic hot water for
the home.
Homes that want to convert from an electric
hot water heater to oil fired hot water should visit http://www.bockwaterheaters.com/balanced-combustion-system.
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Q: Why do I see
streaks and smudges coming from my vents?
A. Burning scented candles in the home may be
part of the problem. Depending on the materials used in the candle manufacturing
process, using less than 5% paraffin wax will increase the amount of smoke
that causes "Ghosting" or dark stains and streaks on walls, carpets, doors,
ceilings, furniture, countertops, and television or computer screens.
You can test if your candles are burning dirty
by first cleaning your television screen, then turn your television on and
place a lit candle on top for at least one hour. Wipe the screen and if there
are dark smudges on the towel, you should trim the wick to ¼" and
burn the candle less often to reduce the "ghosting effect" in your home.
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Q: What is the
future of oil heating equipment and what new products are being developed?
A. Work is being conducted at Brookhaven National Laboratory with a small amount of funding from Department of Energy and the bulk of the financing coming from the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA), a funding vehicle sponsored by the oil heating industry.
Homeowners should see improvements in oil burner controls, the main part of your heating system. Improvements in the burner in the early 1970s boosted the efficiency of the burner.
The next major improvement is a flame quality indicator that will monitor the flame and detect any changes from the manufacturing standard. Using a modem attached to the unit and your phone line, a service technician would be notified to visit your home and service the unit.
This would also lead to lower cost for burner service, longer intervals between tune-ups if the system is operating correctly and increased reliability for oil heat systems.
New concept burners being designed will require less electricity to operate. A fan-atomized burner (FAB) would provide emergency backup to supply homes during power outages.
Advances in oil heating technologies show possible uses for cooking, refrigeration, space cooling, and electric power generation. Other innovations are constantly being developed that could drastically alter your views of energy in your home. Many of these ideas are currently being used in Europe.
If you still have questions about your equipment and service, please contact us during our normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, or contact us and we will get in touch with you the next business day.
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