There’s a lot of things going on these days let alone getting ready for winter….I mean come on….changing your summer clothes out to sweaters seems like more of your speed. No one wants to dive into another project, especially something as daunting (and not so fun) as making sure your furnace is ready.. But it's not daunting...we promise.
Play nice with the other boilers…...We’ve come up with some nice and easy suggestions to help.
- Tune’er up! Add to the list of auto oil changes, teeth cleanings and renewing your driver license…..Your oil burner should have an annual tune-up and cleaning too. If this is not included in your contract it will cost approximately $120-150. A tune-up and cleaning reduces the risk of heating system failure. It can also give you an early warning if your system needs replacement, which gives you time to shop for a new system before the winter season. Ummmm, you probably are too late at this point, but at least you get it now. Not really sure Amazon Prime can even help. Plan B.
- No time like the present, but get on it! Oil companies are running fast with all the “last minuters” like yourself. The best time to do your tune-up and cleaning is before the heating season begins. Scheduling a tune-up and cleaning before winter saves time and money. It takes less time to do it before rather than during the winter heating season. Don’t panic, but expect you will likely have more difficulty scheduling a tune-up and cleaning, as dealers are very busy during the winter months.
- Top it off or it’s gonna get ugly. Dealers advise customers to check their oil tanks. They recommend not going below a 1/4 of a tank. Running low on oil can cause sediment that builds up in the bottom of your tank to be pumped into the fuel line and burner and cause clogging of filters and equipment. This can result in you requiring a service call, which costs you extra money.
- Little nuggets of advice as well. So why you have the furnace finely tuned and you’re snuggled up the couch with a nice blanket watching bad TV, there’s also some other things to consider while you’re thermostat is humming like a fine, German automobile:
- Turn it down. Did you know you can save approximately 10% on your heating bills by turning to thermostat down 10 degrees for 8 hours a day. Many people turn down their thermostats at night or while they're at work.
- Free flowing and loving it. Move furniture and draperies away from radiators so heat can circulate more thoroughly through the house.
- You better project yo’self before you wreck yo’self. If you have large free-standing radiators, you may install radiator reflectors between the radiator and the wall. The reflectors can improve the delivery of radiant heat.
- Suck it. Vacuum air registers on a regular basis if you have a hot air heating system. Make sure carpets and furniture are not blocking the registers. During the heating season you should also check the air filter on the system every other week and clean or replace them if necessary.
- Keep the love alive. If you are away from your home for an extended time, do not turn off your heating system. This can lead to frozen pipes, resulting in costly repairs to your system. If possible, lower the thermostat to 55 degrees at night and when you are away.
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Stay warm...