Ask the Expert

Q: What’s the first thing I should do if my heat stops working?

A: The first thing you need to do is to stay calm. Remember there are many simple reasons that can cause your home heating to stop working. Sometimes, you may even be able to fix the problem yourself, eliminating the stress of calling for an emergency technician.

Here are common reasons for losing heat in your home:

	You may have tripped a circuit breaker or blown a fuse.
	Your oil tank may be empty. Consider automatic delivery.
	Your thermostat may be on the wrong setting. Also, if the display screen on a digital thermostat is blank, you either need new batteries or the power supply has been interrupted.
	The power switches to your heating system may have been turned off accidentally.

As a last resort for getting your heat back, press the reset button on your oil burner once. If your furnace or boiler starts to run again but shuts down after a few minutes, do not press the reset button again. Pressing it more than once can flood the system with oil and result in a costly repair.

For your convenience, we have put together a No-Heat Checklist that gives you a step-by-step guide that shows you everything you should check before calling us for emergency service. Why not bookmark it now for an easy and complete guide if you lose heat?

If you go through all of these tips and can’t figure out the problem, it’s time to call us: 302-738-4144 (Delaware) or 410-398-2146. (Maryland).

When our service technician arrives, tell him everything that was done to the system and if anything out of the ordinary happened, such as an unusual noise, smoke, or a strange smell or odor.

In many cases, this will help our technician find the problem—and get your heat back on—as fast as possible.

More Heating Tips

• Mark the circuit breaker (or fuse) that controls your heating system.
• Make sure you know the location of your system’s power switches.
• Regularly check the condition of your furnace filter, or the water gauge level if you have a boiler.

Which Heating Solution Makes You Feel Better?

With domestic oil production reaching its highest point in 43 years, most experts believe oil prices will stay lower for the foreseeable future. But the good news about oil heat goes beyond lower prices and abundant supply. Heating oil is getting greener, cleaner, and more efficient in dramatic ways!

Meanwhile, there are big concerns that natural gas pipelines might not be able to distribute enough fuel when temperatures enter the frigid zone. Last winter, there were reports of low gas pressure, leading to a loss of heat for some folks. Additionally, a new study reported by The New York Times revealed that leaks from methane—a greenhouse gas that is the main component of natural gas—were far greater than the EPA had estimated.*

These emerging trends create the need for strong evaluation when considering a switch to natural gas. According to a recent study, customer expectations about the cost to convert to natural gas and likely payback times are dramatically unrealistic; some thought they could recoup their conversion costs in just a few years!** The truth is that payback often never comes.

By sticking with Hillside Oil Heating & Cooling and upgrading to high-efficiency, clean-burning oil heating equipment, you can keep your heating bills reasonable without sacrificing an ounce of comfort.

With all this said, you may still feel that converting your heating system from oil to gas is the best option for your situation. If that’s the case, we have experts on staff who can remove your old oil heating system and replace it with a new high-efficiency gas system. We will then protect your investment by keeping your new system properly maintained so it continues to operate safely and efficiently. Bottom line is, we value your business and want to keep you as our customer, whether you heat your home with oil or gas.

Please contact us if you’re interested in upgrading your heating system before winter sets in. If you would like to speak with one of our equipment experts, please call 302-738-4144 (Delaware) or 410-398-2146 (Maryland).

*The New York Times, 8/18/15.
**2015 Oilheat Consumer Research Study.

Getting What You Pay For

At this time of year, you’ll see ads from discount oil companies who try to lure in new customers with super-low prices. This may seem tempting—everyone wants to save money.

But keep in mind the old saying, “You get what you pay for.”

You should never count on a discount dealer to make sure you never run out of heating oil with automatic delivery. But you can always count on us to be there if you have an emergency.

Test run your equipment

None of us want to turn the heat on sooner than necessary. A test run will give you piece of mind that your unit will actually come on when you need it. Nobody likes to go out to his or her car first thing in the morning just to realize you have a dead battery. If your heater is not going to kick on, it is best you know before you actually need heat. Best opportunity to test run is one of these chilly evenings.

Change air filters regularly
This is the easiest, cheapest thing a homeowner can do to help avoid problems in their heating and/or cooling system. Depending on what type of filter you have, it should be checked or changed every 1-3 months. Even if you have the expensive cleanable air filters that last an entire year, it is still worth a minutes time to give it a check for dirt or anything that might block airflow.

Tune-up your equipment
As with any piece of mechanical equipment, proper maintenance will ensure that it is running optimally and efficiently. A little preventative maintenance can go a long way to avoiding untimely breakdowns and prolonging the life of your equipment. Hillside does maintenance, repairs, tune-ups, and offers annual maintenance plans for almost all types of equipment. Check our services HERE.

Close unused heating vents
If you have rooms or areas of your home that do not need direct heat, close off the registers or vents. If that part of your house does not need to be heated to a comfortable sitting temperature, don’t waste your money.

Time to consider replacing your equipment?
Nobody likes to think about such a major expense, but if you have to, the payback time for newer more efficient equipment is getting shorter and shorter. An investment today can show payback in savings of utility costs in just a few years. No more worrying about the life of your equipment. Hillside ALWAYS gives free estimates on new and replacement equipment. Financing available for those that qualify.

Consider a programmable thermostat
These programmable thermostats are ideal for people who have a set schedule, leaving and returning home at the same time each day. A programmable thermostat will turn your system on and off to meet your schedule, so it is warm when you get home, but saving you money while you are away.

If your schedule is unpredictable consider a thermostat that you can access from anywhere you have your smartphone or internet access. Turn your equipment on or off, adjust the temperature, check outside temperature, and even change your program schedule whenever you need! This is the ONLY thermostat that has no monthly, annual, or maintenance fees. One time installation and it is yours forever. Give us a call if you are interested or would like more info.