Be Certain You Get Heat When You Need It Later
A lot of people look forward to the fall season. The heat and humidity disappear, multi-colored leaves line the streets and another holiday season creeps closer. Of course, this is also the time of year when you need to think about your heating system. It’s always a good idea to give it a test in early fall before you really need it.
If you adjust your thermostat to call for heat and nothing happens, try these steps to see if you can get your heating oil furnace or heating oil boiler to start generating heat again.
- Make sure you have fuel in your tank.
- Check to see if the power switch for the heating system is turned on.
- Look for a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker.
- Confirm that your thermostat is set above room temperature; check the batteries too.
- Push the reset button on your oil burner—but not more than once or you may flood the system with oil.
Avoiding Running Out of Heating Oil
A common reason for people losing their heat is running out of heating oil. During the periods of extreme cold that is sure to come our way, check your heating oil tank level often. If it’s a very cold winter, chances are that you will burn about 20% more heating oil than normal.
It’s always best to start the heating season off with a full tank of heating oil. With a full tank, you won’t have to worry about being caught off guard by a sudden drop in temperature in late autumn or early winter.
Your heating oil company does not want you to run out! If you notice your oil tank level has reached the ¼ level, please contact your company so they can get a heating oil delivery to you as soon as possible.
If there’s a winter storm coming, your heating oil company will usually accelerate their delivery schedule to fit in extra deliveries ahead of time. However, they typically can only do that for automatic-delivery customers. If you don’t get automatic deliveries, please consider that option. This vastly reduces the chance of running out of oil.
Clearing Your Driveway
Just because your car can get in and out of your driveway after a snow storm doesn’t necessarily mean that fuel trucks can. Oil delivery vehicles need a 9-foot- to 10-foot-wide clear path in your driveway to allow enough room for maneuvering.
Your heating oil supplier cannot make a delivery if a driveway is not clear, so please make sure that this is done. Driveways need to be salted too. You should also maintain a clear path to your oil tank and fill pipe to make it easier for your delivery driver.
Count on Your Wisconsin Heating Oil Company
Here are a few ways that heating oil companies in the Badger State look after their customers.
- When it’s cold, your heating oil company will have an ample supply of fuel on hand to make sure you stay warm.
- Your company will be delivering cleaner and more efficient versions of heating oil, thanks to the development of ultra-low-sulfur heating oil and renewable Bioheat® fuel.
- When it’s time to upgrade your heating system, your heating oil company can help secure rebates that could save you up to $1,200 on the new equipment.
Read about heating oil equipment rebates.