Spring is the Time for Home Heating System Maintenance

Date: May 10, 2019

In our last post, we told you about rebates you may qualify for when you replace your oilheating system and/or oil storage tank.

Of course, not everyone needs to replace their system—no matter how great the rebates. But there is something else you can do: take care of your existing system with a tune-up of your oil furnace or oil boiler.

Proper and regular maintenance by a professional oilheat technician helps your home heating system operate more efficiently, saving you on energy costs and helping to avert costly repairs. Following a proper maintenance schedule can also keep your equipment warranty in force and can extend the life of your heating system too.

Why worry about this now?

This is not the time to procrastinate! Scheduling your oilheat system maintenance in the spring (or summer) makes sense for a few reasons.

Scheduling is easy. When the first hint of fall foliage appears, it’s the beginning of the busy season for your local Massachusetts oilheat service provider. Their schedule is quickly filled with requests for oilheat deliveries, emergency repairs, and heating system tune-ups from people who have delayed getting their equipment maintenance done. You may find it difficult to get your tune-up service done at a time that’s convenient for you.

On the other hand, your oilheat service provider’s schedule is much more open at this time of year. That means you can more easily schedule your tune-up for a time that works for you.

Repairs are handled faster and easier. Annual maintenance is important because your professional oilheat technician can discover small problems before they become bigger and more costly problems. When you schedule your tune-up for the spring, your technician has more time and flexibility to get any repairs done—without the need to rush off to a no-heat emergency.

What does a technician do during a tune-up?

Your professional oilheat technician will conduct many tests to make sure your heating system is running at the best possible efficiency. Any adjustments and repairs can be done after this initial evaluation. Here are some of the tests they may do:

• CO2: Testing for carbon dioxide levels shows how airtight your heating system is. A high level of CO2 means your system has air leaks. Your technician will find and seal up those leaks.
• Draft overfire and stack temperature: These two tests measure the amount of heat and volume of air going up the chimney.
• Smoke reading: This test looks for smoke, which indicates a few problems, such as some of your fuel not turning into heat when burned. Second, smoke build-up in your system reduces its efficiency.
• Draft at breech: This test measures the draft inside your heating system. If the draft is weak, it won’t vent combustion products properly. But a draft that is too strong sucks heat out of your home.
• Total efficiency: Your professional oilheat technician combines all the readings taken while testing your heating system to give an overall efficiency rating for it.

Contact your local Massachusetts oilheat service provider today to schedule your annual home heating system tune-up. You’ll get a more efficient system and peace of mind. And you’ll also be all set to go when the fall season returns to the Bay State.