Late Winter Heating Trouble? Try These Five Things before Calling for Service

The good news here in Rhode Island is that we are on the brink of the last month of winter 2018/2019 – soon it will be time to turn off your heating equipment, open your windows, and enjoy the first warm breeze of spring.

But we are not there yet.

In the coming weeks, your heating oil-powered furnace or boiler will be hard at work keeping your family safe and warm; if it works a little too hard, you could end up with an unexpected late-season heating equipment repair.

If that happens, don’t worry – Vaughn Oil has your back with 24/7 emergency heating service. But before you pick up that phone for one of our expert technicians, it pays to take some time to do a little detective work with your equipment: you may find that your problem can be fixed without wasting time and money on a house call.

If you have no heat, try these five things before contacting us for service:

1. Check the fuel level in your tank – if you are out of heating oil, contact us right away for a heating oil delivery and system restart.
2. Make sure all switches associated with the unit are set for “on” or “start.”
3. Check for tripped breakers and blown fuses on the circuit that powers your heating system.
4. Make sure your thermostat is set for five degrees warmer than the current room temperature, and that it is set to the “heat” or “warm” setting. Please note: if you have a forced air system (a heating systems with vents rather than baseboards and radiators) and the fan doesn’t go on, if could mean that your burner isn’t igniting – a problem that requires professional service.
5. If you have a heating oil-fired system, press the reset button on the burner – but only do it once. Every time you hit the reset button and the burner doesn’t ignite, you are pumping oil into the combustion chamber of your furnace, which can be dangerous.

If your heating system still isn’t working after trying all of the above, contact us for service; our technicians will figure out the problem quickly so you can get back to living in your warm RI home right away.

For expert heating system service in our Rhode Island service area, trust the pros at Vaughn Oil. Contact us today to learn more, or to become an Vaughn Oil customer.