Oil Furnace Troubleshooting Tips For Winter

Over the next few months, your oil furnace will be running all the time—or close to it. Along with such constant use comes occasional problems. Here are four common issues that come up for oil furnaces in the winter—and what to do if you run into them in your Rhode Island home.

1. Your Furnace Won’t Start.

In the dead of winter, few things are worse than having a “no heat” situation. If your furnace refuses to start, here are a few steps you can try taking before you call for service:

• Make sure you haven’t run out of heating oil.
• Confirm that all of your system’s switches are set in the “start” or “on” position. Also make sure your circuit breaker hasn’t been tripped.
• Double check that your thermostat is set for at least 5° higher than the current room temperature. The system’s switch should be in the AUTO or HEAT position and the fan switch should either be set to AUTO or ON, to allow for ongoing airflow.
• If your system has a pilot light, give it a check.
• Confirm that vents are not blocked and that your air filter is not clogged or in need of a replacement.

If none of these issues are causing your problem or you are not sure what to do, contact us.

2. Your Heating System Is Cycling.

A system that’s cycling turns on and off more than you want it to. Usually the cause of this is a faulty thermostat or an air filter that’s clogged and needs to be replaced or cleaned. Check for either of these potential issues. If you rule them out, contact us to come check it out.

3.You See Soot Or Smell Smoke.

As a general rule, the presence of smoke or soot indicates a problem with your oil furnace. It may mean that there is a carbon monoxide (CO) leak. If there is soot buildup or you see smoke, contact us right away. A precautionary measure you can take is to install a CO detector on each level of your home, but once you see this issue, stop what you’re doing and call us at 401-231-8070.

4.The Temperature Is Not Consistent Throughout Your Home.

If you feel hot and cold spots throughout your home, they could be cause by the heating system or you may just have some easy-to-eliminate drafts. To get rid of drafts, place some weather stripping and caulking around windows, and add door sweeps under external doors. You may want to consider adding insulation where it’s needed. Finally, confirm that your vents and air filter are operating as they should be, without any blockages or clogs. If all of these elements are functioning properly, it’s possible that your system has damaged heating coils or another issue best addressed by a trained professional. Contact us right away.

Contact us today to learn about our service plans, which include annual tune-ups as well as priority service. Repairs are either discounted or covered, depending on your plan. If you’re due for an upgrade, we can tell you about which heating systems we service and sell for your Rhode Island home.