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We will give you 50% off of your next service! |
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We service most areas in Central Connecticut. Find out if Owl Oil is available for all of your home heating needs! |
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» How does Automatic Oil Delivery work?
» What is the Budget Plan?
» How does the Budget Plan work?
» What is the difference between a furnace and a boiler?
» While I'm on winter vacation, what temperature should I leave my house?
» Do my radiators need to be bled during the heating season?
» My heating equipment is very old. How do I know if it is time to replace it?
» Why does my house only heat up to 68 degrees when I put my thermostat at 70 degrees?
» I have a 275 gallon tank. How do I read the gauge on it? How do I know how much oil I have left?
POOL HEATERS
» Why can't the Technician fix my pool heater in the rain?
» Should I have the heater serviced before my pool is serviced?
THERMOSTATS
» What degree difference should I use between daytime and nighttime temperatures?
» With a Clock Thermostat, how do I change from standard time to daylight saving in the Spring and vice versa in
the Fall?
» When should I NOT use the setback feature on my Analog or Digital Thermostat?
HOT WATER HEATERS
» What temperature should I keep my hot water heater?
FORCED WARM AIR SYSTEM
» What maintenance should I do on my system? How often?
STEAM HEATING SYSTEM
» What maintenance should I do on my system? How often?
» Why do I need to add water to my boiler?
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How does Automatic Oil Delivery work? |
(^ TOP) |
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The easiest way to explain it is to use the example of your car and how it uses gasoline.
Your car uses gasoline as you drive. How much gas you use in a measurement is known as MPG, or miles per gallon. By knowing how may gallons your car gasoline tank holds, and how many miles per gallon you car delivers, you can estimate when you will need to refuel your tank.
Automatic Delivery uses this same concept. We know how much oil your tank holds when it is full, and we multiply it by the "miles per gallon" of your house, which is known as the K-Factor. This tells us "how far" your house can go before you need more oil.
In our business, "how far" is not measured in miles, it's measured in something called "degree days". Degree days are an indication of how cold it is on any given day. So after we fill your tank, we keep track of the degree days to ensure we deliver oil when you need it, and keep you warm and cozy. |
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The Budget Plan is the best way to pay your heating bills, because it gives you unsurpassed convenience and control. It allows you to make 10 even, monthly payments throughout the year. By spreading your annual heating expenses out over 10 months, you will avoid monthly billing fluctuations, especially during the heating season. |
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How does the Budget Plan work? |
(^ TOP) |
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This is a simple 4 step procedure.
1. At the beginning of the Budget Season (May or June), we determine your average monthly payment. We base it on your estimated annual consumption of fuel oil, divided by ten.
2. Each month you will receive a monthly Budget Statement, due the 10th of each month. It will indicate your regular monthly payment as well as any other charges not covered by your Budget Plan. In addition, the statement will keep you informed about your actual account balance throughout the year.
3. To help you make sure your plan stays on track; we will review your account periodically and adjust your monthly payment if necessary.
4. Your final budget statement will be the settlement statement where we will ask for the remaining balance to finish out the year. This replaces your normal monthly payment and represents the difference between your actual cost and what you have paid. |
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What is the difference between a furnace and a boiler? |
(^ TOP) |
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A furnace utilizes forced hot air to produce the heat in your home. A boiler utilizes hot water. |
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While I'm on winter vacation, what temperature should I leave my house? |
(^ TOP) |
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You should keep your heat set between 60-65 degrees to keep the pipes from possible freezing. |
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Do my radiators need to be bled during the heating season? |
(^ TOP) |
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That is not normally necessary unless you are having a specific problem. |
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My heating equipment is very old. How do I know if it is time to replace it? |
(^ TOP) |
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Although there is no certain age when equipment will need to be replaced, many people start considering replacement within the 20-25 year time frame. If your equipment has been properly maintained and continues to run at peak efficiency, it could, in fact, have a longer life span. |
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Why does my house only heat up to 68 degrees when I put my thermostat at 70 degrees? |
(^ TOP) |
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Thermostats are not always 100% accurate and there will often be a difference. |
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I have a 275 gallon tank. How do I read the gauge on it? How do I know how much oil I have left? |
(^ TOP) |
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When your tank gauge reads as shown, your tank contains approximately this many gallons.
1/8 = 40 gallons
1/4 = 70 gallons
3/8 = 100 gallons
1/2 = 130 gallons |
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5/8 = 160 gallons
3/4 = 200 gallons
7/8 = 240 gallons
full = 275 gallons |
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Why can't the Technician fix my pool heater in the rain? |
(^ TOP) |
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All pool heaters need an electrical connection (just like the boiler in your home). Unfortunately, we cannot service pool heaters when it is raining because of the danger of the electrical shock from the 120 volt dedicated circuit. |
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Should I have the heater serviced before my pool is serviced? |
(^ TOP) |
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Your pool company must first be scheduled to service the pool before we can start up the pool heater. You don't want dirty, untreated water flowing through your pool's heating system. The pool company will fill the pool with water, "shock" it with chemicals and start up the filtering system. At that point our Service Technician can do the tune-up on the pool heater. |
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What degree difference should I use between daytime and nighttime temperatures? |
(^ TOP) |
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We recommend no more than a 6 degrees difference between the daytime and nighttime temperatures. Any greater variance will be too difficult for the heating system to "make up" heat loss./span> |
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With a Clock Thermostat, how do I change from standard time to daylight saving in the Spring and vice versa in the Fall? |
(^ TOP) |
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Specific information is available either in the instruction pamphlet you received when your thermostat was installed or from the manufacturer directly.
If you cannot find your instruction pamphlet, take the time to call and request this information be sent to you. The toll free phone numbers for, the three major manufactures are:
LUX (800) 421-1130
HONEYWELL (800) 328-5111
WHITE-RODGERS (888) 725-9797
Finally, use these opportunities to change the battery in your thermostat(s). |
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What temperature should I keep my hot water heater? |
(^ TOP) |
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Consider both safety and energy conservation when selecting the temperature for your hot water heater. Typically, households maintaining a setting somewhere between 125 degrees fahrenheit and 140 degrees fahrenheit. At a temperature of 130 degrees fahrenheit, water can cause scalding in about 30 seconds. If your home includes small children, disabled or elderly persons, a setting of 120 degrees fahrenheit or lower may make sense. At that temperature, it would take more than 5 minutes of exposure to hot water to produce a serious burn. |
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When should I NOT use the setback feature on my Analog or Digital Thermostat? |
(^ TOP) |
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On the coldest days of the year, keep your thermostat on the "high" setting. Most heating systems will struggle to make up the difference between the high and low setting when the outside temperature dips. |
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What maintenance should I do on my system? How often? |
(^ TOP) |
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In addition to the preventive maintenance done by our Service Technicians, these additional steps will help to ensure efficient operation:
- Remove any objects which might be blocking the supply registers and the return air registers. Draperies, bureaus, sofas, etc. can inhibit or even block the flow of air and restrict the amount of heat delivered to the rooms.
- Remove any build-up of paint from the supply and return air register. Layers of paint can build up over the years. Removing this excess will allow more air through the grills and increase warm air circulation.
- Change or clean the air filter regularly. Dirt and dust, trapped by the filter, can build up and block airflow into the furnace.
- Heavy black staining by the supply grill indicates a problem and your heating system may need replacement.
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What maintenance should I do on my system? How often? |
(^ TOP) |
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A Steam Heating System requires more homeowner maintenance than a Hydronic (Hot Water) or Forced Warm Air System, but it is not time-consuming. None of the steps listed below will take more than a few minutes. During the heating season, you should plan to check the system on an average of every other day. To ensure efficient operation:
- Check the level of water in the boiler and add water as often as necessary. Water must be added VERY SLOWLY (this can take one to two minutes) to avoid damaging the boiler.
- Add water only when the unit is off. If water is added while the boiler is on, you run the risk of overfilling the boiler.
- Do not overfill the boiler. Too much water in the boiler will force water-instead of steam-into the pipes and radiators.
- Flush the Low Water Cut Off twice a month in the winter and once a month in the summer.
- Drain a bucket or two of water from the boiler monthly during the heating season. This removes any residues that may have settled in the bottom of the boiler.
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Why do I need to add water to my boiler? |
(^ TOP) |
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Through normal usage, some of the steam escapes and therefore does not return back to boil as water. Radiators make two sounds: "hiss" and "click." The hiss is small amounts of steam leaving the radiator; the click is the valve shutting off the release of steam.
If you need to add water frequently, it could mean you have a leak somewhere in the system. Take a moment to listen to your radiators to hear the "click" sound and check around the radiator piping and the boiler itself to see if there are any water drips. |
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