1.	The thermostat I have is working fine, it's just old. Can I go to a home improvement store, buy a new one, and install it myself? Yes, however, you need to be aware of a few things first. The thermostat that is now in use can be 120v. AC or 24v. AC. It can also be controlling air conditioning as well as heating. Or you can have a heat pump being controlled by it. If you do not know the answers to these questions you run the risk of doing harm to the thermostat, the system and yourself. This is best left to a qualified technician or electrician.
2.	I am not getting heat out of one radiator, what can I do about this? Depending on whether you have a steam or water heating system you will need to address this differently. a) If you have a steam system, you should check the steam radiator air valve to see if it working properly. To check this, when steam is coming up you should hear the air "hissing" out of the valve as the air leaves the radiator. Once the radiator is hot, the air valve should close to prevent the loss of steam pressure. b) If you have a water system, there are many different ways of air removal. If you have convectors, check to see if there is a bleeder on the end of the convector. If so, you can vent the air from the radiator there. If you have baseboard heat, you may find a "purge set-up" in the basement. If you are not familiar with this type of set up, it is best left to a qualified technician. New systems that are installed are installed in such a way as to vent any air through automatic air vents and this greatly reduces the need for periodic venting of the system.
3.	I have always had sufficient hot water in the past, why am I not getting it now? There are many possible reasons for this to happen. The most common is that the coil needs to be "cleaned". After some time, the minerals which are present in all water in different quantities, come out of solution and form an insulating coating inside the coil. This prevents the efficient transfer of heat from the boiler water to the domestic water. It is possible that cleaning the coil may not solve the problem and may need to be replaced. Another possible reason, and becoming more common, is that the family's need for hot water is growing and the coil just can not keep up with the demand. Many families are deciding to go with indirect water heaters as a solution to this problem. This is possibly the most economical way to provide an adequate supply of hot water for your needs today.
4.	What is the reset button used for and where is it? The reset button is located on the control which monitors the operation of the unit. Under certain circumstances the unit may malfuction and not start when called for. If this should happen the control will shut down the unit in a safe mode. In the event of this, the control has a reset button that will need to be reset. It is normally located directly on the oil burner although on more vintage units it may be located on the smoke pipe leading to the chimney. It will be red in color. this button should only be reset once. If the unit fails to start, a qualified service technician needs to investigate the cause.
5.	Why do I need to add water to my steam boiler? Steam that is produced by the boiler is used to fill the radiators and heat your home. Under normal use some of the steam is lost through the steam valve as the radiator heats up and makes the familiar hissing sound. The hiss you hear is steam leaving the radiator. The steam cannot make its way back to the boiler. After sufficient time enough steam is lost to the room that the boiler needs to be refilled with water.
6.	I am on Automatic Oil Delivery, how do you know when to deliver? Our computerized dispatching system monitors the weather AND your heating demands. This is similar to monitoring miles per gallon in your car. How much gas you use is known as miles per gallon. By knowing how many gallons it took to fill the tank, and how many miles you drove before filling the tank again, you can estimate your MPG. With this information you can estimate when you will need gas again. Our computer system does all this automatically. Only instead of MPG we use terms like "degree days" and "K" factors. This tells us how many (degree) days you will go until your next fill up is needed.
7.	What is the Budget Plan? Budget Plans are the best way to control your household budget. You make 12 monthly payments throughout the year, each of the same amount. By spreading your annual heating expenses out over the year, you will avoid those high bills during the heating season. Call our friendly staff for more information on this or any other questions you may have.
8.	Does it pay for me to upgrade my heating equipment? Modern oil heating equipment is very efficient and clean. If your heating equipment is over 15 years old or so, it may be beneficial to upgrade. Oil heat equipment normally runs about 86% efficient as compared to older units which were designed to run in the mid-70% range. Contact us for a free energy audit, and we will gladly give you some recommendations.