Many people define “ultimate luxury” as simply having the chance to relax and enjoy the comforts of home.
But those comforts can be interrupted sometimes. Here are common home comfort problems — and ways to deal with them.
Lights out
Nothing says home comfort interruption like a power outage.
There go your lights, heat, television, and so many more devices you depend on to bring convenience to your life.
If you have a standby whole-house generator, it may have been a while since you used it. Review the manufacturer’s instructions on how to use it safely. And above all, make sure you have enough fuel to keep the generator running throughout the outage.
After power is restored, follow these tips:
✔ Throw away any food that was exposed to temperatures above 40°F for two hours or more. You should also dispose of any food that has an unusual odor, color, or texture.
✔ If the food in your freezer has stayed colder than 40°F and has ice crystals on it, it’s safe to refreeze it.
✔ Restock your home emergency supply kit (new batteries, bottled water, canned food, etc.).
✔ If you’re concerned that your medications may have spoiled, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
✔ To prevent damage from power surges, unplug all electrical appliances before resetting your circuit breaker.
✔ Make sure there is no standing water in your basement.
If flood water has reached your heating system, get it checked before trying to restart it. Internal valves and controls are vulnerable to water damage and should be inspected.
Source: https://www.ceri-i4a.com/EmergPrepBooklet.pdf
What happened to the hot water?
If your old water heater is running out of hot water more frequently, it may be reaching the end of its lifespan, which ranges from seven to 13 years.
Other trouble signs include higher water heating costs, leaks, rusty water, and unusual noises.
The good news is that there is a range of new water heating units available that match the right fit for your space, usage needs, and budget. Once you have a new one installed, your comforts of home will always include plenty of hot water!
Depending on the type of heating system you have, your choices can include an indirect-fired oil water heater or a direct-fired oil water heater.
Save time and expense
At some point, you may lose your heat, and it won’t be caused by a widespread power outage. To save yourself the time and expense of an emergency service call, here are some things you can do yourself to get your heat back!
✔ Check to see if you have enough heating oil in your storage tank.
✔ Ensure the system’s power switch is in the “on” position.
✔ See if a circuit breaker has been tripped.
✔ Make sure your thermostat is set above room temperature and to “heat.” Check the batteries also.
✔ If you still can’t find the problem, press your system’s reset button once only.
How to reboot your heating system
As you’ve learned from previous power outages, your heating system will not run without electricity. That’s true not only for heating oil systems but also for natural gas, propane gas, and obviously, electric heating systems.
Once your power is back on, remember that your system typically won’t start up on its own. It usually needs a little help from you. Look at it as a system “reboot.”
To get your heat running again, look for the red reset button on the oil burner and push it once only. Pushing it more than once could flood your system with heating oil, resulting in a costly repair. However, if the burner starts but stops again after a few minutes, there may be a problem. You should call for professional service to get everything checked.
Running on empty
It can be a big pain in the neck when you run out of oil, but we know life gets in the way sometimes. It’s easy to lose track of things.
✔ If you want to remove “check the oil tank” from your to-do list this year, switch to our free automatic delivery service.
The result: minimal chance of a run-out, no more calling for a delivery, and no more checking your fuel levels on your own.
✔ Instead, you can trust us to track how much heating oil your home uses. When you start getting low, our driver will simply come to your home and fill up your tank based on the schedule we have built for you.
💡 Tip
If you already get automatic delivery, don’t forget to tell us if something has changed that affects how much heating oil you use in your home. We’ll adjust your delivery schedule accordingly.