Easy Tricks to Turn Your Heat Back On

Posted: February 1, 2016

Posted: February 1, 2016
Posted by: Larry Grier, Service Manager

If your heating system stops working at some point this winter, never fear. Wilson Oil and Propane provides you with 24-hour emergency service during the winter months. But before calling us for service, stay calm and remember there are many simple reasons that can cause your heat to stop working. Sometimes, you may even be able to find and fix the problem yourself.

Here are common reasons for losing heat:

• You may have a tripped circuit breaker or a blown fuse.
• Your oil or propane tank may be empty.
• Your thermostat may be on the wrong setting. Also, if the display screen on a digital thermostat is blank, you either need new batteries or the power supply has been interrupted.
• The emergency switch to your heating system may have been turned off accidentally.

As a last resort for getting your heat back, press the reset button on your oil burner once. If your furnace or boiler starts to run again but shuts down after a few minutes, do not press the reset button again. Pressing it more than once can flood the system with oil and result in a costly repair.

For your convenience, we have put together a troubleshooting guide that gives you a step-by-step guide that shows you everything you should check before calling us for emergency service. Why not bookmark it now for easy access?

If you go through all of these tips and can’t figure out the problem, it’s time to call us.

When our service technician arrives, tell him everything you did to the system and if anything out of the ordinary happened, such as an unusual noise, smoke or a strange smell.

In many cases, this will help our technician find the problem—and get your heat back on—faster.

Hot tips

• Mark the circuit breaker (or fuse) that controls your heating system.
• Make sure you know the location of your system’s power switches.
• Regularly check the condition of your furnace filter, or the water gauge level if you have a boiler.
• Ask us to make automatic deliveries to lower your risk of running out of heating fuel.

If you have any concerns about heating your home, feel free to contact us. We want you to stay safe and comfortable this winter—and all year long.