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Dear Friends,
I want to personally apologize for any stress you may have experienced regarding deliveries or service during the record-breaking cold wave in early January. I can’t remember a more challenging time.
I’m extremely proud and grateful for how hard our team worked under very harsh conditions. They were on the job seven days a week, around the clock, doing their best to take care of everyone. Our drivers worked 15-hour shifts. For my part, I jumped on a truck to make deliveries during the day and fielded calls and emails from customers at night. Then, on top of everything else, four of our trucks broke down from overuse.
During this time, you may have found it hard to reach us and been concerned about running out of fuel. One way to reduce the risk of problems in the future is to have us put a monitor on your tank.
If you’d like to discuss anything with me personally, please don’t hesitate to call, or email me at: rdo@wilsonoilandpropane.com
Nothing is more important to me than the trust you place in us to keep you warm and safe.
Warmly,
David O’Connell
We know that one of the things you appreciate most about working with us is our responsive service. The secret can be found in these three numbers: 24, 7 and 365. That’s when our service technicians are on call for you in an emergency: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
But our dedication is not the only thing that sets us apart from the competition. Customers count on us for the convenient expert services we provide, such as top-notch equipment installations, worry-free service plans and monthly payment plans to help you keep fuel bills manageable.
No matter how you add it up, we’re the people you can trust to do our best for you.
Every problem has a symptom, and frequently it is accompanied by something you see, hear, smell or even feel. Follow along as Shamus, the dogged detective, uses his enhanced senses to uncover common problems you might encounter at home.
Don’t blame poor housekeeping if you’re seeing more dust around your home. Leaky ductwork may draw air from places it shouldn’t, like the garage, the attic or crawl spaces, which are likely to contain excess dust, not to mention mold and mildew spores.
In addition, leaky ducts result in the loss of as much as 40% of the heated or cooled air moving through your home, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That forces your system to work harder, and you end up paying more to heat or cool your home.
We can inspect your system to identify problem areas and make repairs. In addition to gaining significant energy savings, you’ll be more comfortable. Well-sealed ductwork reduces allergens by ensuring that all conditioned air passes through filters. Sealed ducts also improve air circulation so temperatures are more even.
Other ways to reduce dust
Another cause of dust buildup could be the quality of the air filter in your furnace. The majority of furnaces have low-end, flat panel filters that can’t capture most dust particles. While no filter will eliminate all particles, a high-quality pleated filter will perform better and provide cleaner air. It will also improve your system’s efficiency and reduce breakdowns, saving you money and keeping your indoor air healthier. You can improve your indoor air quality even more by adding a whole-house air cleaner.
One of the most serious problems you can encounter is a buildup of carbon monoxide (CO) in your home. Because this is an invisible gas that cannot be smelled, it’s what you feel more than anything else that can alert you to a problem. However, many CO symptoms mimic the flu — fatigue, dizziness, nausea — and most people initially don’t recognize the danger of the situation.
That’s why it’s important to have carbon monoxide detectors in your home — especially in your bedrooms. If the detector sounds an alarm, ventilate the home with fresh air right away. If you feel dizzy or drowsy, leave the house immediately.
Identifying carbon monoxide leaks can be complex, because there are various causes, including:
All of these situations could set off a CO detector, but conditions can change by the time a technician arrives, which can make proper diagnosis difficult. You can help our technician by sharing as much information as possible so that the source of the problem can be identified correctly.
Take a look at your vents
All combustion appliances, including furnaces, boilers, water heaters and generators, need unrestricted airflow to operate safely and properly. Unlike older heating equipment, which is vented through the chimney, newer high-efficiency systems may be vented through a sidewall of a building. These vents could become blocked by dirt, dust and other debris.
Please be sure you know where your vents are located. Walk around your home and check these vents regularly. If they are blocked, take a broom and gently clear away any obstacles. An obstructed vent can prevent flue gases from leaving the building, leading to carbon monoxide buildup. It can also cause your heating system or generator to shut down.
Unusual noises often come from your system’s blower motor, which pushes the air from your system into the ducts. Here are a few sounds and their possible causes. (Note: A correct diagnosis can only be made by a technician with an on-site visit.)
Scraping. The bearings in the motor may be wearing out. If you hear this noise, shut off the system immediately to avoid further damage. Then call us for service.
Squealing. If you have an older system, the blower motor may need oil. There may also be a loose belt.
Vibration. The blower motor or wheel may need to be rebalanced.
Well, it could be the dog, but it’s probably caused by stagnant water — the most common source for bad odors because it often turns to mold. Look for water leaks in the roof, the foundation, or around sinks and other piping. Besides correcting water leaks promptly, you can keep indoor air virtually odor-free with correctly sized equipment, constant airflow and air purification systems.
We work really hard to make sure none of our customers run out of fuel. But that becomes a big challenge when we’re faced with brutally cold temperatures for weeks.
We want you to have 100% confidence in your comfort, so we recently invested in the Gremlin™ wireless tank monitor system, which connects to your tank and constantly measures its fuel level.
The monitor signals our office with your exact fuel readings so that we’ll know precisely when to deliver to you.
The entire installation would normally cost about $100, but if you are an automatic delivery customer with a service agreement, we will waive the cost and install one for you at no charge. Just call our office or contact us through our website to find out more.
Our drivers appreciate it so much when you shovel your driveway before a fuel delivery. It makes their job a little easier and a lot safer.
It’s also great when you clear a path to your oil fill pipe or propane tank, especially after a big snow.
That not only makes things safer for our drivers, but it helps our deliveries go more quickly so we can get to everyone faster.
The quality of your heating oil has a big impact on how efficiently your system runs and how long your equipment lasts. That’s why we deliver the cleanest fuel possible.
The combination of our ultra-low-sulfur heating oil and a special additive called Avalux has yielded a huge reduction in fuel-related service calls, and that means less downtime for our customers. We have used Avalux for 10 years; it helps fuel burn more cleanly, which means a cleaner heating system inside and less particulate matter going into the atmosphere.
Q: How do I know when I should replace my oil tank?
A: If your fuel storage tank is more than 30 years old or you see signs of rust, you should consider replacing it. Another option is to talk with us about converting your heating system from oil to propane.
We have expertise with both fuels, so we can offer an objective analysis of the benefits of staying with oil or switching to propane.
After doing an evaluation for you, we’ll tell you if it makes sense to switch. If you do decide to convert, we can handle all aspects of the job. You can count on us to install your new propane heating system properly.
Please visit the Specials page on our website to see our seasonal offers on new heating equipment.
