Dear Friends,

At Wilson Oil and Propane, we believe it’s important to embrace new technology. It helps us serve you better, and more importantly, new technology is usually better for the environment.

That’s why we recently rolled out a new oil delivery truck that runs on propane autogas. We’ve been really impressed by the power, performance and especially the fuel efficiency of propane autogas. We began converting our service fleet to run on autogas several years ago, and we’ll be updating our delivery fleet next.

In fact, we’ve just ordered two more propane-powered trucks, and once they’re on the road, we’ll have 13 vehicles in our fleet that run on propane. We have already displaced more than 20,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel, which produce far more emissions than propane.

Browse our website to learn how we can help you convert your fleet — or landscaping equipment — to propane autogas.

Propane is also a clean, efficient choice for you both inside and outside your home. Give us a call and we’ll show you how “propane can do that.”

Warmly,
David and Betsy O’Connell

Q: I’ve noticed that after a delivery, my propane tank is never filled all the way. Why not?

A: The propane in your tank is a liquid, which changes to gas before it leaves the tank. But like all liquids, it will expand when its temperature rises. To make sure there’s room for propane to safely expand, we typically fill tanks to about 80%. So a 500-gallon tank that’s 80% full will safely hold about 400 gallons of propane.

Keep in mind the amount of propane in your tank doesn’t change when it expands and contracts, but its density does.

We call this the 80/20 rule, and it’s especially important in hot weather, and in aboveground tanks, which are not insulated from heat as an underground tank is. Propane gas expansion is also the reason why you should never paint your propane tank a dark color: Dark colors absorb more heat.

You rely on your home air conditioning system all summer to stay cool — but do you know how it performs its magic act?

Air Conditioning Secrets Revealed

Most people think that their air conditioner just delivers cool air into the home, but it actually does double duty. To keep your home comfortable, the system also needs to pull the heat out of a home. Here’s how it all happens.

• Within your A/C system are two coils — an aptly named evaporator coil (located inside your house) and a condenser coil (located outside your house).
• Traveling within and between these coils is refrigerant — a chemical that has the ability to change from a liquid to a gas very quickly, transferring heat in the process.
• Passing along the indoor evaporator coil, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the surrounding indoor air, leaving cooled air behind for redistribution to your house.
• Meanwhile, the refrigerant — now a warm gas, thanks to the heat it has drawn from your air — travels to the outdoor unit, where the condenser coil squeezes all the heat out of it, turning it back into a liquid.
• The compressor’s fan then pushes the heat it has gathered into the outdoor air, while the cool liquid is recycled and sent back to perform its heat transfer duties once again.

These are just the basic principles. A professional cooling technician should service your home A/C unit every year to make sure it is working properly.

Ready to Make It Disappear?

As the availability of outdated R-22 refrigerant has become more limited, its price has gotten higher. In 2020, R-22 will no longer be manufactured at all!

That’s a big — and costly — problem if your old A/C system leaks R-22 refrigerant and you need to add more.

If you’re not sure what type of refrigerant your air conditioning system has, please contact us. All the A/C systems we install operate on economical and environmentally friendly R-410 refrigerant.

Besides the refrigerant issue, keep in mind that all new air conditioning systems are many times more efficient than models available even a decade ago. Upgrading to a higher-efficiency cooling system can save you a lot of money over the long run — on utility bills and repair costs.

Tricks for Mowing

Every time you mow your lawn, there is a chance you could be affecting the operation of your central air conditioning unit. That’s because grass clippings, dust, pollen and dirt are all stirred up during lawn maintenance. This debris then settles either on or inside your outdoor air conditioning unit, and that can compromise its performance.

Take these steps to protect your outdoor A/C unit, which will minimize inefficient operation and help you avoid potential breakdowns:

1. When mowing the lawn, position the mower in a way that minimizes the amount of debris blown toward the unit.
2. Shutting off the A/C unit while mowing can help make sure debris is not being drawn to the outdoor condenser.
3. When you’re finished, rinse the outdoor unit by spraying with a garden hose for just a minute. Dirt, dust, pollen and grass clippings easily rinse away.
4. Don’t block off your outside air conditioning unit with plants, shrubs or other objects. Make sure there is between 18 and 30 inches of clear space around the unit to allow it to “breathe.” This helps it run more efficiently.
5. Don’t stack anything on top of the unit either, like garden hoses or landscaping tools and products.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Pulling Back the Curtain on Common A/C Problems

If you detect an air conditioning problem early enough and call us in, you may be able to avoid more costly repairs later on. Stay alert for these problems:

1. Restricted airflow — Hold your hand up to the vent — do you feel a steady flow of air? If you don’t, you’ll most likely need service (try other vents too — knowing if the problem is in one area or several can help narrow down the cause).
2. Frequent cycling — If your home cooling system cycles (turns on and off) too often, it can wear out prematurely (frequent cycling is often a sign that the system is too large for the home, but the problem could also be mechanical).
3. A too-warm house — There can be a number of reasons that your air conditioner is constantly running but the house isn’t cooling, and our technician has to do a fair amount of detective work to determine the real cause.
4. Noticeably higher bills — If you see your bills creeping higher year after year despite the fact that you use your cooling system about the same amount, the system could be straining to cool the house — and that can eventually lead to a breakdown in the summer heat. A simple tune-up may solve the problem!

Nothing is worse than your A/C conking out on a steamy day — or night! Even if your cooling system is new, a tune-up is crucial. For starters, skipping annual maintenance can void your manufacturer’s warranty. It’s that important!

Regular maintenance prevents the problems that, unchecked, can lead to expensive repairs. It also helps your system perform more efficiently.

Our new Stay Cool A/C plan is one way to keep your system running efficiently. It includes an annual tune-up, priority service, Loyalty Credits, and repair discounts.

We’re giving 50% off to the first 50 customers who sign up for the Stay-Cool plan for the first time. You can reduce breakdowns, increase efficiency and get priority service, all for just $60.*

Browse our site to read more or to request enrollment.

*New A/C service plan customers only, please.

Upgrading heating and air conditioning equipment is an investment, and the return can be great. You’ll improve the comfort of your home while saving energy and significantly reducing expenses.

Our home comfort experts can help you choose the best equipment for your needs and your budget — and we can also help you take advantage of great rebates and financing programs to help you save even more.

For example, right now, through June 30, 2019, we can help you qualify for up to 72-month financing* or up to $1,650 in Cool Cash rebates** from Carrier, our trusted manufacturer.

Please give us a call today or contact us through our website to learn more.

* For qualified buyers
** This offer cannot be combined with any other offers, and cannot be applied to any open quotes. Offers require cash or credit card only. Special financing charges are additional, if applicable.

Leaky ducts are at the root of the three common home comfort problems: uneven temperatures (hot or cold spots), poor indoor air quality that exacerbates allergies and high energy bills.

You can find out the condition of your ducts by asking us to perform a Duct Airflow and Efficiency Assessment. After we’re done, we can make accurate repair recommendations.

During our evaluation, we will:

• inspect for leaks using a hand-held fogger and infra-red camera
• inspect for dirt and debris within ductwork
• analyze and estimate utility bill savings
• explain all findings and improvement options
• provide photographs of all issues uncovered
• and much more

At the end of testing, if you didn’t learn enough to make it worthwhile, you don’t pay anything! But if you agree with our recommendations for improving your duct system, you may qualify for a $100 discount.

“Duct repairs could be the most important energy improvement measure you can take.”
— U.S. Dept. Of Energy

Please call or contact us through our website for further details.