If you are a homeowner, you depend on your home heating system to work correctly. This is especially true in colder climates, where your family’s health might rely on making sure your house is warm. Home heating oil can be expensive and regular maintenance adds to the bill. However, it is important that you keep your system working correctly. Whether it’s a diesel fired boiler or a condensing oil furnace, your heating system has specific needs in order to work correctly. If these needs are ignored, the system can break. The cost to service oil furnace is much cheaper than the cost to replace oil heating system if it breaks.
However, you might be able to save money on these costs. Compare options from local businesses when it comes to oil prices and repair estimates. The prices will probably vary between the companies. So check out what they offer, how it compares with what you need, and how much the costs are. With this information available to you, you might be able to save money while keeping your home’s heating system working.
Gas furnaces, also known as oil furnaces, are one of the most popular types of heating and cooling systems among American homeowners. As Energy.gov points out, oil-fired boiler and heating systems are definitely older technology, but with the advent of biodiesel fuels that can be used to fire these systems, they represent one of the most cost-effective, environmentally friendly home air conditioning systems you can use.
Of course, like most types of heating and cooling units, oil furnaces are not without their issues. The good news? Many of the most common problems can be fixed at home, assuming you have the time and the patience to do so safely. If you can honestly tell yourself you’ll be patient and safe with your oil furnace repair, here’s how to fix some of the most common issues.
How to Fix Two of the Most Common Oil Furnace Issues:
Your Furnace Refuses to Start
Undoubtedly, the most common problem for all homeowners in need of oil furnace repair is the stubborn furnace that refuses to start. As Mother Earth News writes, if your furnace won’t start, you should first try hitting the reset button. This will prime the motor with oil, making it more likely to get going. Make sure not too hit the reset button more than once or twice, or you will flood the system. Assuming the reset trick doesn’t work, you should next check to make sure your fuses aren’t burnt out. Simply replace any burnt out fuses.
The Furnace is Making Foreboding Banging Sounds
Have you ever woken up to a terrifying banging noise issuing from your oil furnace system? More likely than not, this simply means you have air in your lines. House Logic suggests simply loosening the air valve on top of your system. That should purge small amounts of air from your lines automatically. On the other hand, if you have large amounts of air in the system, you will need to bleed your lines zone by zone. Homeowners who see “zone by zone” and have no idea what that means will be better served looking for professional help.
What if You Can’t Fix Your Furnace?
If the furnace won’t start or it’s still making that terrible banging noise, it’s in your best interest to call your local oil furnace repair professional. It could be you flooded the system by hitting the reset button too many times or that there is a ton of air in your lines. While there are plenty of home owners who can fix these issues themselves, they can be dangerous to fix, both to the homeowner and the equipment, for the untrained. Save yourself the trouble if you’re less than confident.
As you can see, some of the most common problems that pop up with oil furnace repair can be managed at home, without contacting a heating and cooling repair service. However, if you’re worried about damaging your system or you simply don’t feel confident enough to go it alone, make sure you contact the pros at your local furnace repair shop. Continue your research here.