Good thing he is tall. The photos posted on social media told a specific story of the January 2016 east coast snow storm. A close up picture of the service label on the 30 year old snow blower indicated that it had originally been purchased in Grand Island, Nebraska, but it was working hard in a rural area outside of Baltimore, Maryland, this weekend.
The specific work it was doing this weekend was removing nearly 30 inches of drifting snow. In case you doubt the depth of that snow, two pictures have been posted for verification. One shows how high the snow is on the pants leg of the six foot eight inch tall snowblower operator; the second shows a yard stick indicating the 30 inch mark just above the knee that lands just above the snow covered pants.
That is a lot of snow. So much snow, in fact, that an emergency oil furnace repair could be the difference between life and death. If you have nearly three feet of snow that in some places is drifting as high as five to six feet, that snow could prevent a timely oil furnace repair.
Rather than risk a family’s safety the next time a record snowfall closes down everything from public transportation systems to schools, a well prepared home owner instead makes sure that an oil furnace is properly maintained and serviced on a regular basis.
How to Maintain an Oil Furnace
- Regularly change air filters. Like any kind of heating system, oil furnace repair can sometimes be avoided with a simple maintenance plan of changing air filters every two months.
- Pay for a service contract. Whether you are looking for oil or gas furnace repair, most manufacturers recommend a yearly service contract. These contracts provide two to three service visits a year to check everything from burner motors to relief valves, as well as capacity and efficiency readings to make certain that both heating and cooling systems are working properly. The best of these service contracts also provide 24 hour furnace repair when needed.
- Pay attention to warning signals. In many ways fuel oil is much more safe than natural gas. First of all, it is not explosive. Secondly, its fumes are not harmful if inhaled. The chance of carbon monoxide poisoning is also far less likely with a fuel oil furnace than with a natural gas furnace. If, however, a fuel oil repair is needed, the unit will give some initial signals that should not be ignored. Immediately call for oil furnace repair if you notice any of the following signals: smoke, odors, or even soot.
- Monitor fuel supply. Because homeowners with an oil furnace can store their own oil themselves, it is easy to monitor and track how much fuel a furnace is using. A monthly, or even weekly, log book can help a home owner monitor fuel usage and average temperatures. These records allow a home owner to compare numbers to previous years and watch for abnormalities that might indicate a necessary oil furnace repair.
An estimated 85,469 HVAC businesses are located in America. These nearly 86,000 businesses employ an estimated 301,000 workers who generate nearly $71 billion in revenue a year. None of these enormous numbers, however, matter if a home owner does not have the help he or she needs when an emergency happens. In fact, the only number that really matters to any family is the number that indicates the temperature inside a home. And, to be safe, that temperature needs to be consistently comfortable every single day, no matter how hot or how cold the outdoor temperature is.
What will you be doing the next time the big winter storm hits? Will you be sitting comfortably in your 68 degree home enjoying a cup of hot chocolate while you read your newspaper by the fire? Or, will you be scrambling to find a heating repair service that can make its way through five foot drifts to fix an unexpected broken furnace? Don’t leave the safety and comfort of your family up to the whims of Mother Nature and her crazy temperatures. Instead, contract with a trusted heating and cooling contractor who will make sure that your temperature control system is running safely and efficiently. More can be found here.
