Have you recently moved to a home with an oil furnace? If so there’s a bit of a learning curve that comes along with it. An oil furnace operates much the same as any other furnace, it simply uses heating oil as its fuel source. Heating oil is stored in a tank, typically outside of your home. Some tanks are above ground and others are buried. 

While heating oil burns relatively clean, it does produce some soot and carbon monoxide. Regular cleanings by an oil furnace company in Reidsville are necessary to keep your heating system operating properly and efficiently. So how often should regular cleanings take place? 

Have your Oil Furnace Professionally Cleaned Each Year

Professional HVAC specialists recommend cleanings every year for any type of furnace, including oil furnaces. It is best for a cleaning to be done in the fall before the start of the cold-weather season, or in early spring at the end of the cold-weather season, but it can be done at any time. HVAC companies tend to be busier when the weather is extremely cold because they are handling emergency furnace repairs. 

It is a good idea to have the soot and dust cleaned out of the furnace before the humidity of the summer sets in because the combination of dirt and moisture can cause corrosion and rust. Make an appointment with an oil furnace company in Reidsville with the necessary experience to do the job right. 

Why is it Necessary to Clean an Oil Furnace Yearly?

What happens if you don’t have your furnace cleaned each year? If you’re lucky, nothing. But the chances are much higher than a variety of things can go wrong. A dirty furnace can exhibit all sorts of problems from short cycling to complete system failure. If your heating oil tank seems to need refills more often than usual, your furnace is likely lacking efficiency due to excessive dirt and soot buildup. 

A dirty furnace can also produce higher than normal amounts of carbon monoxide, which can cause serious health issues from dizziness to permanent respiratory health issues. It is important to have a carbon monoxide detector at home that will alert you if CO levels reach an unhealthy point. But even with CO detectors in place, low levels of carbon monoxide can go undetected and still cause harm. Eliminate the risk by having your furnace cleaned yearly. 

What Does a Professional Furnace Cleaning Entail?

In addition to a thorough cleaning, most professional HVAC companies will perform an inspection and tune-up that includes lubricating parts, tightening wires, and replacing any parts that are worn or starting to wear out. Any potential problems will be identified and corrected to ensure your furnace will operate properly in the season ahead. 

Carolina Fuels is your Reliable Oil Furnace Company in Reidsville

Looking for an HVAC service you can trust? Carolina Fuels is a reliable oil furnace company in Reidsville with decades of experience in the industry. Get a thorough, professional cleaning for your oil furnace to ensure efficiency and safe operation. Call Carolina Fuels today at (336) 623-9741 to make an appointment for a cleaning or schedule service here. 

As the weather begins to change and you contemplate whether or not to turn on the heat on that first cold night, you may be hesitant for a good reason. No one wants to start paying to heat their home unless they have to. Heating energy can be costly. 

However, there are ways to reduce your energy bill, and some of them can be done simply by making some adjustments to your thermostat. Carolina Fuels, your Reidsville furnace repair service, wants you to be aware of these 4 thermostat tips and tricks that can help keep your heating costs lower this winter. 

Adjust the temperature when you’re away

Why heat an empty house? Consider turning the thermostat down when everyone’s going to be at work or school. It’s especially helpful if you’ll be gone for a few days or more to turn down the thermostat and save some energy.

Some people even prefer to sleep in cooler temperatures and just snuggle up under the covers, making it possible to turn the thermostat down a few degrees overnight. 

Install a programmable thermostat

Don’t want the hassle of turning the thermostat up and down all the time? Is it hard to remember to do so? Consider installing a programmable thermostat in your home. A programmable thermostat allows you to set specific temperatures for specific times of the day. The thermostat keeps the time and adjusts itself accordingly, so you don’t have to. Your Reidsville furnace repair company, Carolina Fuels, can install your programmable thermostat and teach you how to use it. 

Consider changing the location of your thermostat

You’ve probably never given much thought to the location of the thermostat in your home, but it can have a major effect on your home’s energy usage. A thermostat near a door that opens frequently can misinterpret the temperature and overheat your house. Try relocating your thermostat to a more central location away from doors and windows for a more accurate reading. If moving the thermostat isn’t an option, make your desired temperature a few degrees lower.

Implement zone heating in your home

 Does the upstairs always feel warmer than downstairs in your home? Do you prefer your bedrooms to be cooler than your main living areas? Zone heating allows you to set different temperatures for different areas of your home. Common configurations for zone heating are an upstairs and a downstairs zone. Other arrangements are possible as well, like bedrooms and living area zones. Each zone has it’s own thermostat for optimal temperature control.

Reduce your Heating Costs with Reidsville Furnace Repair

One of the best ways to keep heating costs low is to schedule preventive maintenance with your Reidsville furnace repair service. Routine maintenance at the start of the heating season will ensure your furnace is operating efficiently, which can reduce energy usage and cost. It can also help you avoid unexpected furnace problems once the cold weather sets in. 

Call Carolina Fuels today at (336) 623-9741 to discuss thermostat options and schedule furnace maintenance or request service here. 

Are you in need of a propane supplier in Greensboro? Whether you’re dissatisfied with your current supplier and thinking of switching or you’re thinking of using propane for the first time, it’s important to find the right supplier. But how do you know which propane supplier is right for you? Here are some questions to ask. 

1. Will I Need a New Tank to Switch Suppliers? If you are currently receiving propane deliveries from another company, you will need to swap out your old tank with a new one from the new company. If you’re new to propane, your supplier should bring you a tank.  
2. How Much Does it Cost to Switch? The answer you should get from your new company is that switching is free. Look for a supplier who will swap out your old tank for free, which they should do if they want your business. 
3. Do You Offer Automatic Delivery? For your convenience, automatic deliveries should be an option. This frees you from having to monitor your propane tank to make sure it doesn’t run out. You’ll never run out with automatic deliveries because your supplier will calculate your usage based on the size of your home, the weather, the number of appliances that run on propane. They should calculate all factors to time your refills accurately. 
4. What Incentives do you Offer your Customers? Look for benefits such as propane discounts for automatic delivery, maintenance plans, price protection plans, priority service, and other perks. 
5. What are your Payment Options? If you need to be able to pay online or to have automatically drafted payments, make sure you choose a supplier who offers those options. You may also find it easier to budget if you can pay monthly instead of in a lump sum at delivery. Ask if it’s possible to spread the cost out over a few months or the entire year.  
6. Do You Offer Maintenance for my Furnace and Other Propane Appliances? You can save a lot of time and money by choosing a supplier that can not only deliver your propane and maintain your tank but who can service your propane appliances as well.  
7. What is your Safety Record? This information should be easily accessible and the company should have no problem supplying you with it. Safety is an important consideration with any type of fuel, even with an extremely safe fuel like propane.  
8. How Do I Switch to your Service? Any propane supplier in Greensboro that wants your business should make it as easy as possible to switch. Find a supplier that will handle the entire process for you from swapping out tanks to transferring your services.  

Berico Meets All of These Requirements and More 

Berico makes switching suppliers free, provides you with a tank, offers automatic deliveries, plenty of incentives, flexible payment options, furnace, and propane appliance maintenance, and has an excellent safety rating.  

Become a Berico customer today. Call (336) 273-8663 to switch to the top propane supplier in Greensboro.  

Have you been thinking about switching to propane but you’re still undecided? It’s normal to have some uncertainties if you’ve never used propane before. Many households and businesses use propane in Eden, Reidsville, and the surrounding area for a variety of positive reasons. Here are some facts about propane that may help you to make your decision.  

What You Should Know About Propane: 

• Propane is Affordable. When compared with other energy and heating sources, propane is an affordable option. It’s efficient – producing a lot of heat and energy with just a small amount of fuel. It’s versatile – able to power other appliances in addition to your furnace, such as your stove/oven, clothing dryer, water heater, and more. You can reduce your monthly power bill by using propane.  
• Propane is Safe. Propane only ignites at extremely high temperatures, making it a non-volatile fuel. It is non-toxic/not poisonous and stored in a tank outside of your home. You have no reason to worry about the safety of propane.  
• Propane is Easy on the Environment. Its non-toxic nature also means it does not harm the environment. It won’t contaminate water or soil and it releases no greenhouse gases. Using propane can actually reduce your household or business’s impact on the environment.  
• Propane is Reliable. If the power goes out, propane still works. Your home and your family will still be warm, be able to take hot showers, cook meals, and dry clothes. Propane can even power a generator to keep your electrical appliances running, like your refrigerator.  

What You Should Know About Propane in Eden from Carolina Fuels: 

• Deliveries can be Automatic. You never have to worry about running out of propane or remembering to call and request a refill. Carolina Fuels times your deliveries based on your household usage, the weather, and other factors.  
• You Can Save More with Pricing and Maintenance Plans. Price protection plans, HVAC maintenance plans, and other combined services can make your propane deliveries more affordable. A Comfort and Protection Service Plan combines maintenance with propane deliveries for a discount. 
• Emergency Service. If you ever need an emergency delivery or furnace repair, Carolina Fuels is available 24 hours a day/7 days a week. You’ll get priority service and no emergency fees if you’re a Comfort and Protection Service Plan customer.  
• Locally Owned and Operated Propane Company. An important fact to keep in mind about Carolina Fuels is that the company is local. They operate in Eden, Reidsville, and the surrounding area. A local supplier can get fuel to you faster in an emergency and can offer lower prices because transportation is not a huge expense. 

Still on the Fence about Propane? 

If you’re still not sure, call Carolina Fuels at (336) 623-9741 to speak with a representative about the benefits of using propane. You’ll get honest, factual information that you can easily understand. Become a propane customer with Carolina Fuels today and start experiencing the benefits.  

The most common heating fuels used in Burlington are Propane and Natural Gas. Oil is also used, but not as much in recent years. In comparison, propane is more efficient than natural gas for a variety of reasons. If you are debating between choosing propane or natural gas for heating, here are four reasons that propane is more efficient.

It burns hotter

When it burns, propane burns at a higher temperature than natural gas, which is the reason it takes less propane than gas to get your home heated to your desired temperature. The high heat capacity of propane allows your home to heat faster so that it feels comfortable much sooner on a cold day or night. If you tend to turn your heat down when no one is home, propane heat will recover much faster so that you feel the heat sooner once you get home and turn up the thermostat. 

Less is More

Propane is more concentrated than natural gas. It produces more than twice the energy of the same amount of natural gas. In BTU’s (British Thermal Units), it is approximately 2,516 per cubic foot of propane vs. 1,030 per cubic foot of natural gas. Mathematically, propane yields more energy. 

Propane is a pure gas

Propane is a gas extracted from natural gas. It is separated during the production of natural gas and sold to suppliers as a pure fuel. Natural gas contains propane, methane, butane, ethane, and pentane. While natural gas gets its name from the fact that it occurs naturally to some extent, it is also processed before it gets to consumers. Natural gas is a greenhouse gas, but propane is not. Its purity is one of the reasons behind its efficiency.

Propane heat feels warmer

You can actually set your thermostat lower because the warm, radiant heat of propane feels warmer than the heat you get from natural gas. You’ll feel cozier and may require fewer blankets or extra layers of clothing. When it comes to a gas log fireplace, propane is more efficient here as well, providing a greater warmth and ambiance. Some homeowners even choose to fuel their gas logs with propane when the rest of their home appliances run on natural gas, simply because it feels warmer. 

Burlington Propane is Convenient

Not only is propane highly efficient, it can be conveniently delivered right to you. A common myth about propane is that it is not as convenient as natural gas, but it is more so. Not every home has access to natural gas lines, but Burlington propane can be made available to anyone, anywhere. A propane tank can be placed on your property or buried underground if you prefer. You can even receive automatic propane refills to ensure you never run out. 

Call Alamance Oil today at (336) 226-9371 to schedule propane delivery and experience the efficiency for yourself.