Not all preventive maintenance is created equal…

More than once on this blog, we’ve talked about the importance of routine annual maintenance in protecting your home heating system investment.

But not just any routine annual maintenance.

When it comes to your annual tune-up, we make an extra effort compared to most heating oil and HVAC companies – especially when it comes to making what we do easy to understand for our customers who don’t have technical or mechanical expertise.

We do this by providing you with a plain-language Pioneer Oil and Propane Annual Equipment Service Report Card.

In addition to telling you exactly what actions we took to maintain your equipment, our Report Card also describes the outcomes of six critical tests. These tests include:

• Exhaust draft – This measures the strength of the flow of air carrying heating system emissions away from your home. Values within acceptable limits mean that emissions are being removed from your home safely; it also means the air that you are paying to heat is staying in your living space rather than escaping.
• Carbon dioxide percentage – This measures how much carbon dioxide (CO2) your heating equipment is putting out. Within normal ranges, CO2 is a safe and necessary by-product of an operating heating system. A CO2 reading outside normal range can indicate an incorrect mix of oxygen and hydrogen during the combustion process, which could mean that your system isn’t running as efficiently as it should be.
• Exhaust temperature – This measures the temperature of the air leaving your home. A higher than normal reading can mean you’re losing too much heat to your chimney; by measuring this temperature we can tell if you are getting the most value from your heating system. The temperature range we expect to find depends on the type of system you own.
• Smoke – This measures how much soot (carbon) is contained in the air flowing from your heating system’s exhaust. Higher numbers indicate incomplete combustion, which requires additional service. Early detection and maintenance can help prevent soot buildup and more costly repairs later.
• Carbon monoxide (CO) – This measures the amount of carbon monoxide produced by your heating system. Properly operating heating systems are very safe, but too much CO from a malfunctioning or poorly maintained heating system can be dangerous.
• Combustion efficiency – This measures how much heat you’re getting for your fuel dollar; the higher the efficiency number, the more value you are getting from your fuel purchases. System efficiency ratings can vary by system design, fuel type and equipment age.

We don’t know of any HVAC or heating oil companies – in or out of Massachusetts– that go as far as we do to explain not only what we did, but why we did it. Why do we do it? We think you deserve to know!

Did you know that four out of five of the most common heating system repairs come as a result of neglecting routine maintenance? Don’t skip your annual equipment service – beat the late summer rush and schedule heating maintenance for your Massachusetts home today!