Thursday, December 02, 2010

The Inside Dirt on Oil Heater Tune Ups



They're Not the Same as Other Heating System Tune Ups!

Horizon Services' customers throughout Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland rave about our EXCLUSIVE 21-Point Pre-Season Furnace Tune-Up. Over the summer, while it's inactive, your heater can accumulate dirt and dust. This can dramatically reduce your heating system's efficiency and is the leading cause of heating system breakdowns and malfunctions.

An annual tune-up of your heating system -- before the winter season kicks in -- is, undoubtedly, the smartest thing that you can do to minimize the likelihood of furnace breakdowns and keep your heating bills low. A tune-up can also extend the life of your heating system. And at just $89 for gas, electric and most furnaces and $189 for oil furnaces, it's a small price to pay for peace of mind and energy savings all winter long.

One of the most frequent questions we get at Horizon Services is: "Why does an oil heater tune up cost more than an electric heater or gas heater tune up?" There are several reasons:
  1. Oil heaters are more complex than gas and electric heaters.

  2. Oil heaters produce more soot and residue than other heaters.

  3. Oil heaters tend to attract and retain more dirt and dust than other heaters.

  4. While it usually takes about an hour to clean and tune up a gas or electric heater, it usually takes twice as long for an oil heater.

  5. In order to give an oil heater the proper cleaning, it needs to be taken apart to have dirt and debris removed. There is more disassembly and reassembly required than with electric and gas heaters.

  6. Oil heaters have several additional components that need to be replaced which are part of our tune up cost. These include the oil filter, the oil nozzle and the pump strainer.

  7. Since an oil furnace is a very sensitive piece of equipment, it is important to have the air flow checked to ensure it is disbursing equally. Having too much air flow going into the unit will cause a lot of the heat to go up into the chimney without heating your home. Having too little air flow going into the unit can potentially cause a soot backup in your home.

Horizon Services backs up our Oil Heater Tune Up Offer with the best guarantee in the business: If your oil heater breaks down after our tune-up or if your heating bills rise this winter, we will refund your $189 or credit it to the necessary repair...NO QUESTIONS ASKED. If you have oil heat in your home, you can't beat that with a stick!


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