“Help, I Have No Heat!” What To Do In A “No Heat” Emergency

Your home heating system is on the job eight or nine months a year here in Vermont, so it’s no surprise that you may experience the occasional issues with your existing furnace or boiler—especially if it’s an older model.

If you find yourself without heat, don’t worry! Dorr Oil and Propane is here for you with emergency heating service. But before you contact a technician for a heating repair, it’s a good idea to do a little troubleshooting to potentially save yourself the cost of a house call—in many cases, your problem may be something that you can correct yourself. 

Steps To Take If You Don’t Have Heat

If you lose your heat, take these steps before you call for service:

1. Make sure you have propane or fuel oil in your tank. If you don’t, schedule a propane or heating oil delivery immediately. IMPORTANT: Please remember—if there is an interruption in your propane service for any reason, you MUST have a pressure test performed on your equipment by a licensed professional before your heating service can be restored!
2. Make sure the temperature on your thermostat is set at least five degrees above the current room temperature, and the system switch is on the HEAT or AUTO position. The fan switch should be set to ON for continuous airflow or AUTO.
3. Check all power switches.
4. Check all fuses/circuit breakers.
5. Check the pilot light, if your system has one
6. If you have a furnace or heat pump,
   • Check the air filter if airflow from your vent seems low
   • Make sure all vents are open and not blocked.
   • Make sure the gas control valve to the furnace is open.
7. If you have a boiler,
   • Check to make sure the gas control valve to the boiler is open.

Still Don’t Have Heat? Take These Three Steps ASAP

If you take all of the above steps and your heat still doesn’t work, contact a technician to diagnose and fix the problem as quickly as possible.

In the meantime:

• Don’t panic, but do act quickly—Take immediate steps to retain heat in your house: close curtains, block under-door drafts, hang blankets over doorways, etc.
• Use other heat sources—If you have other ways to heat your space, such as fireplace, propane space heater, or electric heater, use them.
• Always put safety first—NEVER use outdoor equipment (barbecues, outdoor stoves, etc.) indoors – carbon monoxide build up can be extremely dangerous or even deadly.

Prevent no-heat emergencies from fuel runouts with AUTOMATIC heating oil and propane delivery in greater Manchester, VT from the pros at Dorr Oil and Propane. Contact us today to learn more and enroll!