Q. Does
Edris make a larger profit while prices are high?
A. No. Just the opposite! Our profits shrink during price spikes because we absorb a
portion of the price increase to help protect our customers and remain competitive. High
prices put a strain on everyone including us.
Q. Can I save money by changing
heating oil companies?
A. Probably not. Selecting a fuel company based on price alone rarely produces the saving
you expect, and could put your home and family at risk. For the best value, look at more
than just cost per gallon. IT IS GOOD TO PRICE CHECK FROM TIME TO TIME. THIS LETS YOU
KNOW, YOU HAVE A COMPETITIVE SUPPLIER. IF YOU HAVE CHOSEN A PEACE
OF MIND CONTRACT, MOST YEARS YOU CAN SEE JUST HOW MUCH YOU REALLY SAVED WITH HAVING
PEACE OF MIND.
Also, all automatic delivery customers receive an extra two cents per gallons. OUR
COMPETITIVE PRICE AND PRICING PROGRAMS WILL ENSURE SAVINGS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
In addition to competitive prices, Edris
Oil's premium heating oil provides better fuel efficiency and longer burner life than
standard heating oil. At today's prices, that is a savings that can make a real difference
in your heating costs.
*To get the best fuel efficiency, be sure to have your burner tuned up each year. Click here for more info about tune-ups.
Q. Should I use a lower quality oil
while prices are high?
A. No. When oil prices increase, quality becomes even more important! Our Premium Bioheat
is competitively priced, provides better fuel efficiency, and helps prolong the life of
your furnace or boiler. Don’t sacrifice your heating equipment for a few pennies per
gallon. We do not charge more for the premium, Bioheat that we deliver.
Q. My grandmother used heating oil
and it was smoky and smelly. Has that changed?
A. Yes! Heating oil burns much cleaner than it did even 15 years ago! In fact today’s
heating oil burns just as cleanly as natural gas. And like televisions and cars, oil
burning equipment has changed a great deal in the past 30 years. New-generation oil
burning equipment is very efficient and produces low emissions. Edris Oil Bioheat burns
even cleaner and provides better fuel efficiency than the standard #2 heating oil
delivered by other oil companies.
Q.
What if my furnace stops working?
A. Below are some checks you can do before you call that could save you money.
- Verify thermostat is set to heat
- Verify thermostat is set above the space temperature
- Check batteries in thermostat if applicable
- Verify breaker is on
- Verify emergency switch is on
- Verify oil tank gauge is reading correctly. The only sure way to know if the tank has or
doesn't have fuel is to "stick" the tank to see how many inches are in the tank.
Stick a broomstick or something into the bottom of the tank and measure the fuel level
from the stick.
- Verify air filter is clean
- If you did run out of fuel and fuel was placed into the tank the furnace must be
"bled". This step will prime the pump and allow it to push fuel into the
firebox. Call service provider to discuss further action
- Press the reset button
Q. How many times can I push the
restart button on my furnace?
A. Once or twice only! Pushing the restart button repeatedly will cause your firebox to
flood and heating oil, unlike gasoline, does not evaporate, thus making a lot of noise
once it is started. Although rare, flooding the firebox could be a fire hazard.
Q. What if my furnace still doesn't work after these steps.
A. Contact Gohn and Stambaugh at (717) 840-9697
A. If you suspect a furnace problem contact Gohn
and Stambaugh at (717) 840-9697.
Q. When I'm getting an oil delivery,
I've noticed a whistling sound while the tank is filling. What is that?
A. The whistle is a safety feature of your oil tank. When the deliveryman fills
your tank, the oil displaces air, which leaves the tank through a separate vent. As the
air escapes, it passes a device that whistles, just like a tea kettle! When the fill is
complete, there is almost no air left and the whistler device quiets. The silence tells
the deliveryman that the tank is full. Pretty neat!
Q. Do I need to be home to get oil
delivered?
A. No. Unless your account is set up for cash on delivery, we can deliver fuel anytime
without anyone being home. If you have not applied for credit, click here for a credit application form. Also, a credit
card can be used to pay for the delivery so that no one needs to be home. If you have
pets, please ensure their safety and the safety of our delivery personnel by properly
securing all pets.
Q. What is the average amount of oil
a house will use?
A. Fuel usage depends many on many factors including size, insulation,
system efficiency, and household habits. Please contact us for
a fuel usage estimate.
Q. Will you deliver more oil if
I’m on automatic delivery?
A. No. We schedule deliveries when our computerized delivery system projects that your
tank is around a ¼ full. Smaller, more frequent deliveries are inefficient and would
drive fuel prices up unnecessary. We do everything we can to keep our fuel prices as low
as possible! If you are concerned with a large bill please our budget plan it will do the
best job.
Q. How do you know when it's time to
deliver oil to my home?
A. We count "degree days" to calculate how cold it has been. The average
temperature on a given day is measured in degree-days. The colder it is, the more
degree-days there are.
The number of heating degree days for one day is roughly equal to 65° minus the average
temperature on that day.
Q. How do you track our oil usage?
A. We track the average number of gallons per delivery and compare that to the number of
degree days to develop a use rating called a "K factor." Each household has
their own rating. It's a lot like rating your home's "miles per gallon."
Q. Do you try to schedule deliveries when fuel prices are the highest?
A. No. If you are on automatic delivery, your deliveries are based on degree-day
forecasting and your home’s K factor. Fuel prices fluctuate constantly. Trying to
schedule deliveries according to these fluctuations would be impractical.
Q. When there are severe winter
storms how do you plan fuel deliveries?
A. Our delivery team keeps a close watch on weather forecasts to anticipate extreme
weather, especially snow and ice storms. By using our delivery projection system we know
when you will need delivery and make adjustments to your delivery cycle based on weather
forecasts. We also do our best to deliver to customers with difficult driveways before
storms make driveways impassable.
Q. What can I do to help my delivery
person?
A. Before snow covers the ground place, a stake with a colored grocery bag or ribbon on it
to mark the location of your oil tank fill.
In times of very deep snow uncover the fill pipe. Your delivery person would also
appreciate it if you clear a path to your fill pipe.
If you have a long driveway remember that a delivery truck is much wider than a car. When
plowing your drive have it plowed wide enough for the delivery truck.
Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed back so the driver can access the fill easily and a leak
free connection can be made. It will also keep the driver drier when it rains.
Q. Do your delivery trucks have
snowplows?
A. No, it is your responsibility to make you driveway accessible if we need to use it to
deliver your fuel.
Q. Why can’t the delivery
person leave the delivery ticket in my mailbox?
A. U.S. Postal regulations prohibit anyone other than the resident of the home from
opening your mailbox. That is why we place the delivery ticket in a door if possible.
Q. I've noticed an oil smell. Is my
tank leaking?
A. Possibly, but not necessarily. You may just have a loose fitting or a leak in the oil
line. If your tank has rust along its bottom or is showing any signs of
“seepage” (which may appear as an oily stain on the tank) contact us or Gohn and
Stambaugh to schedule a cleaning or for a tank replacement. Do not try to
remove rust from the bottom of your oil tank!
Q. Is it best to have my oil tank
outside my home or in my basement?
A. Oil tanks can be installed in your basement or outside your home. Some are installed
inside garages, and others are specifically designed to be buried underground. Outside
above ground tanks do require additional care to resist rusting and condensation.
Q. Is it OK to plant bushes around and in front of my oil tank fill?
A. You can plant near your oil tank fill; however; your delivery person needs enough
clearance to be able to access your tank with out obstructions.
Q. I supplement my oil heat with a
wood stove (or other type of fuel). Will that affect my automatic deliveries?
A. All sources of heat should be reflected in our delivery projections for your home.
Please call us if you begin or stop using a supplemental heat source. Together we can make
timely deliveries.
Q. Is oil safe?
A. Yes. Heating oil is one of the safest fuels ever developed. Oil produces low emissions,
is biodegradable, and it won't burn in a liquid state. If a lit match were dropped into a
container of heating oil, the oil would extinguish the flame, just like water does! To be
ignited, oil must be vaporized. This only occurs under pressure at 140°F.
Properly set and maintained oil burners produce very low, safe levels of carbon monoxide
as a normal part of the combustion process. And if there is ever a malfunction in your
heating system, there's little or no need to worry about an explosion or the release of
carbon monoxide into your home.
Q. Where is the pilot light on my
oil burner?
A. Unlike some gas systems, oil furnaces have an electronic ignition system and do not
require an open flame.
Q. How can I tell how many gallons
my tank holds?
A. Click here for our tank charts. |
