During the frigid winter months, it’s vital to know about alternative ways to heat your home in case the power goes out.
If power is cut for a few hours, bundling up in additional clothing and blankets should alleviate any worry about the cold. But what if the power outage last for a couple days or more? What do you do for emergency heat?
Plan now for the following ways to heat your home:
Do you own a generator? They’re so important in times like this. Portable electrical generators can supply enough power to keep the house warm until electricity comes back on. Plus, the electrical power they provide might allow for some additional comforts like lighting and refrigeration.
Before winter hits, make sure you have fuel for the generator, and enough to last through potential snowstorms.
Indoor propane-fueled heaters are designed specifically for using inside. Don’t let the mention of propane throw you off — they’re perfectly safe for using in your home.
Starting a fire in the fireplace or keeping a wood stove burning are common ways to remain warm while your power’s out.
Just make sure there is an appropriate amount of ventilation in the home so you aren’t at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
If there’s any prior indication from your local news channel or radio station that power will go out, immediately set the thermostat to a higher temperature. The warmer your home is, the longer it will take to grow cold.
If you avoid opening and closing exterior doors during an outage, you’ll help keep heat inside the home. Temperatures can easily drop up to 10 degrees when a blast of cold air hits after doors are opened and closed.
Another way to ensure optimum warmth: Keep inside doors closed, especially doors to outlying rooms that could potentially cool your main living area.
If you feel a draft coming from windows or doors, consider makeshift insulation. Hang blankets over windows to keep cold air from getting inside, and place rolled up towels or blankets at the base of doors to keep cold air out or warm air in.
If the sun is shining, utilize the warmth by opening blinds and letting the sun stream through windows. For added absorption, spread dark blankets or towels in front of the windows to soak in the direct sunlight.
Most important, make sure you have enough fuel in your tank and that everything is in working order so that after the power outage, you’ll be ready to heat your home. Contact the team at Williams Energy today for help!
Whether you’re building a home and need to decide on a heat source, you’re interested in replacing your current heating method or you’re buying a new home that runs on propane, you need to know: what are the main benefits and drawbacks of depending on propane?
Efficiency, upkeep, price, installation – there are so many aspects of a heating system that are essential to assess, especially if you have the choice as to which you’d prefer. The major types of home heating in the Northeast include propane, heating oil and natural gas, but if your home (or your prospective home) runs on propane, here are the top three pros and cons you should know:
Pros of Heating Your Home with Propane |
Cons of Heating Your Home with Propane |
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Pro: It’s Safe and It Burns Clean One of the biggest benefits of propane is that it’s non-toxic. That means the tanks can be buried underground. It also burns clean. That means propane furnaces typically don’t need as much maintenance. They usually last longer and require fewer repairs along the way – they operate at a much higher level of efficiency as well. |
Con: It Produces Fewer BTUs Per Gallon Than Oil When you measure how hot propane burns alongside other fuels, it’s a little disappointing. Propane doesn’t produce as much heat as oil. That means that although the cost of propane might beat oil, you’re going to have to use more to get the same cozy indoor temperature. At first glance, it might seem like propane has the potential to save a considerable amount of money. The reality might not play out that way! |
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Pro: Power Your Whole Home with the Same Fuel Source Another pro – you can run all appliances in your home on propane. You don’t have to settle for an electric stove or water heater. Propane can power every appliance and you can opt out of the more expensive and less efficient electrical option. |
Con: High Upfront Costs to Switch It can be prohibitively expensive to convert another type of heating system to propane. It’s not a DIY project. You need a professional installation and there is no guarantee that altering a system to perform the same or better with a new fuel source will result in significant savings. |
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Pro: Bigger Tanks Mean Fewer Deliveries Since propane tanks can hold up to 1,000 gallons, you can order a lot of fuel at once. Wait until prices are on the lower side, then fill up your tank completely. Then you’re ready for the next cold front and then some! |
Con: You May Have to Pay a Rental Fee The biggest disadvantage to a propane heating system is keeping up with tank maintenance – or not. If you own the tank, you’re responsible for regular inspections, and you have to fix the problem if there’s leaks or corrosion. You might even eventually have to replace the tank. The flip side also presents a con. If the energy company owns your tank, that means you’re just renting it. On one hand, they’re on the hook for any necessary tank maintenance. On the other hand, you probably have to pay a monthly rental fee. It’s another addition to your budget that’s certainly a disadvantage if you’re analyzing the pros and cons of home heating based on costs only. |
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Pro: Reliable Fuel Source During Power Outages Propane systems can continue operating during power outages when paired with the proper equipment. Because propane is stored on your property in a tank, homeowners are not dependent on utility pipelines. Many backup generators also run on propane, allowing households to maintain heat and power during severe winter weather. |
Regardless of the type of heating fuel your home depends on, Williams Energy is here for you. From propane tank refills to oil tank service plans, our mission is to keep your home safe and warm all fall, winter (and spring) long.
Bioheat: not your typical heating oil. At Williams Energy, we’ve adopted Bioheat as our heating oil of choice for so many reasons. To sum it all up in one sentence: Bioheat is better for your home’s heating system, better for local farmers, better for the environment and better for the economy.
First of all – what is Bioheat?
Bioheat is a blend of traditional heating oil and biodiesel. Biodiesel is heating oil made from renewable, domestic sources. Vegetable, palm or canola oils are prime examples. Biodiesel does not contain petroleum on its own, but it can be blended with any type of heating oil to create what’s known as Bioheat. Biodiesel can be blended with heating oil in many different ratios. At Williams Energy, we’re currently blending biodiesel up to a ratio of 5%.
The first question you probably have is about effectiveness. Is a heating oil that’s blended with natural fuel just as effective as a traditional mix? You bet. In fact, Bioheat burns cleaner, putting out fewer emissions than fuel made solely of petroleum, and it doesn’t cost extra. It produces the same level of heat, so your home gets just as toasty warm, but you’re using a nontoxic, biodegradable heating source. You’re doing the environment a favor, at no additional cost to you!
Even better, you could be improving the function of your home’s furnace. With increased lubricity, using Bioheat could mean you pay less for system upkeep. Fewer breakdowns and a heightened efficiency means more money in your pocket.
Your furnace is already ready for Bioheat – you don’t need to make any modifications to the system in order to start using a better fuel source. That means your furnace warranty still applies. You don’t sacrifice any benefits you currently enjoy – you only stand to gain more!
When our fuel dependency is solely based on standard heating oil, prices can fluctuate based on worldwide events that are outside of the U.S.’s control. By reducing dependency on foreign oil with the addition of domestic biodiesel as a home heating source, it strengthens the market for local farmers and contributes positively to our own economy.
With every fill-up, your Bioheat consumption puts society one step closer to a cleaner, safer environment and a strong economic future. And when you sign up for fuel delivery from Williams Energy, you get a free fuel tank storage inspection and many opportunities for reductions on our already competitive prices, such as early payment and Senior citizen discounts.
We monitor your consumption based on home size and outdoor temperature, timing our deliveries perfectly, so you never run out of fuel. You can depend on Williams Energy for sustainable, quality fuel and on-time delivery throughout the colder seasons.
If you’re about to own a propane-heated home for the first time, you probably have questions. How does it work? Is it better than gas or oil? What are your responsibilities as a homeowner?
To make sure you’re fully prepared to fill, use and maintain a propane tank, we compiled a list of the top five things you should know:
It definitely isn’t the most popular home heating option, but it is a top choice if you have the environment in mind. Many propane-fired heating systems have an efficiency rating of 95%, meaning 95% of each propane gallon consumed is used as heat within the conditioned space while the remaining 5% is exhausted through a chimney or direct vent outside. Propane heat can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 68 percent – a substantial amount.
Of course, this also depends on the age of the systems depending on the propane fuel to function, not just the type of fuel itself. If your furnace and appliances are older than 15 years, it might be time to start planning replacement in order to take full advantage of propane’s efficiency potential. Furnaces over 12 years old and boilers over 30 years old that are heated with propane are eligible for MassSave’s Early Heating and Cooling Replacement program, which can give homeowners up to $3,250 towards a purchase of a more energy efficient system.
Some homeowners own their propane tank outright, while others rent it from their propane provider. Before you purchase a property, ask how the current owners operate. Remember – just because the past homeowners either rented or owned, doesn’t mean you have to follow the same path. Once you own the property, you are free to make a change.
If you rent the tank, the company that owns it should be maintaining the equipment and keeping it hazard-free. On the other hand, if you own your tank, the maintenance is up to you. Before you say goodbye to the past owner, ask for maintenance records for owned propane tanks so you know its lifespan and when it needs its next professional service appointment.
Propane tanks, especially buried propane tanks, should have cathodic protection put on the propane tanks to help prevent against steel corrosion. Some companies recommend every three years for this to be performed. If you own the propane tank this is your responsibility (and we can help); if you rent the propane tank make sure your provider is doing their safety-focused due diligence. Always safety first with propane gas!
Propane tanks vary greatly in size, from as little as 120 gallons to over 1,000. Knowing size is important, since this allows you to calculate when you’ll need a refill and budget accordingly. The size of the tank most often depends on the number of appliances using the gas as well as the overall size of the home if using for heat and hot water.
Remember, all propane tanks are considered full at 80 percent capacity as a safety measure. With a larger tank, you’ll be able to purchase more propane at once, but this means you’ll pay more per fill-up as well since the volume will be greater.
Propane tanks are located either above or below ground. If the tank is buried, make sure you know where it is in order to direct your energy company accordingly. While you’re at it, make sure you map out where the lines leading to the home are as well, especially if you’re planning on doing any renovations and/or use an outside landscaping company. This will help you avoid disaster!
Williams Energy prides itself on solid service, year after year, for 100 years. We’re committed to keeping your propane tank full, your home safe and your family warm.
Discovering your water heater is leaking is like having a bucket of cold water dumped on your head…sometimes literally. You know your water heater isn’t going to last forever but is it already time to think about replacing it? How long should your water heater last?
Tank-type water heaters should last between five to 12 years. Tankless systems last longer – up to 20 years. There are two main factors affecting the length of your water heater lifespan: water quality and the maintenance on the appliance. By assessing and improving the quality of your home’s water supply and initiating regular maintenance early in the water heater’s life, you can make it last as long as possible.
One of the top factors that influences water heater lifespan is your water supply’s pH levels. As a rule of thumb, the higher the water’s pH, the higher the mineral content. Water with a high mineral content is termed “hard water,” and it will make appliances fail sooner.
If you’d like to find out if you have hard water, Williams Energy provides water testing kits to reveal the specific mineral content levels at your home. You don’t have to live with hard water – you can proactively work to extend the life of your water heater (and dishwasher and washing machine) by installing a water softener.
You may wonder: is there anything you can do to keep your water heater lasting the full length of its expected lifespan, or longer? Good news: the answer is yes.
One of the top preventative maintenance measures is regular water heater draining. You don’t have to drain the whole tank. Just letting out a few gallons will remove the sediment that gathers at the bottom. It doesn’t take a lot of time, and it can prevent sediment from eating at the tank lining and causing leaks. You can do it yourself or depend on Williams Energy to take care of it for you.
While you’re at it, check the temperature setting. Running the appliance too hot can make it degrade faster than you’d expect.
Another way to make your water heater last is to replace the anode rod, the component responsible for picking up all the corrosive elements in the water supply. This is a higher expense, and it has to be completed earlier in the tank’s life. If this service is performed after the tank has aged considerably, it might not be worth it – it could cause an irreparable leak.
Williams Energy wants to help you keep your water heater online as long as possible. You deserve to get the most value out of your home systems. Whether you need maintenance, repair, or replacement, schedule service with our responsive plumbing team today.