You may not have ever thought about it, but you pay about 80 percent of your annual fuel bill during a four-month period each year – a time that happens to coincide with the holiday season. A sudden drop in temperature (which has been known to happen here in Pennsylvania) and you could be getting a […]
It might be tempting to skip your annual A/C maintenance in the coming weeks – after all, your cooling system seems to be running just fine, right? The problem with thinking that way is that you will miss out on a full season of energy savings: on average, even new systems will lose about five […]
Don’t look now, but spring is almost here – great news for those of us who like the heat, but not for those of us who suffer from springtime allergies. As you probably know, escaping those allergens by heading inside isn’t really an option; in fact, your home’s air can contain three to five times more […]
We have officially passed the halfway point of winter 2018/19, and your heating equipment is no doubt working hard day and night to keep your family warm and cozy in your Pennsylvania home. The problem is sometimes your furnace or boiler works a little too hard to do its job – and when pushed beyond […]
To keep a commercial fleet on the road and running efficiently, you have to make smart decisions – and one of the most important of those decisions is who your fuel provider will be. A top fleet fueling provider won’t just help you keep costs down – it will support and integrate with your business strategy, helping […]
The holiday season is a special time of year every year – but for the Oehlert family, 2018’s version of Christmas is extra special. That’s because Christmas Eve this year will mark the 70th Anniversary of opening night for Oehlert Bros., when Bob Oehlert and his nine-year-old son Jim hopped in their truck to make […]
Well, fall was late to arrive here in Pennsylvania – but once it finally did, temperatures dropped pretty quickly, didn’t they? That kind of up and down weather seems par for the course these days – which is a big part of the reason why you need routine annual maintenance for your furnace or boiler. […]
One question we get a lot here at Oehlert Bros. is “How long will my heating oil tank last?” The answer, of course, depends on many factors: how thick the tank is, what material the tank is made from and whether it is located inside or outside your home, to name a few. With so […]
Fall is coming – time to start thinking about getting cozy in your Pennsylvania home! Here are three things you can do this September to make your transition to heating season a breeze in the months ahead: Get preventive maintenance – Your furnace, boiler, and water heater need regular maintenance to operate at peak efficiency. […]
It’s hard to imagine it as we’re sweating our way through August here in and around Limerick, PA, but Labor Day is just a few weeks away – which means that cool days and nights won’t be far behind. It also means that it’s time to start thinking about annual maintenance for your home heating […]
A well maintained central air conditioner can last 15 years or so, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Good news, right? Even better news is that one of the best ways to maintain your central air conditioning system is also the easiest: check your air filter once a month during the cooling season, […]
Summer has officially arrived here in Southeastern PA – and with it will come summer air conditioning bills. Here are 10 tips to stay cool and save money this summer: Turn down the AC at night – Program your thermostat to keep temps slightly warmer when the family is asleep. Just a few degrees will make […]
We had some brutal stretches of cold last winter here in Pennsylvania – particularly in January, when record-setting temps gripped the region (we know, you’ve probably blocked out your memory of that time – but trust us, it happened). Our seesaw winter made for some unpredictable heating bills – and some unpleasant surprises – for […]
Now that spring is in full swing here in Pennsylvania, it’s time to start looking forward to the warm days and nights ahead (they will arrive…we promise!). The question is, will your central air conditioner or ductless mini-split system be ready for the challenge when those days and nights finally arrive? Here are seven things […]
Spring has arrived here in Northeastern PA – great news for Phillies fans, not so great news for those of us with allergies (if you’re both, what can we say – it’s going to be an up and down couple of months for you). If you’re prone to springtime allergies, don’t settle for suffering – […]
We’ve had a quite a seesaw year weather-wise in Pennsylvania so far this year, where we have now experienced a 30-degree temperature shift within a 24-hour period four times since the holidays. Talk about up and down! As we adjust to what may be the “new normal” here in PA, it becomes more important than […]
You probably don’t think a whole lot about your chimney liner, but having one that works correctly is a critical health and safety issue in your Pennsylvania home. The problem is that your chimney liner (if your chimney even has one – many pre-1940s homes don’t) is exposed to some pretty harsh operating conditions, including […]
The New Year is upon us – which means it’s time to make some resolutions that will lower your energy bills, relieve some stress, and make your Pennsylvania home more comfortable. Need a few suggestions? Here are three promises to keep in the year ahead. Take control of your heating oil bills – Paying bills […]
When most people think of a water heater, they think of a big metal tank in their basement. But it doesn’t have to be. Today, you can get a water heater that’s the size of a suitcase and can be mounted on a wall – a big advantage if you’re pressed for space. That same […]
If you live in a home with a fuel-burning appliance (a furnace, boiler or water heater, for example), then you probably know at least a little bit about the potential dangers of carbon monoxide (CO). But how much do you really know about CO? Here are 7 CO basics that will help keep your family […]
The air inside your home could be anywhere from two to five times more polluted than the air outside of it – and one contributor to that poor air quality is a build-up of microorganisms like mold spores, fungi, viruses and pollen. Left unchecked, these microorganisms can cause respiratory discomfort and even lead to more […]
September is here, which means that cool Pennsylvania days and nights aren’t far ahead for us. Is your heating system ready for the challenge of the coming fall and winter? Regular annual maintenance is the key to keeping your furnace or boiler running better for longer – and for avoiding the expensive repairs that come […]
Looking for great ways to stay comfortable with lower energy bills this summer? Here are seven ways to save this cooling season. Install window reflectors – Absorbed heat from the sun can make your air conditioner overwork to keep your house cool. When you install light-reflecting window treatments, you minimize the greenhouse effect in sun-exposed […]
An indirect hot water maker is one of the most energy-efficient, economical, and smartest ways to heat water available today – yet it’s an option that many people have never even heard about, let alone considered. So what is an indirect hot water maker? Basically, an indirect water heating system uses the energy generated by […]
A high heating bill can be quite a shock around the end-of-year holidays – especially if a good old-fashioned Pennsylvania cold front settles in for a while. But there’s a way to avoid those unpleasant surprises and make your monthly bills much more predictable: sign up for sign up for Oehlert’s SmartPay Budget Plan. With SmartPay, […]
Many people choose window air conditioners if they don’t have the ductwork to support a central A/C unit. But there is an alternative to those loud, light- and view-robbing brutes: a ductless mini-split air conditioner. A ductless system consists of two components – indoor air handlers and an outdoor condenser or heat pump – which […]
If you’re considering a new home air conditioning system and haven’t shopped for one in a while, you may be surprised at the alphabet soup of acronyms you’ll encounter in your search. One of the most important of these is SEER, which stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. Here are four SEER questions and answers […]
Ever notice an odd smell when you turn on your air conditioner or furnace for the first time in a season? That smell may be a buildup of microorganisms in your HVAC system and ductwork – a sign that you could have poor air quality in your home. But there’s good news: installing a germicidal […]
According to the EPA, your electric bills are more than likely about 30 percent higher than they could be – and your indoor air is not as healthy or comfortable as it should be. A key factor affecting each of these issues is the humidity level in your house. Turning up the thermostat may increase […]
One of the best things about automatic delivery is that it virtually eliminates the chance for inconvenient and potentially dangerous heating oil run-outs. But automatic delivery relies on an average on how much oil you’ve used in the past (along with the current weather) to determine when you’re ready for a re-fill. That means that […]
