Power outages due to severe weather are more than twice as common as they were just a decade ago, and their consequences can range from inconvenient to dangerous or even life threatening if someone living with you relies on home medical equipment.
The milder “shoulder” season of early fall is a good time to review severe weather prep and response plans for your propane-powered Pennsylvania home.

Propane safety reminders to review with your family:

• During a severe weather event, always listen to local authorities; if you must evacuate your property, use caution when returning.
• Create an emergency plan and review it with your family. Post a list with our contact information plus numbers for emergency services, along with instructions for turning off propane, electricity, and water.
• If you have an aboveground propane tank, make sure it is securely anchored, particularly if you are in a flood- or high-wind prone area.
• Keep enough gas in your propane tank to last at least a week in the event of road closures. If you have a propane generator, take it for a test run during the fall and make sure it has enough gas to get you through at least a week-long power outage. Schedule a propane delivery in advance of severe weather to avoid crowds and delays.
• Remind your family what a propane leak smells like, and what to do if they smell gas.
• If severe weather threatens your safety, shut off your propane gas at the tank if it is safe to do so; do the same for gas supply valves located near individual indoor appliances. If you do not know how to do either of these tasks, contact us for instructions.
• Once severe weather passes, check the area for downed power lines, damaged gas lines, or damage to your propane tanks and appliances. Inspect your propane appliances for damage if it is safe to do so. If the appliances have been damaged, contact us for service immediately.
• NEVER use a match to inspect your propane equipment after an outage.
• NEVER turn on a light switch, use any power source, or inspect your household appliances while standing in water.
• NEVER use outdoor, fuel-burning appliances indoors or in enclosed area. This can result in carbon monoxide poisoning, which can be deadly.

Keep your family safe this heating season! If you have any questions about propane safety for severe weather, contact the propane safety pros at Ace-Robbins today.

If have your propane heating furnace maintained by professionals every year, chances are it will do its job quietly and without complaint. But sometimes your propane furnace will give you warning signs of a problem to come – often in the form of strange odors.

Common Furnace Smells

Odd smells that originate in your furnace can indicate several issues; here are four common furnace odors and what they mean for your heating equipment:

• A dust-burning smell is common early in the heating season as your furnace burns away accumulated dust and dirt; the smell should go away after few hours. If it doesn’t, try replacing your air filter (which you should do at the beginning of the season anyway) before you call us for service.
• An electrical burning smell (like burning wire) is typically a sign of overheating. If your furnace is cycling (turning on and off) for no apparent reason, it could be your equipment protecting itself from a breakdown. Give your furnace a rest for a few hours; if the problem returns when you try it again, contact us for service.
• A mechanical burning smell (like worn out rubber or grinding metal parts) can indicate a serious problem (a worn out or broken part, for example) that needs immediate attention; shut your heating system down and call a heating expert right away.
• A rotten egg smell indicates that you have a propane gas leak; if you have a propane leak, follow these procedures immediately:
  • Avoid touching any equipment that could cause a spark (lights or light switches, appliances, telephones, cell phones, etc.); a spark can cause an explosion.
  • Get everyone (including pets) out of your house immediately and call 911 from a safe distance away.
  • If it is safe to do so, turn off the propane gas at the tank; if you don’t know how to do this, ask us – it’s important information to know.
  • When inspection teams say it is safe to return to your home, do so – but do not use your propane equipment again until it is inspected by a professional.

Having furnace trouble? Our licensed, bonded Ace-Robbins technicians will get your equipment repaired quickly and do the job right so you can enjoy reliable heating service all season long. If your heating system needs to be replaced, we can help you there, too, with expert high efficiency heating system installations anywhere in our Tunkhannock, PA service area.
Contact us today to learn more!

Knowing how your home is heated can help give you understand how to keep your heating equipment running well – and to know what kind of heating maintenance and repairs it is likely to need during its lifetime.
When it comes to heating your Pennsylvania home, the two most common categories of heating system are hydronic and forced air. Let’s take a look at how they work and what components make up each system.

Hydronic system basics

A hydronic system uses water or steam, heated by a boiler, to heat your home. Water enters the boiler’s combustion chamber via a circulator; once heated, the water is distributed through pipes to heat baseboards or radiators throughout your home. The water is eventually recycled back to the boiler to be reheated and used again.
Steam systems work similarly except they generate steam, which rises up to radiators (no circulators are needed). An automatic cut-off shuts down the boiler if water levels drop too low to prevent damage to the boiler.
In the case of an indirect water heater, the heat generated by your hydronic system can also be used to heat water in your home, creating an efficient two-in-one home/water heating solution. Heated water is stored in a tank for later use.

Forced air system basics

A forced air system uses air, heated by a furnace, to heat your home. Powered by propane or heating oil, the furnace burner heats a volume of air; a blower then distributes the heated air through a duct system where it is released through vents or registers on floors, walls or ceilings. Air is eventually recycled back to the furnace via return registers for reheating once air temperatures in your home dip below your thermostat setting.
Besides heat, the ductwork in a forced-air system can connect to a central air conditioner, whole-house humidifier, or air filtration system to provide year round home comfort and indoor air quality.
Like any mechanical equipment, boilers and furnaces require regular maintenance to keep them operating at their best. Contact Ace-Robbins today to sign up for a high-value Service Plan for your propane or heating oil-fired equipment – or to get a FREE estimate on a new, high efficiency model for your Tunkhannock, PA-area home!

Did you know that power outages happen about twice as frequently as they did a decade ago?
It makes sense when you think about it, considering how reliant we have become on equipment that runs on electricity.
With more power outages and more sensitive and expensive equipment making its way into our Pennsylvania homes these days, whole house propane backup generators are quickly becoming more of a necessity than a luxury. If you’ve been considering one, it’s a smart move. But how do you choose one that’s right for your PA home?

3 biggest factors to consider when choosing a propane backup generator:

• Size – The size of the whole house generator you’ll need depends on how big your home is and what appliances you want to power during an outage. Together, these make up the electric load your whole house generator needs to meet.
  A good way to think about the electric load in your home is to break your usage down into two categories: essentials, which might included your lights, refrigerator, sump pump, furnace fan, security system, TV/computers, and microwave; and high-wattage items, such as your A/C or heat pump, clothes dryer, water heater, and oven or stove.
  Generators come in a wide range of capacities – from small, easy-to-place four to eight kilowatt (kW) unit (for lights, refrigerators, TVs, and other small appliances) to large 25 kW commercial-grade generators that can run an HVAC system in addition to those items.
• Placement – Whole house generators can be larger than the outdoor unit of your central A/C, depending on the power output – so you’ll need space to place it. Whole house generators also need to be near a source of electricity, and must be placed according to local flood, propane safety, noise and electrical codes – which is why it has to be installed by a professional.
• Cost – Stand-by propane generators range in price between $2,000 to $10,000 or more, depending on the size and capacity of the unit. The more appliances and whole-house systems you want to power, the higher the price.

Avoid the rush for a whole house generator during bad weather – contact Ace-Robbins today for a FREE, no obligation estimate on a propane backup generator installation and stay calm in any storm!

Fall has been a little slow to arrive this year in Tunkhannock, PA – welcome news for some, not so welcome news for those of us who love the colors and smells of autumn. But as we all know, the arrival of cool weather is inevitable – and when it does arrive, you’ll be relying more and more on your furnace to keep your family safe and comfortable in your Pennsylvania home.
Before the cold weather really hits, it’s a good idea to get ahead on some of the tasks that will help your forced-air heating system to operate reliably well in the coming months.
Here are seven things you can do right now to prepare your heating oil- or propane-fired furnace and heating system for cooler weather:

7 heating system to-dos in preparation for cold season

1. Check your air filters regularly – A dirty air filter can restrict airflow, causing your system to overwork to heat your home; that overwork decreases energy efficiency, shortens equipment life, and increases the likelihood of a having a heating system breakdown. Check your air filter once a month during heating season, replacing it (or cleaning it, depending on the model) when needed.
2. Keep vents clear – Do a quick run-through of your home to make sure no drapes, carpeting, furniture, or other objects are blocking your vents.
3. Clean return air registers – Return air vents are an important and often overlooked part of a forced air heating system. These vents allow the air that is circulating in your home to return to the system to be re-heated and re-filtered to maintain proper temperature and air quality in your PA home. Keep them dust free to maintain efficiency and indoor air quality.
4. Install a programmable or smart thermostat – Your thermostat is the “brain” of your home heating system, and a key to energy savings for your home. Program your thermostat to manage heat when you’re home, asleep or away and you could save as much as 10 percent on your heating bill in the coming months, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
5. Test all smoke, CO, and propane monitors – Test the batteries on all home comfort alarms at least twice a year to make sure everything is in working order. A good rule of thumb is to test them when you change your clocks during fall and spring (coming up on November 3).
6. Get your heating equipment serviced – The most important thing you can do for your heating system is to have it professionally maintained at least once per year. Expert heating maintenance will help your equipment run more efficiently and reliably, prevent costly repairs, and even keep your warranty in place.

If you haven’t gotten your annual heating maintenance yet this year, now is the time! Contact us today to schedule your heating tune-up or to sign up for a high value Ace-Robbins Service Plan.

Fall is a great time to enjoy the many benefits of propane, whether you are taking the edge off your outdoor party with a propane patio heater, cooking for the big game on your propane grill, or lounging in front of your propane hearth on a chilly night.
But fall is also a time when we have to think about propane safety in our home, since you will be spending more time there with your family and using more propane equipment like furnaces, space heaters and heaths.

5 keys to using propane safely at home in the coming autumn months.

1. Remind your family how to detect and respond to a propane leak.
   • Propane smells like rotten eggs; learn how to identify the smell, and teach your family members what to do if they detect the odor.
   • Some people may have difficulty smelling propane due to a cold, or because of their age (older people may have a less sensitive sense of smell), a medical condition, or the effects of medication, alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. On rare occasion, propane can lose its odor due to the presence of water or rust in a propane tank. For these reasons, we urge you to install propane gas detectors, which sound an alarm in the presence of a propane leak; these units should be installed in addition to carbon monoxide detectors and according to manufacturer’s instructions.
   • If you suspect a propane gas leaks, follow propane safety instructions prepared by the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC).
2. Never attempt to install, modify, or repair propane equipment – NEVER try to modify or repair valves, regulators, connectors, controls, or other appliance and cylinder or tank parts yourself; this can result in property damage, serious injury, carbon monoxide poisoning, or death. Always hire a licensed propane technician to install and service propane equipment.
3. Get preventative maintenance – Most propane safety risks are the result of preventable problems with your home comfort equipment. Have your propane equipment and systems professionally serviced every year.
4. Check your CO and propane leak detectors – It’s a good idea to begin every fall with a quick check of your carbon monoxide (CO) and propane detectors. Check batteries, changing as needed. Most CO detectors have a shelf life of either five or ten years; check your unit to see when you need to replace it.
5. Sign up for Automatic Delivery – Propane runouts are not simply inconvenient, they are potentially hazardous. Use FREE Automatic Propane Delivery to avoid propane runouts – and remember that if you run out of propane, the law requires you to contact a professional to perform leak and pressure tests before turning your system back on.

Your safety is our number one priority here at Ace-Robbins. Contact us if you have any propane safety questions, or for professional preventative maintenance and service plans for your propane equipment.

A new furnace or boiler is a significant investment for your Pennsylvania home – one that should keep your family warm and comfortable for many years to come.
But that “should” depends a lot on keeping your equipment properly maintained by a professional. Expert heating service is a must for your equipment, and the best way to get it is through a high-value propane or heating oil service plan from Ace-Robbins.

7 reasons why you should opt for a service plan for your heating system this fall:

1. You’ll get priority service – When you sign up for our Preventive and Comprehensive Maintenance Plans, you’ll get priority service when scheduling your maintenance calls and heating system repairs.
2. You’ll save on covered repairs – Choose our Comprehensive Plan option and you’ll get coverage on parts, controls, burner replacement parts, fuel supply parts, warm air and hot water systems, and more.
3. You’ll earn Loyalty Credits – With either of our heating plans, you are eligible to earn $50 in annual Loyalty Credits for each consecutive year you remain enrolled – up to $500 in credits that you can use toward the purchase of new equipment that we install for you.
4. You’ll help your equipment to maintain efficiency – Did you know that an unmaintained heating system could lose five percent efficiency every year? That means that professional heating system maintenance will often pay for itself in energy efficiency savings alone.
5. You’ll prevent many expensive repairs – With regular annual service visits, our expert heating technicians can spot small problems before they become big ones, often helping you to avoid a costly heating repair bill. They can also give you a heads up when it’s smart time to invest in a heating system upgrade rather than pouring more money into fixing older equipment.
6. You’ll keep your warranty in place – If you install a new propane- or oil-fired heating system, its warranty will probably require you to get regular professional maintenance.
7. You’ll protect your investment – Your home heating system is one of the biggest investments you’ll make in your home –regular preventive care from a professional makes sure it keeps running safely and efficiently. Maintaining your home heating system regularly also can extend the life of your heating system, so you get more for your money.

As you can see, enrolling in a heating service plan in PA pays both now and down the road. Contact us today to enroll in an Ace-Robbins service plan and experience the benefits for yourself!

If you have an older gas stove, it probably has a pilot light – a small flame that remains constantly on, ready to light your stovetop burners.
Sometimes, that flame goes out – typically due to dust, debris, a draft, or simply problems related with an aging pilot light and burner mechanism. When the flame goes out, your burners won’t ignite – which means no homemade dinner for you!
The good news is that relighting a pilot light is easy to do…but do keep in mind that a chronic issue with your pilot light could mean that it’s time to replace your gas stove (on average, a gas stove lasts about 13 to 15 years, depending on upkeep). Today’s gas ranges and gas cooktops use an electric ignition system that skips the pilot light altogether, making your appliances more reliable and efficient.

Relighting your pilot light – here’s how to do it:

1. Gear up. Get a microfiber cloth and a lighter or match; a long-wand lighter is best.
2. Shut down. Turn off all burners; if you smell gas (you might if you have been trying to light your stove for a while), ventilate the room before continuing.
3. Remove the grates. You’ll need to remove the stovetop grates to get to the pilot light (now would be the perfect time to clean them).
4. Open up the stovetop. Follow instructions in your range’s owner’s manual to open the stovetop. In many models, the entire top will lift on a hinge, which will hold it in place.
5. Find the pilot port. Below the stovetop, you will find gas lines connecting the burners; in the middle of each of those pipes is the port where the pilot light resides. If the mechanism is working properly, you’ll see a little blue flame there.
6. Clean the pilot light area. Remove grease or debris on the pipes or gas pipe opening with your microfiber cloth.
7. Light the pilot light. Use your lighter to light each of the openings. A small blue flame should shoot up.
8. Close it up. Close the top of the stovetop and replace the burner grates.

If the pilot light continues to give you problems and you know your gas range is an getting on in years, it could be time for an upgrade – come visit our showroom in Tunkhannock, PA to see the latest and greatest gas stoves, cooktops, and ranges for your Pennsylvania home!

A properly installed boiler or furnace could last a decade or more if it’s maintained properly by a heating professional. But eventually, even well cared-for heating equipment will eventually wear down – and if you wait too long to replace it, you may find yourself throwing money out the window on heating repairs for a system that’s past its prime.
The million (or at least several thousand) dollar question is, “how long is ‘too long?’”
While the decision to replace rather than repair your heating equipment can sometimes be an easy one to make (if your equipment breaks down altogether, for example), more often than not the choice falls into a gray area between the two options.
If that’s the case, lean toward replacing your heating equipment.

Plan for a new heating system if:

• Your equipment is more than 15 years old – Just because your furnace blows warm air or your boiler gets your radiators warm doesn’t mean you should hold onto them indefinitely. The fact is, your old furnace or boiler may be running at half its original efficiency; if that is true, replacing it with a new, high efficiency system could pay for itself in just a few years. In the meantime, you will feel more comfortable in your space and worry less about no heat emergencies.
• Its performance has dropped off – Eventually, your furnace won’t be able to heat your home they way it should, even after heating system maintenance or professional heating repairs; replacement could be your best (or perhaps only) option.
• Your heating bills are rising – Higher energy bills compared to previous years could mean that the efficiency of your furnace or boiler is dropping – something that happens steadily as your equipment nears the end of its useful days.
• You need more repairs – Repeat calls to your heating repair professional usually indicates a fundamental problem that could be costly or even impossible to fix. If you have older equipment, it’s time for a heating system upgrade. If it’s less than 10 years old, consider replacing your equipment if the repair cost is half or more of the cost of an upgrade.

As with any home comfort equipment choice, your best bet when considering whether to repair or replace your heating system is to learn as much as possible about your options before you make a decision – and the best way to learn is to contact an experienced heating professional like the ones you’ll find at Ace-Robbins.
Our experts will assess your heating needs, make recommendations for your upgrade, and install your heating equipment quickly and neatly so you can get back to enjoying your warm, comfortable Tunkhannock-area home.
If you live in Bradford, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna, Sullivan, or Wyoming counties in PA , there’s only one choice for reliable heating equipment installation and service: Ace-Robbins. Contact us today for a FREE, no obligation estimate on high efficiency heating equipment – or to become an Ace-Robbins heating oil or propane customer.

Your washer and dryer work hard to keep your clothes clean (that is their job, after all), but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do what you can to help them work a little less hard for those same great results.
What can you do to ease the burden on your washer and dryer to keep them running in top form for longer?

6 tips that will help your laundry appliances last longer:

For both washers and dryers:

• Get professional installation – Proper installation is critical for all washing machines and dryers; unless you’re a licensed plumber or contractor, hire a pro.
• Run only full loads – The more often you run your washing machine or dryer, the shorter its lifespan will be. Always wait until you have a full load.
• Don’t overfill – Overfilling will cause unnecessary wear and tear on your equipment; your clothes won’t get as clean or dry, either.

For washing machines:

• Don’t use too much detergent – Too much soap leads to too many suds, which could cause your washer to overflow and could lead to mildew problems. If you have a high-efficiency washer, be sure to use detergent marked safe for HE washers.
• Prevent mold and mildew build-up – Remove finished loads immediately after washing and leaving the washer door ajar when the machine is empty to avoid mildew and mold formation. Clean out the washer door’s rubber seal periodically with water and vinegar – trapped hair and fabric can also encourage mold and mildew build up.
• Clean your machine regularly – If your washer doesn’t have a self-cleaning cycle, pour distilled white vinegar instead of laundry detergent into the dispenser and add a cup of baking soda to the drum about once every month, running the machine on its hottest cycle. This will neutralize pH and scrub the interior.
• Check your hoses – Regularly check your washing machine’s water hoses for signs of wear or weakness. If you find cracks or blistering, replace the hose; damaged hoses can leak or burst, causing flood damage. Replace hoses every five years or so.

For Dryers

• Maintain the lint filter – Always clean the lint filter before drying each load of laundry. Regularly check the dryer’s drum for lint accumulation.
• Regularly inspect the vent – Periodically check the dryer vent (it’s outside your house) to make sure air is coming out while clothes are drying. If no air is coming out of the vent, turn off the dryer and inspect the vent for blockage.
• Keep the vent hose as short as possible – Shortening your dryer’s vent hose can reduce drying times by 20 percent or more, cutting down energy use, saving you time and money, and causing less wear and tear on the machine.
• Pre-dry loads – Drying clothes on an indoor drying rack can cut drying time by 25 percent or more, saving energy and reducing machine wear and tear. If you need to dry wet clothes fast, toss in a clean, dry cotton towel with your load. The towel will soak up moisture, speeding your dry time.

Make sensible washing machine and dryer upgrades

The average lifespan of a washing machine is about 10 years; Consumer Reports recommends replacing one that’s more than eight years old, especially if repairs are needed. Dryers typically last a little longer – about 13 years.
Follow these tips and you can expect to be on the higher side of the scale for both appliances – but when it’s time to replace your washer and dryer, be sure to get them professionally installed and maintained by the experts at Ace-Robbins.
Have you followed these tips and still ended up with a broken washing machine? It could be time for an upgrade from the pros at Ace-Robbins. Check out our full line of front-load washers and other high efficiency appliance options at our convenient Tunkhannock showroom today!