A Message from the President

winter 2014

Bill Ermer

A special message for customers with seasonal or unoccupied homes

how to avoid “freeze-ups”

If you leave your heating system operational while your home is unoccupied for an

extended period of time, your home could be at risk.

The biggest concern in this scenario is experiencing a “freeze-up” of water pipes, which can result in extensive damage to your home and your heating system. The combination of having no one consistently present to ensure that fuel is at adequate levels and to monitor temperatures and proper system operations, coupled with the potential of flooding, is a formula for disaster.

Remember that it is the owner’s responsi-bility to arrange for a caretaker to check on the property regularly, including inspection of the fuel supply — even if the property gets scheduled fuel deliveries. (Sporadic fuel usage in these situations makes tracking fuel consumption next to impossible for us.)

It is also important to note that heating equipment can malfunction and electricity can shut off for any number of reasons, especially with our New England winter conditions.

If your winter plans include leaving your property for an extended period of time, please make arrangements with someone you trust — someone you can be in contact with during your absence — so that your home and property are closely monitored and protected while you are away.

Dear Friends,

As some of you may know, Palmer Gas/Ermer Oil

recently acquired the heating fuel business of W.S. Clark & Sons. With this acquisi-tion we have not only strengthened our position as the leading provider of home comfort services and heating fuel delivery in southern New Hampshire, we’ve also succeeded in bringing two family-owned businesses together to continue the tradition of serving our friends, neighbors and communities.

In the 82 years that Palmer Gas/Ermer Oil has been in business, we have grown steadily, due primarily to our focus on fair prices, quality service and 100% customer satisfaction.

Recently we expanded our fuel storage capacity at our plant in Raymond,

New Hampshire. This guar-antees that as we continue to grow, we will always have an abundant supply of propane and heating oil.

When you buy from us, we want you to feel confident about your purchase. Our knowledgeable staff is here to answer your questions and to help you choose home comfort equipment that

meets the needs of your family. We are always looking for ways to serve you better, and we look forward to doing so for a long time to come.

Thank you to all of our customers, old and new, for trusting us with your comfort.

Warmly,

Bill Ermer, President

O/PW

IN14

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refer a friend, get a $50 credit!

welcome to our new customers

When you have a great experience at a restaurant or see a movie you loved, you tell a friend. So if you love the service and value you get from Palmer Gas/Ermer Oil, why not tell a friend about us?

For every friend that becomes a customer, we’ll give you a $50 credit on your account.* Read more by going to www.PalmerGasCo.com and clicking on “How Does $50 Sound?” or call (603) 898-7986.

*Conditions apply. See website. Contact us for details.

© Copyright 2014 Warm Thoughts Communications, Inc. Reproduced with permission of Warm Thoughts Communications.

four showers 80 gallons

one dishwasher cycle 14 gallons

one washing machine cycle 30 gallons

meal prep/rinsing dishes 15 gallons

cleaning/miscellaneous 6 gallons

TOTAL 145 gallons

Propane water heating options include tankless units and hybrid tank-tankless systems.

Grace D. calls to report a loss of heat. Our investigator begins by interviewing the only witness. He asks Grace:

➤ How was your system running before it stopped?

➤ Was it making any odd noises or emitting unusual odors?

➤ Have you done anything to the system?

Grace confesses she pressed the system’s reset button twice, but each time the system ran for only a few minutes before shutting off.

After explaining why the reset button should not be pushed more than once (see Exhibit A), our investigator then rules out the “usual suspects” for

heat loss. He finds that:

✔ power switches and circuit breakers are in the “on” position.

✔ the thermostat is functioning properly and its setting is above room temperature.

✔ there is fuel in the storage tank.

Now he gives the system a thorough examination and discovers a dirty flame sensor (see Exhibit A). After cleaning the sensor, he gets the system running again.

Amateur investigators might stop at this point, but not our expert!

He knows if he doesn’t learn why the sensor became dirty in the first place, the same problem will happen again.

Clue #1: The system had been serviced a few months before. A properly maintained system should always burn cleanly. Our investigator needs more information from Grace. “Have you made any changes in your home recently?” he asks her.

Clue #2: Grace remembers that she recently had exhaust fans installed in the kitchen and bathroom. Our investigator now has the solution to the problem.

Can you guess what it was?

Victor T. contacts our investigator because his family keeps running out of hot water. He is also concerned about his electric bills, which keep getting higher.

Can you guess what the problem is?

Our investigator arrived and did a complete analysis. He spoke with Victor and his family about their pattern of hot water use. He explained that this was especially important when a new water heater is being considered. He gathered information by asking questions like these:

➤ How many people live in the home?

➤ When are showers taken and for how long?

➤ What time of day is most of the laundry and cooking done?

This information made it easier for our investigator to recommend the right equipment — a water heater that would satisfy the family’s hot water needs.

Based on his fact-finding, our investigator estimated the family’s daily use of hot water and how it breaks down:

the case of the lost heat

solving the “repair or replace” mystery

the case of the missing hot water

Solving the caseCombustion gases exit the home through a chimney or exhaust vent. But normal draft can be reversed by negative pressures. The exhaust fans drew combustion gases back into Grace’s system, causing it to clog and shut down. Our investigator installs a part to eliminate this problem. Case solved!

TIP: If you make renovations to your home, let us know. We may be able to prevent these changes from having a negative impact on your heating system.

Solving the caseTo ensure that the family’s water heating requirements would be met, our investigator recommended replacing their old, inefficient electric water heater with a propane unit.

He explained that the current electric water heater could only produce 40 gallons of hot water an hour. That’s why the family kept running out of hot water when everyone took their morning showers.

After a new high-efficiency propane unit was installed, the family’s hot water troubles disappeared — and so did their high electric bills. Case solved!

typical oil reset button

typical propane reset button

Exhibit A: reset buttonThe reset button is a safety control that shuts the system down if a problem is detected. In this case, the flame sensor could no longer “see” the burner’s flame, which tripped the reset.

The reset button should never be pushed more than once. You may damage your system if you keep pushing it. If your system shuts down again after you push the reset button, call us for service.

No matter whether you decide to repair or replace, or convert from oil to propane, we want to remain your trusted home comfort company. We have the knowledge, resources and experience to provide you with excellent service and great value for many years to come.

Use these guidelines if you’re wondering whether you should repair or replace your central heating system.

✔ If your system is well maintained, less than 10 years old and still under warranty, repairing is usually the better option in most cases.

✔ If the repair involves replacing major expensive parts, your system is 15 years old or older and you’re using more fuel than in the past, investing in a new system may be the better choice.

Stay with oil or switch to propane?If you’re ready to replace your old oil heating system, talk to us about converting it to propane. As a company that installs and services both oil and propane heating equipment, we’ll give you an honest, objective opinion about which fuel may best suit your family’s needs. We can discuss:

◆ a payback analysis that tells you the amount of time it will take to recover your installation costs based on your annual energy savings.

◆ the relative efficiency of oil versus propane.

◆ your total expenditure should you decide to switch.

emergency switch

Our service technicians are like private investigators, solving cases from simple to complex. During the winter,

they’re on the job day and night, using their skills and diagnostic tools to fix comfort problems. As you read

about their investigations, look for clues to see if you can shine a light on the case before they do.

In this issue: get a $50 credit • avoid big unexpected repairs g

can our driver reach your tank?

save big

PRESORTED STANDARD MAIL

U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDMPI13 Hall Farm Road

Atkinson, NH 03811

Integrity, Trust & Value Since 1932

603-898-7986 • www.PalmerGasCo.com

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do you have an online account?

Unexpected heating system repairs are avoidable. A broken blower motor on a furnace can cost $339 to fix. If you

have a problem with a circulator, you could be looking at a $290 repair bill. And these aren’t the most expensive problems.

That’s why we revised our service plans to give our propane and oil customers more ways to protect themselves, and created some lower cost options. If you are not covered, we urge you to look at your choices and sign up for coverage now.

To learn more about our service plan options, return the enclosed card, call customer service or visit www.PalmerGasCo.com and click on “Services” from the top navigation menu.

with our new service plans

Once you’re enrolled, you can depend on us to: protect you against big, unexpected bills • get to you fast if you have a problem • fix your equipment right the first time • keep your system running at peak efficiency!

There are many advantages to having an online account — starting with 24-hour access. You can check your balance, pay bills and look up your transactions. With all your account information in one place, you can reduce clutter at home and save paper. You can also eliminate the hassle of writing a check and finding a stamp.

It’s easy to set up your account. Just go to www.PalmerGasCo.com and click on the “My Account/Pay Online” tab.

And of course, you can still call us during office hours if you have questions or need service.

We want you to get your fuel as quickly and easily as possible. Here are some tips on how you can help our drivers make prompt deliveries this winter:

❄ After a snowfall, please clear a path (about 12 inches wide) to your tank. Even when there’s no snow, please make sure leaves or other debris do not block or obscure the fill area.

❄ If you have an underground tank, please mark your fill pipe with a flag or other item. (It’s not only so our drivers can locate it quickly; it’s a safety measure.)

Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

Choose the plan that’s best for you

Heating Oil Propane/Natural Gas Cooling

Benefit:Comfort

Plan

Comfort PLUS Plan

Comfort Plan

Free Repair Plan

Comfort Plan

Tune-up • • • •Savings 15% discount

on all repairsFREE

repairs*15% discount on all repairs

FREE repairs*

15% discount on all repairs

Priority Service • • • • •Palmer Points • • • • •

*On all covered items; all others receive 15% discount.