Service Contract! To have or NOT?

B.BART

ARE YOU A GAMBLER? YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN AN EMERGENCY SERVICE CALL WILL BE NECESSARY,USUALLY 2 IN THE MORNING ON A HOLIDAY. TRY GETTING ANYBODY ON A FRIGID FEBRUARY NIGHT!!ITS EASY TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH AYEAR EXTRA IT COST YOU TO BUY OIL THAT INCLUDES SERVICE.GALLONS BURNED PER YEAR TIMES DIFFERENCE IN OIL PRICE ITS NOT AS MUCH AS MOST PEOPLE THINK.COMPARE THAT TO LATENIGHT SERVICE CALL ONCE MAYBE TWICE AND NOW THINGS GET CLEARER.WHATS A LITTLE PEACE OF MIND WORTH THESE DAYS,KNOWING YOU HAVE SOMEONE TO CALL 247.GOOD LUCK!!!

anthony_7

Service Contract! To have or NOT?

Heres the survey

Scenario

New Boiler, new controls etc.
Is it worth it to pay more for oil and receive a service contract or

Is it not worth it to have a service contract and pay for annual tune ups and emergency calls and pay less for oil??

Steamhead

Keep the service contract

I still have mine. Reason: If something goes wrong on a Saturday afternoon, and we don't have what I need at the shop, I won't be able to get into a supply house until Monday morning. But I can call Carroll-Independent (best oil company in Baltimore area) and they usually arrive in a couple of hours. To me, that makes the slight extra cost worthwhile.

To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

Al Letellier

service contract

Sure a contract is great if you have a problem. The industry standard has been an average of one trouble call everry 6-7 years on a boiler. The problem with service contracts is the annual maintenance. Make sure they do it every years like the contract says, and make wure they do it right, not just a nozzle/filter/strainer/see ya/ bye kind of maintenance.
I've been a service manager for several companies(which convinced me to go self-employed) and a vast majority of the oil companies out there fail miserably in this department. I know there are good ones out there, they're just hard to find. Look hard and long to find one and then stick with them. they'll be there when you need 'em, and when you don't!!!
My suggestion is to find a good oil company, and a good independent heating contractor for service. The best of both worlds!

To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

Jed_2

Service Contract

You should not have to buy a service contract in the first
year of of a new boiler installation. The installing contractor(if he's any good) will cover that installation for the year. Pick it up in the 2nd year! Most of the failures would be in the components( controls, circs,etc.).
They are covered already. Don't waste the money on something you've already bought!

Jed

P.S. You won't need a cleaning for at least a year, either!

Jed_2

Hey Steamhead

If Carroll-Independent were to have installed a New Boiler for you( I know, not likely), and on Saturday afternoon something goes wrong- within a year of that NEW installation, SHOULD you be required to pay for the service call? What did your contract say?

Jed

Steamhead

Good Question

I'm sure if the problem resulted from something they did, they'd take care of it. One year they had a bad batch of nozzles and one of them ended up here- when I called them they got right over here to change it.

Also, until recently I was more into systems (especially steam!) than combustion. That has begun to change, but it's another reason I kept the service contract. It's also an excellent reason that when Tim McElwain or George Lanthier speak, I listen!

Around Baltimore, the oil suppliers I know of only cover the burner and associated controls with their contracts. When they find a system problem they refer it to a contractor who mostly handles systems, like us. We get quite a few referrals this way. I've also noticed that oil suppliers in this area seem to be abandoning the boiler-replacement business. This of course is something we've always done, and as they leave the market we can step right in.

I agree with Al (post below) that if you have someone good, you stick with them. I also agree that in most situations, you really need a good oil supplier AND a good independent heating contractor. Who does what will vary from place to place.


To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

jg2700

contracts are good and bad ive worked for a full service company and just a service company.both had there ups and downs.but ill tell you this the service company i eork for does better quality work and responds much better 24 7 365 days a year just like full service. there a small outfit and they do the right things.problem with these big companies full service is your a number to them.thats all.i cant tell you how many accounts we take from them. people no we will respond and they buy there oil cod. we will take many more of there acounts this upcomeing year also. because alot of them didnt do there customers annual maintenance because thy said they were busy. here on long island cod is takeing over.