This is a tale of how I learned – again – how important it is to do preventive maintenance on a house. I certainly want to keep everything in good working order, but sometimes I slip up.

Photo: Massachusetts Dept of Environmental Protection
Just as the heating season started in earnest I noticed an odor that seemed to be coming from the basement. I ignored it for a day or two, thinking it would pass, as many smells do. By the third day I couldn’t ignore it any more. I went down to the basement and noticed a little oil around the fittings on the hose from the oil tanks to the furnace. The drip pan was full. I emptied the drip pan, wiped up the oil, and spread kitty little to absorb any oil that night have spilled onto the floor. Read the rest of this entry »








