Power Outage, No Heat: What to Do in Unionville
Every modern heating system in the township stops when PECO's lines go down.
Oil, propane and gas heat all need electricity to run, and so do well pumps. When an ice storm or nor'easter knocks out power around Unionville, the house starts cooling right away. This guide covers what to do in the first hours, how to use a generator without poisoning anyone, how to protect pipes, and how to restart the heat safely when power comes back.
- Free referral service, not a contractor
- Independent local HVAC companies
- No obligation
Why does my furnace stop working when the power goes out?
Every modern furnace, boiler and oil burner needs electricity for its controls, ignition and safety switches, and to move heat. A gas or propane furnace uses power for the inducer fan, ignitor, control board and blower. A boiler needs its circulator pump. An oil burner needs its motor and fuel pump. No power means no heat, whatever the fuel.
That surprises people with a full oil tank or a big propane tank. The fuel is there, but nothing can light it or move the heat.
Many homes around Unionville also lose water when the power goes out. A private well pump runs on electricity, so faucets slow to nothing once the pressure tank empties. That matters for drinking water, flushing and the faucet-drip trick for pipes.
What in your heating system needs electricity?
The parts that light the fuel, prove the flame is safe and move the heat all run on power. That's why a generator has to feed the heating circuit, not just the refrigerator, to keep the heat on. A heat pump needs far more power than a furnace, which changes the size of generator you'd need.
| System | Parts that need power | What happens in an outage | Generator note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas or propane furnace | Thermostat, control board, inducer fan, ignitor, gas valve, blower | Shuts down completely | Modest load, but needs clean, steady power for the board |
| Oil furnace | Burner motor, fuel pump, ignition transformer, controls, blower | Shuts down completely | Modest load; burner motor needs starting current |
| Oil or gas boiler | Burner or gas valve, controls, circulator pumps, zone valves | Water stops circulating; radiators cool slowly | Usually a small load |
| Air-source heat pump | Compressor, outdoor fan, air handler, backup heat strips | Shuts down completely | Large load; strips need a lot of power |
| Geothermal heat pump | Compressor, loop pumps, blower | Shuts down completely | Large load |
| Private well | Well pump, pressure switch | Water stops once the tank drains | Often a 240-volt circuit; plan it in advance |
| Sump pump | Pump motor | Basement can flood in a thaw or rain | Worth including on any generator plan |
Ask an electrician to read the nameplates and size a generator for the circuits you actually want. Don't guess from the furnace's BTU rating.
What should I do first when the power and heat go out?
Report the outage to PECO, check on anyone vulnerable, and start holding heat in. Close doors to unused rooms, keep exterior doors shut, and gather people in one room on the sunny side. Unplug sensitive electronics, and switch off the furnace or boiler at its service switch so it doesn't take a surge when power returns.
- Report it. Call PECO at 1-800-841-4141, use the PECO app, or go to peco.com.
- Check people first. Older adults, infants and anyone on medical equipment. The Red Cross says to evacuate if devices need power.
- Hold the heat. Close curtains at night, open them for sun, and shut doors to rooms you don't need.
- Protect equipment. Turn off the furnace switch and unplug electronics.
- Keep the fridge closed. The Red Cross says an unopened fridge keeps food cold about 4 hours, a full freezer about 48.
- Plan where to go. A friend's house with power, or a warming center if the house gets too cold.
Never do these to stay warm
- Never heat with a gas oven or stovetop.
- Never bring a grill, camp stove or charcoal indoors, or into a garage.
- Never run a generator inside the house, basement, garage or shed, even with doors open.
- Never use an unvented propane or kerosene heater in a closed room.
- Never plug a generator into a wall outlet. It can electrocute line workers.
- Stay 35 feet from downed lines and call 911, as the Red Cross advises.
How long will my house stay warm without power?
It depends on the outdoor temperature, wind, insulation, air leaks and how much thermal mass the house has. A tight newer home cools more slowly than a leaky one, and thick stone walls release stored heat for a while. Use an indoor thermometer and act on the reading, not on a guess.
The Red Cross suggests tracking indoor temperature with a thermometer or thermostat. Keep an eye on the coldest rooms, usually those with plumbing on outside walls or over unheated crawl spaces. West Chester's January average low is about 22°F, and windy hilltop farms lose heat faster than sheltered village streets.
Rule of thumb from the Red Cross: if you're away in cold weather, leave the heat set no lower than 55°F. During an outage, treat 55°F as the line where you start draining pipes or getting help, especially if the forecast stays cold.
Older adults, infants and people with health conditions feel cold sooner. If anyone shows signs of hypothermia, the Red Cross says to get emergency care. For no-heat situations that aren't caused by an outage, see no heat and emergencies.
How do I keep pipes from freezing during an outage?
Let cold water trickle from faucets on exposed pipes while you still have pressure, open sink cabinets on outside walls, and keep garage doors closed if water lines run there. If the house will drop near freezing for a long time, shut the main valve and drain the lines. On a well, the trickle stops when the pressure tank empties.
The Red Cross says a frozen pipe usually shows itself as a faucet that only trickles. Thaw with an electric heating pad, hair dryer or towels soaked in hot water, never an open flame. During an outage, most of those need generator power.
If the outage will run for days
- Shut the main water valve or turn off the well pump breaker
- Open faucets on every floor, lowest last, to drain the lines
- Flush toilets to empty tanks
- Ask a plumber about the water heater and any boiler before draining them
- Leave a note on the panel listing what you shut off
A hot water boiler that freezes can crack. If the house will be unheated for a long time, ask a heating company about protecting the boiler and radiators.
How far from the house should a generator be?
The CDC says to run a portable generator outdoors and more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents. The CPSC says at least 20 feet from the home with the exhaust pointed away. Never run one inside a home, basement, garage or shed, even with doors and windows open. Use battery-backup CO alarms indoors.
According to the CPSC, portable generators account for more than 100 of the 200-plus U.S. deaths each year from accidental non-fire carbon monoxide poisoning linked to consumer products.
- Set the generator on a dry surface under an open canopy-like cover, as the Red Cross advises. Never in a garage, even with the door up.
- Point the exhaust away from the house and away from neighbors' windows.
- Plug appliances into the generator, or use heavy-duty, outdoor-rated, three-prong cords rated for the load.
- Turn it off and let it cool before refueling.
- Store fuel in approved cans outside living areas and away from fuel-burning appliances.
Portable vs standby generators, transfer switches and interlocks
A generator can feed the furnace safely only through a transfer switch or an approved panel interlock installed by a licensed electrician. Plugging a generator into a wall outlet, called backfeeding, can electrocute utility workers and neighbors. The Red Cross calls a permanently installed standby generator the best option.
| Setup | How it works | Can it run the furnace? | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portable generator, cords only | Appliances plug into the generator with outdoor cords | Usually not; furnaces are hard-wired | Distance, CO, cord rating |
| Portable generator with manual transfer switch | Electrician wires selected circuits to an inlet and switch | Yes, if the heating circuit is included | Generator size; clean power for boards |
| Portable generator with panel interlock | A mechanical interlock prevents main and generator breakers being on together | Yes, within the generator's capacity | Must be listed for your panel and installed by an electrician |
| Standby generator with automatic transfer switch | Permanent unit starts on its own when PECO power drops | Yes, sized for the circuits it covers | Fuel supply, clearances, yearly service |
The Red Cross says a permanent connection should follow the National Electrical Code and state and local codes. Ask the township about permits for a standby unit.
Are space heaters safe during an outage?
An electric space heater run from a properly connected generator can be safe if it has tip-over and overheat shutoff and sits at least 3 feet from anything that can burn, as the Red Cross advises. Unvented fuel-burning heaters indoors are a carbon monoxide risk. A fireplace or wood stove needs an open flue and a working CO alarm.
- Plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet or straight into the generator, never a power strip or extension cord
- Never leave one running unattended or while sleeping
- Keep children and pets away
- Use flashlights, not candles, as the Red Cross recommends
Carbon monoxide risk climbs during outages because people bring in heat sources they don't normally use. See the carbon monoxide guide for alarms and symptoms.
What to do when the power comes back on
Wait a few minutes for power to stabilize, then turn the furnace or boiler switch back on and set the thermostat a few degrees above room temperature. Watch one full cycle. If it doesn't start, check the breaker and the thermostat, and on an oil burner press the reset button once only. Then call for service.
- Wait for the lights to stay steady for a few minutes.
- Turn the heating system's service switch back on.
- Check that the thermostat display is on and set to HEAT.
- Listen for the inducer, burner or circulator to start.
- Check that warm air or warm radiators follow within several minutes.
- Reset clocks and Wi-Fi thermostats; some revert to defaults.
Signs of storm damage
- No display on the thermostat even with fresh batteries
- A blinking code on the control board that wasn't there before
- A burning electrical smell near the furnace or air handler
- A heat pump that runs only on backup strips
- A tripped breaker that trips again when reset; the Red Cross suggests having an electrician check it
Power surges when lines are restored can damage control boards. If the system stays dead, that's a repair call. See furnace repair.
A winter outage checklist for Unionville homes
Before the first ice storm, have the heating system serviced, test CO and smoke alarms, decide how you'll power the furnace and well, and sign up for PECO and Chester County alerts. Know where your water main and furnace switch are, and keep a paper list of phone numbers.
- Furnace or boiler tune-up in fall; see tune-ups
- Battery-backup CO alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas
- Oil or propane tank topped up before a forecast storm
- Whole-house or furnace surge protection discussed with an electrician
- Transfer switch or interlock installed before you need it
- Generator test-run outdoors and fuel stored safely
- Sign up for PECO outage alerts at peco.com/alerts and get the PECO app
- Register for ReadyChesCo alerts by text, email or phone
- Flashlights, batteries and a battery or crank radio
- Water stored if you're on a well
- A plan for medical devices and refrigerated medicine
- A place to go if the house gets too cold
Outages and heat around Unionville and Chester County
PECO supplies electricity across Unionville and East Marlborough. Report outages at 1-800-841-4141, in the PECO app or on peco.com. Chester County's ReadyChesCo system sends free emergency alerts by text, email or phone, and you can register several addresses, such as an older parent's home.
Tree-lined roads like PA 82, Street Road (PA 926) and PA 842 run through woods and farm hedgerows, so ice storms and nor'easters can bring down lines. Rural roads past the village may take longer to restore than main corridors. Plan as if a winter outage could last more than a day.
ReadyChesCo lets you note special needs that may help responders, and set quiet hours. East Marlborough Township lists an emergency line at (610) 444-1594 for township issues. For life-threatening situations, always call 911. Homes on wooded lots in Pennsbury and Pocopson face the same outage risks.
Get connected with a local heating company. Say whether you ran a generator and what the system does now. The referral is free.
Power outage and heating questions from Unionville homeowners
Will my oil furnace work without electricity?
No. The burner motor, fuel pump, ignition and controls all need power, and so does the blower or circulator. A full tank doesn't help until power returns or a properly connected generator feeds the heating circuit.
Can I plug my furnace into a portable generator?
Most furnaces are hard-wired, so they need a transfer switch or an approved panel interlock installed by a licensed electrician. Never backfeed through a wall outlet. Ask the electrician which option fits your panel.
How big a generator do I need to run my furnace?
A furnace or boiler alone is a fairly small load, but the well pump, sump pump and fridge add up. Heat pumps and their backup strips need much more. Have an electrician total the loads you want covered.
Is it safe to run a generator in the garage with the door open?
No. The CDC and CPSC both say never to run a generator in a garage, even with doors and windows open. Run it outdoors, more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents.
How do I report a PECO outage?
Call 1-800-841-4141, use the free PECO app, or report it on peco.com. You can sign up for outage and restoration text alerts at peco.com/alerts.
Should I drip faucets if I have a well?
Only while you still have pressure. Once the well pump stops, the pressure tank drains and the drip ends. If the house will stay cold for a long time, shut off the water and drain the lines instead.
Why won't my furnace start after the power came back?
It may have locked out, the thermostat may have reset, a breaker may have tripped, or a surge may have damaged the control board. Check the switch, breaker and thermostat. If it still won't run, call for service.
Is this site an electrician or heating contractor?
No. UnionvillePAFurnaceRepair is a free referral service that connects you with independent local HVAC companies. It doesn't perform electrical or heating work and may be paid for referrals. Use a licensed electrician for generator connections.
Sources
- CDC: About carbon monoxide poisoning (generator distance and prevention).
- CPSC: Carbon Monoxide Information Center (generator deaths and distance).
- American Red Cross: Safe generator use.
- American Red Cross: Power outage safety.
- American Red Cross: Winter storm safety and Frozen pipes.
- PECO outage phone, app and alerts, as listed by Upper Moreland Township: PECO contact information; see also peco.com/outages.
- Chester County: ReadyChesCo notification system.
- East Marlborough Township (emergency issues line).
- West Chester climate figures, as summarized on the Unionville furnace guide.
Written by Lawrence. Updated October 25, 2026. Facts on this page were checked against the public sources listed above.
This is general information from a free referral service, not a heating contractor. For gas smells or carbon monoxide alarms, leave the house and call 911.
Related furnace help
Power's back but the heat isn't? Get connected with local heating help.
Tell the company how long the outage lasted, whether you used a generator, and what the furnace or boiler does now. Surge damage and lockouts are common after storms.
One call to (724) 241-4851 connects you with independent local HVAC companies that serve Unionville and nearby Chester County communities. It's free, with no obligation.
Have this ready when you call
- Your town or road
- Your fuel: oil, propane, gas or electric
- What the system is doing, and any blinking light code
- Whether you smell gas or oil (if so, leave and call 911 first)
Free referral service. Not a heating contractor. Companies are independent and set their own prices.