There?s a lot of moving parts in a home HVAC system, but none more important than the boilers. Typical boilers can be expected to last for at least 15, and up to 30, years; but that?s only if you?re doing the maintenance and heating repair to keep it in good working order. Here?s five tips for keeping your boiler in good shape for years to come:
- Check your pilot light. You should have a strong blue flame going. If it looks smoky or is mostly yellow or orange, call an HVAC repair company immediately. The boiler might not be burning the fuel completely, and that?s a danger to everyone in the house.
- Don?t crowd your boiler Boilers are a bit introverted and don?t like too much company. Make sure there?s plenty of room for ventilation both for the boiler itself and all the pipes. You?ll also need to make sure there?s room for furnace repair contractors to get back there if it needs to be fixed.
- Boilers need your help: make things easier for them Your boiler can?t do its job efficiently if your home isn?t insulated properly, has leaky windows and doors, or is full of gaps and holes. Make sure you close up any places where warm air is rushing out, and then your heating and air system will work a lot more efficiently. In fact, since the average home loses 25% of its heat through small cracks and holes, you?ll also save a lot of money if you keep things tight.
- Keep your pipes snug for the winter Frozen pipes are seriously hard on boilers and will make all their heating attempts far less effective. If pipes are regularly frozen, pressure builds and you?ll eventually start seeing leaks and even serious breakdowns in the boiler. Fortunately, it?s really easy to install lagging, which is a special kind of insulation just for pipes.
- Keep up a solid maintenance schedule. Some HVAC experts estimate that nearly 75% of the time they get called in to fix heating systems that aren?t working, the problem is that the systems weren?t being maintained. Maintenance costs are a lot cheaper than boiler repair, so be sure to get a professional in there every year at least. Good HVAC service will have the right tools to check everything, give it thorough cleaning, and repair or replace anything that?s starting to go. They can also identify the beginnings of problems that most of us would just never notice. In fact, a lot of boilers have warranties that are only valid if the owner keeps up regular maintenance.
Keeping your boiler in good shape will save you money, keep you warm, and keep you safe. Make sure you?re getting everything checked out regularly, and keep an eye on things yourself, as well.
