Boiler Trouble? What You Can Do Before Calling the Pros

During the remainder of the winter, a warm home is a necessity, not a luxury. Maintaining your boiler system is highly important for these long and cold nights, which includes making sure there aren’t any leaks or breaks in the system or its pipes. Sometimes, boilers need slight maintenance that may or may not need the assistance of a professional. Here are some helpful home tips to try out before calling in an HVAC technician:

Five Common Boiler Issues

• Hot water boiler – When you inspect the pressure tank, it should be filled with air and not water. Some tests will require additional assistance, such as assessing the pressure-relief valve and testing the high-limit control.
• The radiator is not hot – Deposits and rotted pipes can cause a buildup and slow the flow of water to the system. A chemical cleaning will remove these clogs and eliminate the issue.
• No pilot light – Often the thermocouple breaks and removes the supply of gas to the pilot. Modern boilers use electronic ignition, so this isn’t a problem.
• No heat or hot water – Broken diaphragms, airlocks, problems with valves and low water levels are usually the cause of not getting heat or hot water.
• Kettling – When lime scale builds up on the boiler’s heat exchanger, you will notice a rumbling sound.
• Thermostat – You know it’s time for a new thermostat when yours loses its accuracy or turns the system on and off when it’s not suppose to.
• Frozen Pipes – With the cold weather comes the chance of frozen pipes. Frozen pipes can occur when the pipes are exposed to the elements outside without proper insulation. A professional technician should handle the thawing of frozen pipes.

No matter what heating system you have, it’s important to use caution when assessing the problem. A service professional should help you with any job that would require you to take the system apart.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems). Contact us today at Sobieski Services.

Photo Credit: Josep Ma. Rosell via Compfight cc