Save Money by Maintaining a Healthy Boiler

It’s very important to maintain a healthy boiler, and it should preferably be done by seasoned professionals. However, if you want you can do small maintenance work on your own. Depending upon the type of boiler you own: hot water, forced air or steam, you can clean the areas that need regular maintenance or carry out the maintenance tests.

A well maintained boiler will function more efficiently and will ensure that your family is safe from the potential hazards and it could save you money too as it may save you from having to pay for boiler repairs as well as ove the top energy bills.

Maintenance of Boilers
* Check the chimney and vent connection pipe of your boiler because they can deteriorate over time. Determine that all areas that should be sealed are intact and there are no cracks or holes in any part.

* Inspect the heat exchanger to ensure its proper functioning. Most of the times, faulty heat exchangers leak water, so if there is a water leak, that’s likely a problem.

* Also readjust the boiler controls so they provide optimal levels of heat and efficiency. With an efficient system, your family will save more money on the heating costs.

Maintaining the boiler’s forced air system
* Closely examine the combustion chamber of your boiler for any cracks as they could leak gas. You should also perform carbon monoxide test, and call in professional if you find abnormally high carbon monoxide levels. As carbon monoxide can be lethal, you should place a detector in the boiler room.

* Clean and oil the system’s blower and also remove any dust, sediment or corrosion from its surface. Also readjust the air temperature and blower controls to the desired levels.

* Seal any cracks or holes in the connections between your main ducts and boiler to ensure safety and efficiency.

Maintaining the hot water system
* Test the high-limit control valve and pressure-relief valve on your boiler to ensure their proper functioning. You can do that easily by running your hand over the drain lines attached to the valve to see if they are hot, which indicates that the pressure relief value is open. Mostly, drain line is warm near the value. When you raise the test lever of the valve, you’ll hear sound of water going down the drain line of relief valve. This indicates that it is functioning properly.

* Now check the pressure tank. It should be filled with air. When it is not functioning in a proper way, it will be filled with water. Clean the heat exchanger and the surface of the boiler.

Maintaining the steam system
* Drain some water from the float chamber and boiler. This will remove all sediment from these areas. It also improves its heat exchange function. The water draining from the float chamber will prevent clogs from the sediments in the low water cutoff control.

* Clean and test both the low water cutoff and high limit safety controls. For testing low water cutoff, you should push test button when burner is running. The LED lights on the controls will turn on. When you will release the test button, the lights should turn off and the burner should start. Clean all these controls by inserting a narrow and long brush into the valve openings.

Mike Smith is a keen blogger who has written many articles helping people with their domestic applicances.  If you would like to see more of his work you can do at The Green Forums.