Q: Should I worry about my old boiler, it just keeps chugging along…
A: For those of you with a good old fashioned (or new fashioned) boiler, water is the medium and what a way to make a splash. Our favorite fluid (once again, not necessarily beer) conducts heat like crazy and can lose that heat in oh so many ways. Providing your distribution pipes are insulated, all that flows upstairs, downstairs, out to the garage, and even out to folks snowmelt. Nothing compares to this age old concept, heat where you want it, quiet, and normally super reliable, actually almost too reliable. We have a fair amount of customers calling in with a “no heat” call and many times they don’t really know what kind of heat they have but they know it’s not happening. Usually this would be some derivative of a boiler normally a radiant floor system that really is completely hidden. Out of sight is out of mind but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be mindful of the heating system you have.
Step 1: Locate Your Boiler Heating System
Once you start looking (like we often have to) you will find the “boiler room”. This may conjure up vivid memories of grandma’s super scary basement, the janitor and his off limits sanctum, but regardless it’s always an amazing maze of pipes and valves. James Bond and any number of heroes or zeros have fought it out among the pipes, catwalks, and steam emitting connections. Hopefully your own little boiler room is clean and orderly, well lit and certainly leaking not. A casual observation of the boiler and piping should not find signs of leaks or water laying around. Many boilers leak and in doing so allow fresh oxygenated water to enter. This has proven to be very detrimental to any steel component as they rust from the inside out. Much of our boiler work requires draining and dark rusty water flowing out is a sure sign things are deteriorating.
Step 2: Annual Boiler Maintenance
To keep your boiler boiling start by having a professional (like AirWorks) perform an annual maintenance. You heard right, it is suggested by most manufacturers to have a boiler check annually. That also goes for furnaces, heat pumps, and the like. Grandma’s battleship boiler from the fifties may be an exception, however its time is coming. While we are dutifully performing our service work feel free to ask questions. If you are not remotely familiar with the goings on, you prolly should be. Particularly important would be how to turn the water and power off in case of an emergency. You are free to call us at 2:23 AM (many do) as you hectically search for the lone shutoff valve. Let us help you empower yourself while getting that heater humming.
Lest we not forget the one of the most important tests we do during maintenance, combustion analysis. Not all heating companies invest in this technology, but we believe (and the manufactures agree) it is the only way to know for sure your gas appliance is burning properly. Carbon monoxide is part of the combustion process. It’s our job to make sure it is minimized and stays contained.
Step 3: Call AirWorks
The approaching cold weather is a great time to perform these check-ups. We have seasoned technicians at the ready, pipe wrenches in hand, volt meter in the other, doing a little of that metal massage. Give AirWorks a call today at (406) 257-1341.
