Keeping Your Boiler in Good Repair

Keeping your boiler well maintained is very important not only for ensuring maximum efficiency but also for diagnosing and treating large scale problems before they become an issue. Here are a few things you can do to head off maintenance issues before they arise and some troubleshooting tips.

• • Visual Inspection
    Be familiar with your boiler and heating system, and make a point of going into your mechanical room every two weeks and look at your equipment. You should check for leaks, corrosion or any other warning signs that may point to future problems. If this is done on a regular basis you will feel more comfortable with your equipment and are more likely to notice any maintenance issues before they arise.

• • Sound and Smell
    While you are in the mechanical room listen for unusually noisy pumps, fan motors or other boiler noise. Your heating system is made up of a series of moving mechanical devices that can wear out over time. Have a quick sniff around for a natural gas smell, or other unusual smells that may give a clue that there may be an issue that you cannot see.

• • Pressure Check
    On every boiler and heating system there is a pressure gauge as well as temperature gauges. A quick glance at these gauges can tell you if your heating system is working within its set parameters. Pay particular attention to the pressure gauge which should be in the 12-15 PSI range. Ask your Lone Star heating technician to show you these gauges and ask a few questions while we are in for your annual service so that you will be better equipped in the future to determine if something is not working properly.

• • Annual Service
    Call Lone Star Plumbing and Heating to schedule an annual boiler service. We will send one of our experienced technicians to clean your boiler, and check over all components of your heating system including the boiler, pumps, venting, condensate, fluid levels and any other equipment in the mechanical room. With this type of service we can deal with maintenance issues before problems arise. It is especially important during cold weather to ensure your equipment is in proper working order because this is the time when you rely on your boiler the most.

• Troubleshooting
  If your house is cold or you don’t have any hot water something is definitely wrong.
  • First go down to your mechanical room and look, listen and smell to determine if anything is out of the ordinary.
  • Next, check your gauges. If you have an older style boiler, check to see if your pilot is lit. If you have a newer high efficient boiler, there will be a screen or flashing lights that will give you an error code.
  • If the pilot light is off or you see an error code turn the power off and then back on to reboot your boiler if it is newer, or relight the pilot light if your boiler is older.
  • Then check the intake and the exhaust on the high efficient boiler where it exits the house to see if it is blocked by frost, snow or other debris.
  • If you are still unsure what the problem is gather as much information as possible and call Lone Star Plumbing and Heating and we will come out as soon as we can to get you up and running again.

To book an appointment for inspection or repair of your boiler call Lone Star Plumbing and Heating today at 403.295.3028 and visit calgaryplumbing.solutions for more information.