Essential Maintenance Guide for Your Home's Boiler Heating System

Unlike a furnace, which heats air and circulates it throughout your house via ductwork, a boiler system provides warmth by heating water to provide either hot water or steam. The hot water is distributed through sealed copper pipes.

If you use a home boiler system to beat the cold and uncomfortable winter temperatures, you'll want it to work reliably in times of need. The best way to achieve this is to maintain it correctly.

Here are some things you can do to keep your residential boiler system in top working condition.

Ensure proper airflow

Weak or poor airflow is one of the biggest issues that may plague a boiler heating system. Boilers require air vents to bleed air from the system and flues to carry exhaust gases from the home to the outside environment. 

If the air vents or flues on your home's boiler are blocked, they will hinder the free flow of air within the heating system. When this happens, the heating system will fail to run efficiently.

As part of preventative boiler system maintenance, you should check the air vents and flues on a regular basis. If you encounter any blockage inside, remove it to allow smooth and efficient airflow.  

Also, ensure the area around the boiler is clear of any obstructions that may prevent the boiler from breathing properly.

Maintain the correct water level within the boiler

Boilers are hydronic heating systems, meaning that they use water as a medium of heat transfer. If you do not maintain the correct water level in your boiler, it won't produce enough hot water or steam to heat your home. As a result, your boiler heating system may leave you at the mercy of winter weather. 

To avoid a boiler system letdown, you should regularly check your boiler's water level to ensure it is within the manufacturer-recommended level. If the water level is too low, you may have pipework leaks to look into.

Check the pressure relief valve

Manufacturers of boiler systems usually incorporate pressure relief valves (PRVs) into the design of their products to ensure the safety of boiler users. These safety valves open to release pressure when the internal pressure level exceeds a safe range and close again when the pressure drops within the acceptable range.

In other words, PRVs help to avoid excess pressure buildup within the boiler system. To find out if your boiler's PRV is working correctly, check the boiler's overflow pipe. If it is dripping water, you may have a faulty PRV that requires replacement. 

Maintaining a boiler system requires specialised knowledge and training to do it correctly. Contact the experts at an HVAC company near you for help with your boiler servicing needs.