Although boilers are not as common residential heating systems as furnaces, they are still popular, and many homes today enjoy the even warmth and energy-saving performance of the hydronic heating from boilers.
An advantage of boilers that people often list as one of their best features is that they require far fewer repairs than furnaces or heat pumps, and they their maintenance needs are less. Unfortunately, this may lead to the misconception that boilers don’t need have to professional maintenance with the same frequency as other heating systems. Nothing could be further from the truth! It’s correct that maintaining a boiler requires fewer steps, but it is still something that must be scheduled every fall.
Why Annual Boiler Maintenance Is Important
The reason that boilers suffer fewer repair problems and slower wear and tear is that they contain a smaller number of moving mechanical parts than furnaces and heat pumps. But they still have mechanical parts, such as the circulator pump, that require regular attention.
But boilers have something else that mandates special attention that other heating systems don’t have: water in contact with metal. Water is one of the most powerful forces when it comes to creating pressure on a system, and a boiler needs to have special care taken to see that the water doesn’t start to cause corrosion that can lead to a complete breakdown. Maintenance is necessary to see that the anode rod is replaced on time (an important defense against corrosion) and the tank is flushed on occasion.
Finally, the majority of boilers are natural gas-powered systems, and any natural gas device must have routine check-ups to see that it remains within safety parameters. You can’t afford to take chances that your boiler will become unsafe, so always schedule professional maintenance during the fall.
Malek Heating & Cooling offers a residential maintenance agreement to care for your boiler in Winnetka, IL.