The Ultimate Homeowner’s Guide For Residential Boilers
During extremely cold winters, your residential boiler is something that you’ll rely on to keep your home cozy, safe, and warm. But what will you do if your boiler starts acting up? Should you call an HVAC technician to have it repaired, or will it need to be replaced entirely? Let’s go over the options that are available to you.
Common Boiler Issues That You Might Encounter
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The Boiler Starts Turning Off By Itself
When your boiler starts automatically turning itself, there could be several possible causes. There could be an issue with the thermostat, low water pressure, or a condensate pipe that’s frozen. A malfunctioning pump or problems with air pressure can also cause this issue.
The Pilot Light Keeps Turning Off
If your pilot light switches itself off, there could be a faulty thermocouple or problem with the boiler seals. A pilot light isn’t a component that you should attempt to fix on your own. You’ll want to call a professional HVAC company to handle the problem immediately instead.
Boiler Leaks
Boiler leaks could be the result of loose connections or faulty components. To be safe, get in touch with an HVAC contractor to have the necessary repairs performed.
Low Pressure
If a boiler runs on a pressurized system, the result of a water leak or problems with the expansion vessel can cause lost pressure. Although you might want to try repairing this problem on your own residential boiler by relying on the owner’s manual, calling an HVAC company is the safest choice.
When Your Residential Boiler Should Be Replaced
Following, we’ll talk about when to repair your boiler and when to have it replaced.
The Age Of Your Boiler
Over time, your boiler will have to start working much harder to warm your home up. The typical boiler has a lifespan of approximately 15 years. Just before its 15th year of use, it will likely begin showing significant signs of wear.
Reduced Boiler Efficiency
In addition to age, neglect and damage can affect the efficiency of your home boiler. A boiler with low-efficiency will have to work twice as hard to heat your home comfortably. As such, you’ll wind up paying far more for energy than you’d pay with a high-efficiency boiler installed.
Cold Or Hot Patches Throughout Your Home
Patches of cold or hot in the radiator are usually the result of sludge build-ups or trapped air. This causes your heating system to distribute heat unevenly.
Strange Sounds
The boiler in your home should not make clanging, whistling, or gurgling sounds. If you have an abnormally noisy boiler in your home, get in touch with a residential boiler repair service to have it properly diagnosed.
The Frequent Need For Boiler Repairs
When the costs of a boiler repair meet or exceed half of the costs of a boiler replacement, it is probably time to invest in a new unit. Moreover, if you have to repair the boiler in your home several times each year, then you may want to shop around. It is smarter to spend your hard-earned cash on a new and efficient boiler than to continue spending money on equipment that’s nearing its end.
What Benefits And Features Come With A Boiler Replacement?
When deciding whether to repair your boiler or to replace it outright, think about the numerous benefits that you can gain by getting a new boiler.
- Greater Home Comfort: A new boiler will create a comfortable and warm atmosphere in your home when you want and need it the most. You can rest assured that your boiler is going to continue doing its job on even the very coldest of winter days.
- Lower Home Energy Costs: High-efficiency boilers don’t use as much energy as old and outdated units do. More importantly, they optimize fuel use so that you can keep your home warmer and spend less.
- Lower Operating Costs: New boilers come with new components that are going to function as they should for many years. As such, you won’t have to pay for frequent boiler repairs and inspections.
- Get A Warranty: Whenever you buy new home heating equipment, you are going to get a warranty that covers repairs and parts. You can get reliable and first-rate service whenever repairs are required.
Things To Think About Before Purchasing A New Boiler
- The Boiler Size: If you buy an oversize boiler for your home, it is going to use more fuel than necessary. Conversely, if it’s too small, it’s not going to be efficient. Size is important. It should be determined based on factors like the insulation values for your home, the thickness of your walls, and house orientation. Other factors include air filtration, the foundation, and others.
- Energy Efficiency: You can get recommendations for a high-efficiency boiler from your boiler installation service. Energy-efficient boilers use less fuel and perform impressively.
- Type Of Heating Fuel: If you use oil or natural gas in your home, you’ll have to purchase a boiler that uses this same type of fuel.
- Boiler Brands: Certain boiler brands have built their reputations on overall system performance. Some brands may even provide better local services.
- Available Warranty: Manufacturers usually offer boiler warranties that last up to 10 years and that guarantee coverage for limited parts replacement.
How Are Standard-Efficiency And High-Efficiency Boilers Different?
AFUE or boiler efficiency refers to the amount of heat that a unit produces in relation to the amount of fuel it consumes. High-efficiency boilers are made to cool gases within the fuel such that the resulting steam can be condensed and converted into a liquid state. This allows these models to both retain more heat and produce more heat.
Standard-efficiency boilers, however, often lose as much as 20 percent of the heat that they produce, which usually means that they use much more energy to warm interior spaces up.
Even though you will pay a bit more upfront for a high-efficiency boiler, this is a unit that will pay for itself going for due to lower energy costs. This makes them well worth the cost.
Contact McAllister Energy For All Your Heating Needs
Finding the best boiler for your home and making sure that it is sufficiently efficient will provide both savings and lasting comfort. Carefully review your options so that you can make an informed choice when it comes to replacing your home’s most important equipment.
McAllister Energy is a local expert in heating and cooling technologies. Our technicians are experienced, NATE-certified, and able to solve your home comfort concerns. By working with us, you can expect friendly, knowledgeable, and time-efficient service. You can trust us to offer the most competitive local prices as well. We also stand behind the work that we perform by providing a guarantee. This way, we can assure your satisfaction. Be sure to connect with McAllister Energy to set up your in-home, no-cost estimate today.
You can click here to contact us now or call us at (856) 665-4545 to find out more!