Boiler maintenance should be on every homeowners home maintenance list. It’s important to inspect the health of your home’s boiler at least once a year, preferably before the start of cold season.
If boiler maintenance is not something you can or want to do on your own, hiring a qualified professional to inspect and perform routine maintenance on your boiler is the next best option.
Boiler Maintenance Checklist
Tip #1: Visually Inspect the Boiler
One of the easiest boiler maintenance tips to follow is to visually inspect your boiler. Walk around the boiler and check for any cracks or damages. Also look on the floor to make sure no water is leaking from the boiler. If any cracks, damages, or leaks are spotted, call a repair man right away.
Tip #2: Start the Boiler & Let it Run
After visually inspecting the boiler, turn it on and let it run. Once again, check for cracks, damages, or leaks. If any part of the boiler appears damaged or is leaking, turn it off right away. It is not safe to run a damaged or leaking boiler.
Part of this boiler maintenance tip requires looking for steam being emitted from the boiler. If you do spot any steam, shut off the boiler and call a qualified professional to make repairs.
Tip #3: Check Boiler Pressure
The third boiler maintenance tip is to check the boiler pressure. Consult your owner’s manual to see what is a healthy pressure for your boiler to be running at. During the entire cold season, or whichever months your boiler is in operation, check the pressure at least once a month.
If the pressure is different or at an unsafe level according to your manual shut it down. This is a good indication that you are in need of boiler maintenance. While checking your boiler monthly, also check for any cracks, damages, or leaks to be on the safe side.
Tip #4: Boiler Servicing
A large part of boiler maintenance requires the boiler to be serviced. It’s best to call a qualified professional to service your boiler every year. If the professional agrees it’s a good idea, sometimes servicing it every other year is okay too.
If you’re going to shoot for a servicing before the heating season make an appointment in advance. This is a busy time of year for service technicians. You can have your boiler serviced any time of year.
Tip #5: Keep Area Around Boiler Clear
In case of an emergency, quick access to the boiler is a must. Also, anything that is flammable or that could melt should be kept as far away from the boiler as possible, especially when it’s running. Storing anything around the boiler could be a potential fire hazard.
This boiler maintenance tip will also allow you to visually inspect the boiler without any hindrances.
Misplaced your boiler manual? Check out this site that offers free boiler manuals by brand. For additional home maintenance tips check out these posts on oil furnace maintenance and gas furnace maintenance.
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