Residential Boiler Maintenance Service

At Sanz Plumbing & Heating, Diego Sanchez and his team understand the importance of maintaining a properly functioning boiler in your home. A well-maintained boiler not only ensures comfort and warmth during colder months but also contributes to energy efficiency and cost savings. Our comprehensive residential boiler maintenance service is designed to keep your boiler running smoothly and efficiently all year round.

How Do Boilers Work?

It can help to think of boilers as a unique type of water heater. While conventional heating systems disperse heat using air, boilers use hot water and pipes. While this heated liquid flows through your home, it distributes heat through your radiators and other linked devices. Now cooled, the water returns to the boiler’s tank to be reheated and start the cycle over. You may also hear this subset of HVAC systems referred to as water-based or hydronic. In most homes, natural gas is used to power the boiler’s heating elements. A simple step-by-step list of boiler operations is below:

• The home’s thermostat tells your boiler it's time to turn on
• Your boiler's heating element heats water in its tank
• After the water reaches a specified temperature or turns into steam, the next stage begins
• The boiler pushes the steam or water through your radiators or baseboard radiant elements
• The water returns to the boiler to be reheated
• The thermostat detects when your home reaches the desired temperature and shuts off the boiler

Signs Your Boiler Needs Repair

Boilers use fuel like natural gas to heat water, which is circulated throughout the building to provide heat. While the process may seem simple, boilers are actually quite complex, and a problem in any of the main components like the burner tubes, the water regulator, pressure switches, pumps, or combustion controls may render the system inoperable. Here are some common signs that your boiler needs repair:

1. It's not putting out enough heat to reach the target temperature on the thermostat

2. The unit refuses to start or shuts off at random

3. Breakers and safety devices trip when it's turned on

4. Water is pooling around it or leaking from your pipes

5. The system seems to be constantly refilling

6. You hear strange noises or clunking sounds

7. The smell of sulfur, burning, or mildew becomes evident

Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Boiler

Boilers can be very long lasting with the proper maintenance. They deliver comfortable, efficient heating for decades after installation. But, like all mechanical objects, they eventually break down and need replacement. We work and install many popular boiler brands. While at your home—likely for a repair—our boiler expert will take steps to determine if a new boiler is necessary. But there are signs it’s time to start saving for boiler replacement, the most obvious being:

Boiler Age: If your system is past drinking age and requires frequent repairs, it’s likely time to spring for a new boiler installation. After a certain point, fixing your system becomes a money sink. Since all parts of your systems were manufactured at a similar time—often from the same materials—failures tend to come in waves.

Leaks: Because your boiler relies on water to do its job, it’s likely to spring a leak at some point. While small leaks can be repaired, larger ones are often a sign of tank degradation. In many cases, a full system replacement is the best, most reliable fix for wide-scale leaking.

Strange Noises: Is your boiler hissing, popping, or cracking? All these noises are signs that a Alexandria boiler repair is in your future. In some cases, depending on the scale of the issue, our plumber will determine a new boiler is the best route. If that happens, we’ll provide an obligation-free quote on installation.

The Most Common Causes of Boiler Failure

Is your boiler not producing heat? Are there cold spots on your radiator or strange noises from your pipes? Diagnosing the causes of these issues takes an expert's eye. This is because the complexity of boilers often makes pinpointing the root of a problem difficult. We find many boiler issues in the Burke and Springfield areas are caused by:

Broken Pilot Lights: Without a functioning pilot light, your boiler can't heat its fuel source. Though sometimes caused by a dirty burner, it's typically the result of a broken thermocouple.

Frozen Condensate Pipes: Condensate pipes transport acidic water produced by the boiler to an outside drain. In extreme cold, this pipe can freeze and burst. This will produce an error code and alert you to a need for an HVAC technician.

Excess Pressure: If your pressure gauge reads below “1” or in the red, your system is having a pressure problem. This can be caused by a water leak, faulty pressure relief valve, or excess air in the system.

Kettling: If your boiler’s making a deep rumbling sound, like a tea kettle on the verge of whistling, you have a pretty serious heating problem. This is typically caused by sludge or scale build-up on the heat exchanger. This obstructs the water, leading to kettling and whistling.

Boiler Leaks:The most obvious sign of a boiler system is a leak. These can be a real nuisance, not only because of the water damage but because of the electrical malfunctions which typically follow.

Though boilers can fail throughout the heating system, problems typically occur at the beginning of winter after a long period of disuse. The sudden pressure on the system often strains worn out components leading to system failures. To stop your family from losing heat when you need it most, we suggest scheduling boiler maintenance annually.

The Benefits of Boiler Maintenance

We wrote briefly about the dangers of skipping boiler maintenance, but now it’s time to look on the bright side. Having your system regularly checked by Sanz Plumbing & Heating can give you the peace of mind that nothing strange will happen.

Catch Problems Early: What was a loose bolt or rivet can quickly blossom into a repair worth hundreds of dollars. During our check, we’ll check belts and other components for signs of excess wear. Replacing them before they break is the best way to prevent a catastrophic failure.

Push-Off Boiler Replacement: The low cost of regular boiler maintenance is far lower than what you’ll shell out for a brand-new boiler. By making your system more efficient and relieving excess wear, you can extend your unit’s life by months or years. This will give you ample time to save up for a replacement.

Safety: Annual boiler maintenance protects your family from the risks associated with a lack of boiler maintenance. This includes a lower likelihood of carbon monoxide exposure and a lessened chance of complete system failure. Call Frosty's Heating and Cooling, Inc. to get your annual boiler service scheduled and sleep easier.

Lower Heating Costs: Imagine trying to run with ankle weights. It’d be a lot harder than doing so unencumbered, right? Well, the former scenario is what your boiler deals with if it isn’t regularly cleaned and maintained. Through annual boiler maintenance, you give your boiler what it needs to perform at its best. Our typical customer reaps a savings of 10 percent or more on a yearly basis through this one service.

The Best Way to Protect Your Boiler Investment

Regular boiler maintenance is the best way to ensure your new system works as intended. Having it checked once a year by a professional is the best way to prevent breakdown and maximize its efficiency. Between these annual calls, however, there are things homeowners can do to protect their boiler from early failure. These items include:

System Bleeds: If you have a problem heating your home evenly, you should try bleeding the system. You can visit this page for information on doing this correctly.

Check Air Vents: Regularly check your vents and flues for signs of dirt and blockage. If you notice any obstructions, remove them. This will ensure air flows freely throughout your system. You should also avoid laying items on your radiators.

Check for Water Leaks: If you see your new boiler has a water level below the manufacturer’s recommendation, it can be a sign you have a leak. Check the surrounding area for any signs of dampness. Operating your system at a water deficit can lead to irreparable damage.

Keep the Surrounding Area Clear: Boxes, bags, and other stored items should not be stored around your boiler. These obstructions can make your boiler work harder to do its job.