Ten Tips to Help Maintain Your Boiler System in the Winter

When cold weather settles in around your home, it is important to make sure that your boiler is in proper working order for the dark and chilly months ahead. You certainly don’t want to be without heat for any period of time during the cold season, so read through the ten tips below to keep yourself warm and cozy as you ride out the winter.

#1 – Is Your Boiler On?

Don’t laugh – more than one person has made this mistake previously. If your boiler isn’t on, it won’t do a very good job of keeping your home warm. Make sure the boiler is switched on before you expect it to provide you with heat.

#2 – Read Up on Proper Boiler Operation and Maintenance

If you have a few minutes to pass during an upcoming evening, take your boiler instruction manual out and read through it. While this isn’t going to be the most exciting reading that you do in your life, it will be informative. Familiarizing yourself with the manual is a good way to get the best performance from the unit.

#3 – Check the Radiators

When your radiators seem to have cold spots that are not helping to heat your spaces, there is a good chance that there is air stuck in the system. To get rid of the air in the system, you may need to bleed the radiators. To do so safely, be sure to follow a guide which will direct you from start to finish.

#4 – Insulation

If you have a condensing boiler, you need to have a way for that condensation to move away from the boiler. Unfortunately, that outlet can become blocked if the water in the condensation pipe freezes during the cold winter. By insulating that pipe, you should be able to prevent this problem from developing.

#5 – Thawing the Frozen Pipe

When you think about insulating too late and your condensate pipe is already frozen, you will need to thaw the ice inside before you can get your boiler back to proper performance. Using a hot water bottle or something similar should do the job in this case.

#6 – Have It Serviced

This is an important point for anyone who has a boiler – but it is especially important if your boiler has plenty of years of service behind it. A simple plan of preventative maintenance can go a long way toward keeping your boiler working properly all throughout the winter.

#7 – Call for Help Quickly

If something goes drastically wrong with your boiler, the best thing you can do is to call for professional help. Don’t wait for the problem to get even worse – simply call in a pro and make sure the issue gets fixed as soon as possible.

#8 – Consider a Replacement

Service can go a long way in terms of keeping an old boiler working properly, but sometimes the best option is simply to pick out a new unit to have installed. Replacing your boiler can not only benefit you in terms of reliability, but it can also offer more efficient performance moving forward.

#9 – Monitor the Pressure

When the pressure in your system drops, your boiler may quit working. Leaks are a common cause of a loss in pressure, but that won’t always be the case. Don’t mess with pressure on your own, however, as this can be dangerous. When you suspect that pressure is a problem, contact a pro for help.

#10 – Check Performance in Advance

Before the weather cools down for good when winter settles in, try testing out your boiler by turning it on for a short run. If there is any problem, you will know about it and have a chance to remedy it before you are in serious need of heating.