Now that the winter chill is starting to creep in, you’ll be relying on your heating system a lot more. For comfort, safety, and budgetary reasons, you’ll want to make sure that everything is running efficiently. After all, the last thing you want is for it to break down on the coldest day of the year — or while you’re hosting holiday guests!
As a busy homeowner, though, you’ve got your hands full. When it comes to keeping an HVAC system maintained, it can be hard to know where to start. Don’t worry, though, we’ve got you covered! To help you get started, we put together this boiler maintenance checklist. It will help guide you through daily, monthly and quarterly steps you can take to keep your home warm and extend the life of your HVAC unit.
Daily Boiler Maintenance Checklist
You’d be amazed by how much things can change from one day to the next, which is exactly why you should make it a habit to check in on your boiler daily. It only takes a few minutes, but it can save you from major problems down the road.
The sooner you discover a potential problem with your boiler, the better. When you let things linger, it’s a lot harder to fix. Emergency repairs are costly, but it’s probably still more affordable than having to replace your entire heating system. Here’s what you can do:
- Keep the area around your boiler clear and free from obstruction.
- Look for signs of water leakage around and under your boiler.
- Make sure temperature and/or pressure readings are within normal ranges.
- Watch for error or service codes on the display panel. If any appear, write them down and contact an HVAC technician.
- Pay attention to strange noises or vibrations.
It might sound like a bit of effort, but in a few days it will just become part of your daily routine. Less than two minutes of your time could save you a lot of money and frustration.
Monthly Boiler Maintenance Checklist
Once a month, pick a day when you can devote five to ten minutes to looking over your boiler. Try to do it at the same time each month to develop a predictable routine, and a fair comparison. Here are some suggestions:
- Inspect the combustion air piping, flue gas vent piping, relief valve discharge pipe and boiler relief valve.
- Look for signs of leakage, deterioration, or blockage.
- If you own a condensing boiler, check the condensate drain line, drain system, drain trap, and PVC fittings for blockages.
Again, pick a day (like the first or last day of the month) and commit less than 10 minutes to boiler inspection. This is especially important during the winter months when your heating system is working overtime.
Quarterly Boiler Maintenance Checklist
Even with daily and monthly inspections, you’ll want to do something more in-depth on a quarterly or semiannual basis. If you’re familiar with the different components of heating system equipment, you might be able to perform some of the following tasks on your own:
- Look for leaks in the boiler hydronic piping.
- Inspect the burner flame, making note of any changes or irregularities.
- Verify that the water levels inside the boiler are within the guidelines set by the manufacturer.
If in doubt, please reach out to a service technician who can troubleshoot and/or perform repairs as needed. Don’t try to do the work yourself. Not only could you hurt yourself or make things worse, you might also void any warranties that cover your equipment.
Annual Boiler Maintenance in Richmond, Virginia
Every year, have your boiler maintained by a qualified professional who has been trained to proactively identify problems and perform repairs, when needed. Unless you are highly experienced, do not attempt to do this yourself.
Again, you may inadvertently void your manufacturer’s warranty, damage the equipment or be injured.
While every contractor is different, your annual boiler inspection will likely include a thorough inspection of elements such as the boiler connections and wiring, cleaning of the heat exchanger, testing of water pH levels, and more.
The HVAC technicians at W.G. Speeks are NATE-certified and experienced in boiler maintenance. Our company has been keeping homeowners in the Greater Richmond Region warm for the past 75 years, and we’d be honored to do the same for you. Give us a call today, and ask about our FREE consultation!
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