Your boiler is a key component in keeping your home comfortable for you and your family on the coldest nights. For this reason, it is imperative that you keep your boiler operating at its best by providing the preventative maintenance and quick repairs needed when any problems are encountered.

When you do yearly boiler inspections, you should take note of anything that might be a sign of problems ahead. If you find any of the following issues, you should consider your options for repair or replacement. Also, for those interested in boiler-related issues during the winter months, check out this article on what causes pipes to burst.

Boiler is Old

If your boiler is nearly at the end of its life expectancy, it is time to look into a replacement. Just like other appliances homes depend on so heavily, your boiler experiences quite a bit of wear and tear. It is better to have already determined it is time for a replacement and do so than to suffer a boiler failure in the middle of a cold night.

Short of an all-out failure, older boilers also tend to become less efficient as they age and any unaddressed issues or damage sustained over the years could even make them a hazard to operate. If you have lived in your home long enough that you purchased the boiler new, then you have a good idea of any issues it has faced over the years.

In a case where you have purchased a home with an older boiler, you might not be fully apprised of prior failures or damage that pre-dates ownership of the premises.

One obvious sign of aging is corrosion. When metal and water encounter oxygen, the result is corrosion. So, any indication of corrosion is clear evidence that you have a leak somewhere along the boiler feed that is allowing air to enter the system.

Boilers are built to defy corrosion for quite some time, but as it ages, your boiler becomes less able to fight off the natural effects of time and use.

Loud Boilers

Boilers are designed to operate quietly. If you are experiencing noises coming from the vicinity of the boiler, there may be a problem with the system. The circulator pump in your boiler can produce a loud hum or buzzing sound if it experiences an issue such as breakage of the spring-loaded coupling that makes up part of its operation.

If you suspect you might have an issue with your circulator pump, you should contact a qualified HVAC technician to repair it as quickly as possible.

Another noise you might encounter is the sound of banging or knocking. If water becomes entrapped in the boiler’s return pipes it can create this type of noise.

The reason for this is that after water is heated in your boiler, it is pushed out to the radiators in your home for heating. After the water has cooled, it is returned to the boiler. Return lines should be angled downward toward the boiler but if they aren’t, water can be left standing in them. A slight adjustment to the lines should correct this problem.

You can do this yourself by moving any offending radiators upward or adjusting the slant of your return pipes. If you aren’t certain how to go about this, it is best to contact a professional to assess the problem more fully and make any adjustments needed.

Increased Energy Costs

Your boiler may be telling you it is time for a replacement in a more indirect way. Though you may not notice anything that might require repair, you may see an increase in your utility bill when using the boiler.

While it is not unusual to see an increase in energy use when we begin using our boilers in the fall and winter, if this has increased significantly compared to your usage during the same period the year before with no other explanation, you might have a problem.

There could be a few reasons for this. In some cases, your boiler may need to be cleaned. If sludge has formed from dirty water entering your boiler system, it can clog up the inner workings of the appliance. Sludge will leave deposits on key components like boiler tubes and other fine elements, causing them to work harder to do their job as a part of the system.

You might also have a broken thermostat. If your thermostat isn’t working properly, it may not be shutting off at your selected temperature, leading to an increase in energy use. Likewise, a zone valve that has malfunctioned could mean your boiler is running well beyond when it should be shutting off, costing you money.

A qualified boiler repairman can repair these issues and get you back on track to energy savings.

Water Leaks

Anytime you encounter water leaking around your boiler, you have a problem. Though boiler leaks are fairly common, they are an indication that something isn’t working properly within the system. Boiler leaks can be the result of corrosion, faulty water pipe connections, damaged pumps, or valve failures.

Boilers operate at between 18 and 21 psi as their standard pressure. If your boiler is registering higher than 21 psi, it could leak as part of a safety mechanism built in to prevent an explosion. This is a dangerous situation and requires immediate shutdown and repair.

In some cases, there may be a buildup of sediment in the boiler keeping the pressure valve from closing tightly.

You can check for sediment by turning off your boiler and giving it time to cool. Once the boiler is no longer hot, you can open the pressure valve and let any water pressure leak out into an open container. If the water is not clear, you likely have sediment or sludge that has built up in your tank.

Overheating may also cause your boiler to leak. This happens because as the temperature gets too high, water pressure builds up, damaging pipe connections and valves.

Endnote

Of course, routine maintenance performed by an expert once or twice each year can prevent many of these issues from happening. It is always better to prevent problems than to deal with them when they are least convenient. Keep in mind that some boiler issues need to be handled by a professional in order to maintain boiler compliance.