Tips on Ways to Increase Efficiency of a Home Boiler

Perform Routine Maintenance

• A home boiler requires routine maintenance for optimal operating efficiency. In time, system components can clog or wear out, reducing the boiler's annual fuel utilization efficiency. Built up soot in the home boiler’s heat exchanger can block heat transfer within the system. This results in a diminished ability to produce heat, even though the boiler uses the same amount of fuel. A licensed boiler technician should inspect the boiler's components once a year ensuring all components are functioning normally.

Clean Home Air Ducts

• A home’s air ducts accumulate dust and other particles that clog the airflow. This causes home heating and cooling equipment, including a home boiler, to work harder. The results are higher fuel bills and reduced efficiency. Cleaning home air ducts at least once a year helps prevent the buildup of dust and other particulate matter that diminishes home heating and cooling appliance efficiency.

Electronic Ignition Installation

• Installing an electronic ignition system into a home boiler can reduce the amount of fuel the boiler consumes because the new system eliminates the need for a pilot light that burns continuously. An electronic ignition system should carry the federal government's Energy Star logo ensuring that the equipment operates in accordance with national efficiency standards. A licensed home boiler repair and service technician must perform the installation into an existing boiler.

Check Seals/New Boiler

• Examine the seals around a home boiler for leaks or cracks. Repairing these seals increases efficiency and saves money on fuel. For a home with a boiler more than 20 years old, installing a new boiler may be a wiser financial decision than improving the old model. A new boiler bearing the federal government's Energy Star certification has an annual fuel utilization efficiency rating of 85 or higher, according to Energy Star's Web site. This is a substantial upgrade in operation efficiency from an older boiler model.