Boiler & Furnace Checklist

Boilers and Furnaces

• Boilers heat water and supply it to radiant floor heaters or baseboard radiators. They can also convert heated water to steam, which is channeled through pipes to radiators. Furnaces heat air that circulates through ducts and is forced through vents into heated spaces. Boilers and furnaces have burners, which become dirty from the byproducts of combustion. Before turning your heat on for the cold season, clean the burners to remove soot buildup, to promote system efficiency and to extend the life of your equipment.

Boiler Checklist

• The U.S. Department of Energy recommends cleaning the heat exchanger on hot-water and steam boiler systems. Check for breaks in the exchanger, which will cause water to leak from the system. In steam systems, remove sediment by draining water from the boiler and the float chamber. If not removed, accumulated sediment can eventually clog the system. In hot-water systems, you should have the pressure-relief valve and high-limit control tested. The pressure tank should be filled with air, not water.

Furnace Checklist

• Before each cold season, check for dirty burners by looking at the flames they produce. Flames should be blue, not yellow. If flames are yellow, burners need cleaning. If your furnace has a temporary filter, replace it every one to three months; if your furnace has a permanent filter, clean it by vacuuming or jetting it with water. If using water, allow the filter to dry thoroughly before reinstalling it. Have the blower cleaned and oiled to remove dirt and eliminate noise.

Concerns

• The U.S. Department of Energy recommends having boilers and furnaces professionally tested each year for the presence of carbon monoxide (CO) gas. When functioning properly, furnace chimney systems remove combustion gases from homes. Leaky chimneys and deteriorated chimney liners allow CO to enter homes and garages, where it poses a health hazard. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cautions that high levels of CO can kill a person within minutes. Since CO is colorless and odorless, its presence can only be detected through proper testing.