Rules on Maintenance for Low-Pressure Boilers

Costs

• Skimping on regular service calls can lead to direct and indirect costs. Even if the boiler is insured, you may face a deductible for a significant repair. Indirect costs can also add up. For example, a major winter boiler failure in a rental house you own could give tenants an opportunity to break the lease if you don’t respond quickly enough. Or the failure could create a bad experience prompting the tenants to move out at the end of the lease. Minor maintenance oversights can lead to major repairs.

Start-up Period

• Extensive monitoring of the boiler is important at the start of the heating season. Monitoring is a fundamental part of year-round maintenance for the boiler. Failure at the start of a season is common for boilers, according to HSB. Begin the heating season by reading the owner’s manual for your boiler. Follow instructions for testing water levels and confirming that the boiler is operating as it should. Contact a technician if the boiler is not functioning properly.

Water Treatment

• Pure water extends the life of your boiler. Water supplied by your city or from wells may contain impurities that create corrosion in the boiler. Have a boiler technician test your water during each maintenance visit. Discuss options for treating water if necessary. Some boilers are very difficult to clean after corrosion has built up. Read your boiler’s service manual for other tips on water maintenance specific to your model. Hard water is high in minerals that are harmful to boilers.

Water Levels

• Make sure that your boiler professional regularly inspects the system for leakage. Poorly fitting pipes and inefficient radiators can cause energy to escape, leading to lower water levels. Boilers then have to adjust by drawing so-called makeup water. Quality maintenance through detailed inspections makes this unnecessary. Failing to identify leakage in the system can cause the boiler to fail, resulting in a major repair.

Maintenance Logs

• Keep detailed logs about your boiler maintenance. Maintain written documentation for insurance purposes, and also place maintenance tags on the boiler to remind you of upcoming maintenance checks. If your boiler is insured, contact the insurer’s customer service department with questions about maintenance or for a referral for a reputable boiler maintenance professional in your area.