Our main job is seeing that homes stay comfortable around the year with clean air and working HVAC systems. We offer service for boilers along with furnaces and heat pumps. That’s not something you’ll find with every company that offers heating in Haughton, LA and the surrounding areas.
Boilers are durable and often require fewer repairs over their lifetimes compared to furnaces. The best way to ensure your boiler operates the way it should during the winter is to keep a watch for indications it’s malfunctioning. The sooner you call for professionals to fix the boiler, the easier the work will be and the less chance it will spread to cause further damage—damage that may trigger a complete system break down!
Leaking
You should never see water leaking from your boiler. A water heater releases a few drops of water to keep down pressure, but with a closed system like a boiler no water is supposed to escape. If you spot water pooling around the boiler or dripping down any parts of the system, it requires immediate attention. The problem could be from decaying valves, loose connections, or corrosion.
Corrosion
Because a boiler circulates the same water and doesn’t bring in any water, it can be constructed to have no air inside. This prevents corrosion from starting, which requires the presence of oxygen. If leaks start on the boiler, it allows air inside and promotes corrosion. It won’t take long for corrosion to ruin a boiler. If you catch corrosion soon enough, experts may be able to remove the affected parts and replace them, saving the system.
Kettling (and other unusual sounds)
When you hear a sound from a boiler like a kettle of water overheating, that’s called kettling. It’s not supposed to happen. There’s not much chance the boiler will actually explode, but what’s probably happening is a layer of silt has built up on the bottom of the tank, trapping water between it and the heating elements. This causes the water to boil and generate the kettling sound as it bubbles through the silt. The boiler will lose energy efficiency because of this. Professionals can flush out the boiler to fix the problem. Any sound that’s out of the ordinary is a reason for concern.
Elevated energy bills
Most boiler malfunctions will cause the boiler to work harder than is standard. We mentioned how this happens with kettling, but almost any trouble with the boiler means paying more to run it. When you see a rise in your monthly energy bills after you start to use the boiler that’s higher than you expect, it might be the fault of the boiler. Let HVAC professionals examine the system and discover what needs to be done.
Radiators/baseboard heaters go cold
Has one of the rooms in your house lost its warmth? Check on its radiator or baseboard heater. If no heat is coming off it, although there’s heat in other rooms, the boiler may be struggling to circulate water. There are other possibilities; leave the diagnosis to boiler experts.
Got boiler troubles? Call on the Doctor of Home Comfort today: Hall’s Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration.
