Ways to Prepare Your Boiler for This Winter

While it's hard to imagine running your Boston home boiler during the summer, that is what heating experts recommend. Not only can it detect problems before cold weather arrives, but it also allows a service technician to conduct plenty of other inspections to ensure the boiler will be in excellent condition come time for colder temperatures.

If you are in need of having your Boston home boiler prepared for winter, here are many tips you can use to make sure all goes well during freezing weather.

Inspect the Condensate Pipe

Well before winter, it's a good idea to have the boiler's condensate pipe inspected by a technician.

Considered one of the most important parts of a boiler, the pipe's main duty is to transfer condensation that builds up in the boiler to an outside drain.

However, during winter the pipe has a tendency to freeze if not properly insulated.

Therefore, a technician can use a pipe insulation sleeve made out of Styrofoam to wrap around the pipe or decide to use heating tape that can be wrapped around the pipe to keep it insulated. If neither of these options will work, temperature-controlled heating cables can be laid on the pipe to keep it warm.

Radiator Bleeding

Almost every year, a home's radiators need to be bled in order to keep the heat from the boiler flowing at maximum efficiency. By doing this, the air trapped in the radiators can be released, allowing for much more heat to spread throughout the home.

To see if the radiators need to be bled, they should be checked at the top and bottom. If the top is cool and the bottom is warm, bleeding will be necessary.

Check Pressure Levels

If pressure levels in a boiler stay in the high range, that indicates a problem with either the pressure indicator or possibly a blockage that is not letting enough heat to escape.

A technician can run a number of tests on a boiler to check pressure levels, and the results could indicate anything from a simple repair needing to be made all the way to a new boiler needing to be installed.

In most cases, pressure buildups are attributed to blockages inside the flue or boiler outlets. Whatever the case may be, making sure pressure levels always stay in a safe range can provide peace of mind to homeowners as well as ensuring the boiler will work well.

Do you need services on your boiler in your Boston, MA home? Call Atlantic Heating & Air Conditioning at (617) 566-6990 today and get a professional on the job today.