There’s no doubt that Wisconsin has its fair share of older homes. One of the most popular home heating systems is the boiler and radiator combination. Instead of using air vents to deliver hot air, these systems circulate hot water or steam through piping and radiators to heat your home. Below, we’ll discuss some of the necessary maintenance tasks you’ll need to do to keep your boiler and radiator system in good working condition.
Annual Inspections
One of the most important things you can do to keep your boiler and radiator system in good working condition is to get routine annual inspections. It’s best to schedule this service in the early fall to prepare your system for the upcoming winter season. This will give you adequate time to repair any problems with your system before you need to rely on it every day to keep your family and home comfortable and safe.
During this professional service, our technician will inspect all the different components of your boiler system to determine if there are any potential issues. It’s important to note that most boiler manufacturers will require you to get annual inspections by certified technicians to maintain the warranty coverage on your unit.
Monitor Pressure
Your boiler system will have a pressure gauge that depicts the specific PSI at which your system is running. In general, most home boiler systems should operate in the range of 12 to 15 PSI. If the pressure is too low in your boiler system, it’s a key indication that you may need to add water to it.
If the pressure rating is too high, your system needs service from one of our professionals to handle an issue with its relief valve or expansion tank. You should never continue to run your heating system if the pressure is not ideal, as it can lead to damage to your unit. We suggest checking the pressure of your system at least once a month.
Bleed Radiators
One of the most common issues homeowners experience with their radiator boiler system is gurgling noises. In some cases, you may even consider it to be more of a kettling sound. This indicates the presence of air inside your boiler piping and radiators. When there is air in these locations, it can decrease the heating output of your system and lead to uneven heating throughout your home.
If you hear these noises, it’s best to have one of our professionals bleed your system. What they’ll do is open a valve on each radiator to allow any air pressure at that location to escape. By removing all this air from your system, we can increase its heating output and ensure more even heating throughout your entire home.
System Flushes
When you use your boiler year after year, the water inside it can get dirty and turn into more of a sludge-like material. This can happen as rust settles inside your piping and radiators. When your water is contaminated with these unwanted materials, it can lead to a lower operating efficiency for your heating system. It’s recommended to have one of our professionals do a power flush of your entire radiator system about every five years. This will boost operating efficiency and help maintain the longevity of your heating system.
Add Corrosion Inhibitors When Necessary
One problem that a lot of Wisconsin homeowners face is hard water. When you fill your radiator system with hard water, it can drastically reduce the lifespan of your piping. Hard water has excessive minerals, like magnesium and calcium, that will prematurely corrode metal piping and radiators. A corrosion inhibitor should be added to any water that you’re putting inside your radiator system to prevent that premature deterioration.
Leak Inspections
Because your boiler system will have steam or hot water running through it at all times, there’s always the potential for water leaks. There’s no doubt that water can create a lot of damage to your home in just a short amount of time. For this reason, it’s important to do routine inspections of your piping, radiators, and valves to ensure that there’s no leaking.
We highly suggest inspecting the components of your system at least once a month to identify any leaks when they’re small and easier to fix. Even slight drips should be evaluated by one of our professionals before they turn into larger issues.
The Many Benefits of Radiator Maintenance
Before you invest your time and money in something, it’s important to understand the benefits you can gain from it. Below, we’ll discuss some of the biggest benefits that routine radiator and boiler maintenance can provide for your household.
Optimize Operating Efficiency
One of the biggest benefits of routine maintenance for your radiator and boiler systems is getting optimal operating efficiency. No one likes overpaying for wintertime heating bills. When you keep up with routine inspections, you can guarantee that your heating system is operating at its peak efficiency level.
Minimize Breakdown Risk
Another huge advantage of regular maintenance is that it minimizes your risk of experiencing a major system malfunction. Professional maintenance catches issues while they’re small and cheaper to fix. This can lead to fewer repair costs for you and give you peace of mind that your system is in good working condition for the upcoming winter season.
Longer System Lifespan
Purchasing a new heating system for your home can be quite expensive. It only makes sense to try to do everything possible to extend the longevity of your existing heating system so you can get more for your money. One of the best ways to extend that longevity is with routine maintenance. Systems that receive routine maintenance will last much longer than those that don’t. In fact, boiler systems that don’t get routine maintenance tend to have a lifespan of about 10 to 15 years, while those that get maintenance can last between 20 and 30 years.
Optimal Safety
While boiler systems are a great energy-efficient option for your home, they do come with their own safety risk. Because these systems use such high pressure to deliver hot water and steam throughout the various radiators in your home, they have integrated pressure relief valves to help minimize any hazards of excessive pressurization in their system. Routine maintenance ensures all those valves are working correctly, which is an absolute necessity to prevent dangerous issues with your heating system.
More Comfort
One other benefit of routine boiler maintenance is that it can enhance your household comfort. Without regular maintenance, sludge can build up inside your radiators and lead to uneven heating in some parts of your home. With proper care, you can ensure all your radiators are operating correctly to provide adequate heat throughout all the areas of your home.
Reliable Heating Maintenance Service
Southport Home Services provides reliable heating maintenance service for the Wausau, WI area. We can also help with all your heating repair, installation, and replacement needs. Call our office today to schedule your next service consultation.
