If your home has a boiler room, you should know its type and learn how a forced air boiler differs from a steam heat boiler. Each system will affect the energy efficiency of your facility. Besides that, you should know how the residential boiler maintenance process works if you want your home plumbing system to function efficiently.
Nowadays, most modern houses and facilities have different types of boilers that heat water and distribute warm air, steam, or hot water to heat the building. If your residential plumbing system has boiler heating, you will want to ensure it is in good condition before the cold seasons arrive.
As professional plumbers in Canada, we want to get you ready by touching on each type of system and provide residential boiler maintenance tips to help you keep the plumbing system running efficiently throughout the year.
Generally, a residential boiler heats water that moves either steam or water through pipelines to keep your house warm and comfortable via radiators.
Steam and Water Heating Systems in Residential Boiler Rooms
Before getting to the residential boiler maintenance process, you should know the steam and water heating systems and their functionality. Radiators and boiler systems are not generally installed in new homes; however, traditional heating systems are still used in old houses, apartments, and older office facilities.
Steam Residential Boiler System
In the steam residential boiler system, the boiler heats water with burning gas or fuel and turns the water into steam. The generated steam travels through pipelines to convertors or radiators. After the steam is cooled, it condenses back into the water, and the plumbing system returns it to the boiler to be heated.
Hot Water Boiler System
The hot water residential boiler system operates on the same principle as the steam boiler. This system pumps the hot water through the procedure for heating the radiators. Other variations of hot water boiler systems distribute hot water and heat through baseboard units in the walls. The modern systems are radiant in-floor heating systems that go through tubing embedded in the floor.
Advantages of Steam and Hot Water Residential Boilers
Even though hot water and steam residential boiler maintenance and usage are dated, they have some benefits that you need to know:
- Fewer moving parts
- Durable and reliable
- Clean and dust-free heat
- Maintain the ambiance and appearance of old buildings
Disadvantages of Steam and Hot Water Boilers
- Uneven and inefficient heat distribution
- Require diligent gas residential boiler maintenance
- Expensive installation
- Accessibility problems
- Issues with furniture placement
Forced Air Boiler System for Homes
The forced air boiler is another standard system that requires knowledge and residential boiler maintenance. This home boiler heating system heats water and sends it to a hydronic coil similar to the refrigerant coil in your air conditioning system.
As the hydronic coil gets heated, a blower allocates warm air through ductwork through your home or office building, and the water goes back to the boiler for being reheated.
Advantages of Forced Air Home Boilers
- Circulating air in the system can be humidified, dehumidified, and filtered as desired.
- Modern air force boilers are more efficient than the old residential boilers.
Disadvantages of Forced Air Residential Boilers
- Forced air boilers require ductwork.
- You need space in your home wall’s structure.
- Ducts must be heated before the system can heat the building.
- Moving air can cause allergens and dust.
Standard vs. High-Efficiency Home Boiler Replacement
Nowadays, building regulations require that new residential boilers display their AFUE, which stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency rating. High-efficiency systems that require precise residential boiler maintenance are more expensive since a house must be retrofitted to handle the plumbing system. However, it will decrease your energy bills cost.
With this said, it is better to purchase and use high-energy efficient boiler systems for your home.
Residential Boiler Maintenance Process
Regardless of the differences between the systems above, precise residential boiler maintenance is required for keeping your plumbing system efficient.
Although you can maintain your system with basic residential plumbing skills, it is better to call a plumber to check your boiler once a year.
Before calling a professional for your system, there are things you can do for your residential boiler maintenance.
Residential Boiler Maintenance Checklist
- If your boiler doesn’t heat the way it should, you can bleed them by placing a protective cloth on the floor and using a radiator key to open the valve. Close the valve after the hissing sound stops, and the water flow starts.
- Blocked air vents can prevent your residential boiler from efficient functionality. Thus, check the flues and air vents, and if you detect any blockage, clear it to allow the air to flow freely.
- You should check the water level in your boiler; and if the water is below the manufacturer’s suggested number, check for any plumbing leaks. If there are leaks, you should repair them ASAP.
- If the overflow pipe of the boiler has leakage, you should hire a plumber to replace it.
- It would be best if you allowed your boiler to breathe by clearing the system’s area from boxes, bags, and other equipment.
- Check if your boiler’s flame has a blue color. If it is yellow or orange, call a professional.