3 Facts to Know About Your Boiler This Winter!
A Blog Post from Total Home Inspectors
DID YOU KNOW? A gas or oil-fired boiler is only expected to function properly for 15 to 20 years on average? How old is the boiler in your home?
Fact #1: Boilers most commonly break when needed the most, during the winter! This is especially true for boilers that are largely inactive during the warmer months, and the risk of failure goes up with the age of the boiler! This would be the case in homes that have an electric hot water heater to provide hot water to the faucets around the home, and do not need the boiler to turn on until the temp drops outside. This longer period of inactivity followed by large heating demands is the reason why many homeowners find themselves at the mercy of the scheduling department for their local HVAC company! In fact, you should be scheduling a service visit ahead of the months that you will need your boiler. This will help ensure that your boiler is ready to go for the winter season, you will have an easy time scheduling because you are ahead of the rush, and you will avoid a potential emergency situation for yourself and your family!
Fact #2: In general, a hot water or steam boiler will be more efficient than a furnace that provides forced hot air! This of course will be dependent on other factors like the age of the units, etc., however, for units of the same age and general condition, a boiler producing hot water or steam will usually consume less fuel to provide the same amount of heat, when compared to a furnace! Are you updating your heating unit in the near future? This may be a point to consider, especially with the rising costs of heating fuel lately!
Fact #3: While I did mention above that the average age for a gas or oil-fired boiler is 15-20 years, some have been found to function for 25-30+ years!! The secret to extending the life of your boiler, or prolonging the replacement of your old boiler, is keeping up with your yearly servicing & maintenance of the unit! The service tech will not only maintain the necessary components of your boiler, but will also tune the combustion parameters of your boiler to ensure efficient fuel consumption throughout the heating season!
Final Thoughts: The most important thing to remember about your boiler in the winter is, “let me call a service tech before I need to start heating my house.” If nothing else, remembering that will eventually save you from being without heat for a period time in the winter. Did you call a service tech yet this year? It’s always best to call before you’re in a rush for it, trust us! Contact us at (516) 728-8337 or visit our website: Total Home Inspectors, LLC.
Tom Meccariello
Owner of Total Home Inspectors, LLC
About Total Home Inspectors, LLC: We are a professional home inspection company that provides residential and commercial home inspections in the Hudson Valley Area.
Total Home Inspectors, LLC’s Mission: We often work with new home buyers that may not be familiar with the process of home buying or are not accustomed to the ins and out of a home, and how to maintain it. We strive to provide an anxiety-free experience, focused on delivering acomprehensive analysis of the potential home, as well as a mobile-friendly report generated within 24 hours.