Don’t skimp out on regular maintenance for your heating equipment

What is the point of having a piece of equipment or machinery in your Northern New Jersey home if it’s not working properly or as efficiently as it could? This holds especially true for something that we count and depend on like a boiler. When it comes to your boiler, the best way to make sure that everything is working as it should is with regular annual maintenance.

The importance of annual boiler maintenance

Servicing a boiler on an annual basis is important for many reasons. Let’s take a look at a few of them:

• A well-maintained boiler works more efficiently than a poorly maintained boiler, which impacts a homeowner’s energy costs.
• It helps ensure that your boiler is safe to use and isn’t a hazard to you, your home or your family.
• Professional servicing appointments performed by a qualified technician can help catch small issues before they turn into large and costly problems.
• It reduces wear and tear on your equipment, which ultimately helps your boiler last longer.
• No one wants to buy a house with a boiler that hasn’t been well maintained over the years. Therefore, regular servicing can increase your home’s market value.

It is best not to wait to schedule annual maintenance and servicing on your boiler until winter officially arrives. Fall is actually the best time to get this done. This will help you avoid lots of scheduling conflicts and technicians that are in high demand. Getting this taken care of in the fall also gives you peace of mind that your boiler will be ready to go once the temperatures officially drop.

What homeowners can do to help maintain their boilers

While annual professional servicing appointments are clearly important, here are some suggestions that homeowners can follow to help maintain their boilers:

• Use treatments such as chemicals or water softeners to improve the quality of your boiler’s water. This helps prevent scale buildup and corrosion.
• Regularly inspect your boiler for leaks or other visible damage. Also keep your ears out for any unusual noises coming from your equipment.
• Improve your boiler’s efficiency by cleaning its heat exchanger surfaces. Also be sure to keep the area surrounding your boiler free of dirt, debris, dust and flammable materials.
• Make sure your boiler’s thermostat settings and controls are functioning properly. Additionally, check the safety valves to make sure they are working correctly.
• Don’t let the water levels in your boiler get too low – this can cause serious damage and even force your boiler to shut down entirely.
• Keep your system’s ventilation system and flue free of obstructions and blockages.
• Some boilers have a pilot light. If this applies to you, make sure it is lit. If you notice that it is not lit, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions to relight it.
• Maintain correct pressure levels within the boiler. You don’t want pressure getting too low or too high as this can decrease efficiency and be a safety hazard.

Boilers from Fredericks Fuel & Heating Service

If you are in Northern New Jersey and need a new boiler, Fredericks Fuel can help! Our technicians can install a new, high-efficiency boiler in your home. We can then provide the servicing your new boiler needs as well.

Contact Fredericks Fuel today to learn more about the heating services we provide throughout the area.