All About Heating Boilers - Don’t Wait To Make A No Heat Call This Winter!

Heating boilers are not quite as popular as traditional furnace (ie. gas furnaces), but that’s not to say that they aren’t a perfectly efficient source of heating for your home. In fact, depending on your home’s space and needs, it might actually be the best, most efficient heating solution on the market! 

If you don’t have a heating boiler, we’ve dedicated an entire blog post to exploring the different boilers available, as well as how to know which one would fit your heating needs best. 

But if you already have a boiler installed in your home, we don’t need to tell you about their many benefits - including comfort, energy savings, durability and even heat distribution.

What we do have to talk about is how to ensure that your home’s heating boiler is going to stay in tip-top condition all winter long! Because the last thing you want to experience is a chilly morning with no heat and no foreseeable solution to the problem. 

Do you know how to watch for warning signs of a heating boiler that needs repairing? Unless you’re in the HVAC industry yourself, your HVAC equipment is probably quite foreign to you. 

That’s why we’re gonna give you the low-down right here! Everything you need to know about maintaining heating boilers this winter and ensuring that you never have to worry about making that oh-so-dreaded no heat call! 

The best part? Besides helping to keep your home warm and safe, these preventative maintenance tips will also help lower your energy bills!

Preventative Maintenance For Heating Boilers

One of the key ways to ensure your home stays toasty warm this winter is by monitoring the operation and condition of your boiler. It’s as easy as a visual inspection!

During your visual investigation, look for these warning signs: 

• Leaks
• Clicking or Rumbling Noises 
• Error Messages 
• Corrosion 
• Discolouration 
• Irregular Pressure Readings 
• Irregular Temperature Readings 

If you are seeing (or hearing) any of these tell-tale signs, schedule your maintenance appointment with Campeau Heating today! Our technicians are qualified to service your heating system - including boilers, furnaces, gas furnaces, heat pumps, electric furnace equipment and more! 

Why Is Preventative Maintenance Important For Boilers?

Like all machinery and equipment, it’s up to the owner to ensure that everything stays in good working condition. And that holds true for HVAC equipment too! 

Homeowners are responsible for ensuring that their heating system is given the proper maintenance in order to function at its best. If the equipment is not taken care of properly, it can become unreliable, inefficient and costly. 

So, what exactly does “proper maintenance” mean for a boiler? 

For starters, it means scheduling a preventative maintenance service tune-up and safety inspection once a year. During this appointment, your trained HVAC technicians from Campeau Heating will ensure that your boiler is functioning properly, that the system is calibrated correctly and that all of the external and internal parts are cleaned accordingly.

A heating boiler actually experiences a different type of wear than gas furnaces or even an electric furnace would suffer from. Why? Because a boiler actually uses water in order to produce heat. The negative effects of water on your boiler system can include corrosion and rust. Which is why we recommend regular, yearly maintenance. Our technicians can actually help prevent this corrosion and elongate the life of your boiler equipment. 

When should you be scheduling this annual boiler inspection? 

We recommend making the appointment for early to mid fall - before temperatures drop. Or at least before the snow hits!

What can you expect during a professional heating boiler maintenance service? 

• Thorough visual inspection and cleaning of both internal and external boiler components.
• Inspection, cleaning and testing of the heat exchanger system.
• Thermostat analysis and recalibration (if necessary).
• Water pH testing and resetting (if necessary).
• Thorough inspection and cleaning of pilot light, sensors, burners, ignitors (as needed).
• Complete inspection and securing of all boiler connections. 
• Inspection and cleaning of all inlets, vents, pipes and valves.
• Cleaning and flushing of boiler tank and condensate system (if needed).
• Investigation and testing of all controls, sensors, settings and safety systems.

It’s important to note here that your qualified HVAC technician is using the proper training and equipment to analyze, clean and test your boiler system. This is not something that we recommend homeowners do on their own, as it could be dangerous. Instead, schedule your preventative boiler maintenance appointment with our professionally trained heating technicians! 

4 Reasons To Invest In Annual Preventative Maintenance For Boilers

1. Cut your energy bills and start saving money on expensive repairs. 
2. Protect and enhance your home comfort.
3. Ensure that your home is a safe environment. 
4. Extend the life of your boiler equipment. 

Warning Signs For Aging, Breaking or Broken Heating Boilers

Although boilers are known for being low maintenance heating machines, that is not to say that they do not require extra special attention. In order to enjoy the long life of a healthy boiler system, there are a few common warning signs and repair needs that you need to stay in-tune with. 

1. Is your boiler leaking? 

We don’t have to restate the fact that heating boilers use water in order to produce heat. But, we should put the reminder out there that anything that uses water should be monitored for leaks - including your boiler!

Although a small leak might not amount to much, water damage can cause serious repairs and even a boiler outage (there goes your heat). 

This is why we always encourage our boiler owners to watch for leaks within their tank, pump and pressure relief valve.

• A leak in your tank is serious, requiring a full replacement in most cases.
• A leak in your pump can cause interior corrosion.
• A leak in your pressure relief valve leak can usually be fixed, simply by replacing the valve mechanism.

is your boiler kettling?

When mineral deposits start to build up within your boiler unit, the impact on the interior pressure causes a strange sound called “kettling”. 

What does kettling sound like? 

• Rumbling 
• Clanging 
• Banging 

Unless you hired a percussionist, this is not a welcoming sound. In fact, it could be causing water damage, or worse, an eventual internal explosion. 

3. Is your boiler having pilot issues?

The pilot system of your boiler is an ignition device that essentially starts the heating process. 

If you begin to hear a repetitive ticking or clicking sound within your boiler, this device may be failing to ignite. Making it impossible to produce heat for your home!

4. Is your boiler failing to provide heat? 

If your boiler is malfunctioning - essentially not able to provide heat - the problem could be slightly more difficult to diagnose. And possibly quite a lot more difficult to fix. But, as always, the trick is to take notice of the problem as quickly as possible.

Possible Causes For a Boiler Outage:

• Fuel Line Blockage
• Ignition Issue 
• Broken Heat Pump
• Tripped Fuse
• Low Pressure 
• Internal Corrosion 
• Valve Failure

Fall Preventive HVAC Maintenance For Heating Boilers in Sudbury, Ontario

Now that temperatures have already begun to drop in Ontario, ensuring that your home’s heating system is ready to go has now become vital.

Protect your home’s warmth, comfort and safety this winter with professional boiler maintenance by Campeau Heating! Our trained HVAC technicians are here to fix all of your heating needs and ensure that your home stays warm and cozy.

We install, repair and maintain all heating solutions - including gas furnaces, boilers, oil furnaces, geothermal heating systems, unit heaters, fireplaces, heat pumps, electric furnace equipment and more! 

Contact Campeau Heating Today or Schedule Your Fall Boiler Maintenance HERE!

Learning About Boilers: How Do You Choose The Right HVAC Boiler For Your Home?

Heating equipment has evolved drastically, especially over the last couple decades! And choosing the right heating system for your home may involve more research and decision making than you originally thought.

Today, you now have an extensive number of heating options for your home and hot water heating systems. But which of these systems is best for your space and usage patterns?

This decision will largely depend on how well you know your home environment, but it will also rely on a thorough knowledge of what types of HVAC boilers are relevant to your needs.

So, before we get into the “why” of each boiler type, let’s overview the different types of heating boilers available today!

Common Types of HVAC Boilers:

• Combi-boilers
• Steam Boilers
• Hot Water Boilers 
• Oil Boilers 
• Natural Gas Boilers 
• Electric Boilers

Now to find out which one of these boilers is best for your home!

Combi-Boilers

A combi-boiler (combination boiler) is a rather new design. It actually combines the best features of both a boiler and a tankless water heater into a single unit.

Benefits of Combination Boilers:

• Frees up floor space.
• Easy to install.
• Cheaper to install, as it does not require a tank attachment. 

Since the combi-boiler relies on the home’s main water source, this water is potable and safe to drink (whether it be cold or hot).

But before you choose this boiler option, it’s important to make sure that it can fully meet the needs of your home’s usage, size and family members. For example, if you require on-demand hot water for a large space and a large family, your combination boiler needs to be the right size and capacity.

Hot Water Boilers

Hot water boilers circulate heated water within a system of water pumps. This means that less energy is required to heat the water and more energy is used to circulate the water into the form of heat.

This system is made up of more than just a boiler. It actually requires multiple pumps and/or a gravity return assist. If you are considering installing a hot water boiler, be sure that you first understand the complexities involved in installing this type of system in your home.

Steam Boilers

A hot water boiler and a steam boiler work very similarly in that they heat water in order to heat your home. But instead of circulating the heated water (as a hot water boiler would do), a steam boiler heats its contents to the point of creating steam.

In this way, the energy demands of the system require a large intake of energy in order to heat the water, but a low use of energy in order to circulate it into heat.

Oil Boilers

Oil is becoming less popular today, as it is considered to be a less eco-friendly source of energy. However, if oil is your only option, it does do the trick! And if you live in a more rural area, it might even be your best bet.

With an oil boiler, you don’t have to worry about using electricity 24/7 in order to heat your home. Plus, it is usually a readily available (although non-renewable) resource.

Electric Boilers

Electric boilers rely solely on electricity in order to operate, which can be both beneficial and risky.

Benefits of Electric Boilers:

• Low Installation Cost 
• Easy Installation 
• Energy Efficiency 
• Quiet Operation 
•  Overall Home Safety 

Risks of Installing an Electric Boiler:

• Costly Operation 
• Risk Of Electricity Outage 

Although an electric boiler may seem like the obvious, modern solution to your home’s heating, it’s important that you weigh the pros and cons of this system before making that decision.

Natural Gas Boilers

Have you ever wondered what would happen if your hydro went out and you could no longer rely on an electrical heating source? This is why many homeowners choose to rely on more than just electricity to heat their homes.

Installing a natural gas heating boiler prevents an electrical power outage from affecting your home’s temperature and livability.

If you already have a propane tank, this is probably the best boiler to choose for your home as well, as it means that natural gas or propane are readily available to you.

Contact Campeau Heating in Sudbury, Ontario, To Learn More about Our HVAC Boilers

At Campea Heating, our professional HVAC technicians have years of experience in installing and servicing a variety of HVAC equipment. Whether you choose to rely on HVAC boilers, furnaces or fireplaces for your home’s heat, our team can install, maintain or replace ALL makes and models!

Still not sure what type of boiler you’re looking for, let alone what size you should be looking at? Give our technicians a call! We can discuss models, budget and capacities with you in order to help solve your home’s heating dilemma - before the cold hits!

You can reach our team at 705-560-2441 or visit us online!