As we gear up for another cold winter, heating systems will come on in homes all throughout Maryland and Washington, DC. If you use a boiler to heat your home, you’ll soon start enjoying the even and pleasant warmth you expect from this type of heating system.
Or … maybe you won’t. Because even with the best seasonal maintenance for a boiler, it can still malfunction and require heating repair in Germantown, MD. We don’t want you to miss out on any of the comfort you deserve from your boiler this winter, and so we’ve laid out some warning signs to look for that the boiler needs our help soon. We’re committed to giving you the best experience with your home heating system possible
Here are the top warnings that your boiler needs pros to repair it:
Strange rumbling noises
First, don’t panic that your boiler is about to explode. As alarming as a rumbling noise from the boiler may be, you aren’t dealing with that type of emergency. But you may still have a serious boiler malfunction. This rumbling noise often means there is excess sediment inside the tank that is stopping the heat exchanger from properly sending heat into the tank. This will lower the boiler’s efficiency.
Leaks
You should never see any water leaking from the boiler or the pipes connected to it. A boiler is a sealed system—no water should escape it except during repairs and maintenance. If you notice water around the base of the boiler or water on the tank, call for technicians to find out what’s wrong. A leaky boiler not only will run inefficiently, but it can cause rust to appear on the heat exchanger, and this is potentially harmful.
Uneven heating
One of the big benefits of using a boiler to warm a house is the way the radiators, baseboard heaters, and/or in-floor pipes evenly spreads out warmth. If you begin to notice cold spots in rooms, slow heating where there wasn’t one before, or rooms that aren’t as warm as the others, the boiler may be losing power, there is a blockage in the pipes or problems with the manifold.
Delays with heating
If you’ve lived with your boiler system for at least a year, you know what to expect for heating speed from it. But if you turn on your boiler and it takes longer for the various terminal points to start to warm up, something may be wrong with the circulator pump, or the boiler is losing heating capacity. Don’t just choose to wait for the boiler to get the job done; there’s something wrong that needs to be addressed.
Failed radiator/baseboard heater/in-floor pipes
If an individual terminal point in a room isn’t heating up at all, the issue could be a local one (which still requires professional repairs) or it might be a beginning symptom of a larger problem. Call for experts to investigate, since you never want to take chances.
Your boiler is probably gas-powered, so here’s an important reminder: never tamper with a gas-powered appliance on your own or give the job to an unlicensed amateur. Our experienced team is here to do the job safely.
At Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing, we pledge to exceed expectations at every turn. Schedule any repairs for your boiler or other heater with our team.