We all know that furnaces require annual maintenance, but many homeowners can often overlook the fact that their boiler needs the same level of care. Boiler maintenance helps prevent long-term problems from popping up and prolonging extensive, expensive repairs. Here’s how similar your maintenance schedule should be for your boiler and furnace.
They Both Require Annual Maintenance (at a Minimum)
Maintenance and inspections are different. Annual maintenance ensures that your system doesn’t enter a state of disrepair where you can’t use it properly. Your boiler isn’t going to break down at a convenient time, and neither is your furnace. They tend to break down when you need them most.
These are the benefits of annual maintenance on either your boiler or furnace:
- Better energy efficiency throughout the year.
- Lower annual energy costs even on older units.
- Lessened chance of issues or breakdowns throughout the year.
- Improves the longevity of your unit, extending it beyond its life expectancy with consistent annual maintenance.
- Understanding how to budget and plan for annual maintenance going forward.
Both Require Detailed Inspection and Tune-Ups
Your furnace requires annual inspections and tune-ups just like your boiler does. Both deal with intense heat, expansion, and retraction that can loosen parts as time goes on. If you’re not going to schedule maintenance, eventually joints can come loose and cause a loss of efficiency or damage.
Tune-ups give a little spark of life back to the working parts of your furnace or boiler. Both boilers and furnaces can create unsafe environments if left unchecked for long enough. While this can depend on what type of furnace or boiler you have (gas vs. electric), operational instability is still an issue.
Problems Can Arise in Similar Time Frames If You Ignore Them
Have you ever heard the phrase “everything comes in threes”? When one major appliance breaks, you get this creeping feeling that two others are right around the corner from encountering the same problem.
There’s some merit to this saying. Boilers and furnaces undergo consistent use and stress. It’s not uncommon for them to encounter problems around the same time, especially if there’s a lapse in maintenance coverage over the years.
Gas and Electric Require the Same Amount of Care
It’s a common misconception that an electric furnace or boiler requires less maintenance than their gas-powered equivalents. Annual maintenance is still a necessity because there are still so many working components at play all at the same time.
Electric boilers and furnaces require less overall repairs, but not less maintenance. While electric units will last longer than gas units, they’re both doomed without receiving the same level of maintenance care throughout the year.
You Can’t Risk Losing Heat
Maintenance significantly lowers your chance of a major system breakdown. Heat in the winter is a necessity; maintenance helps improve your boiler’s reliability year after year. Make sure you don’t get stuck with a cold house by getting ahead of your boiler’s maintenance needs.
Contact us today for detailed boiler maintenance to extend its lifespan and keep the hot water flowing in your home.