Should you turn off your boiler in summer? Your boiler is meant to heat your home, so what good is it during the summer? Let’s be fully transparent here–you should shut your boiler off in the summer, and here’s all the reasons why.
Saves Energy
If your boiler is on, it’s burning energy and drilling a faster hole in your wallet. It’s already expensive enough to cool your home with air conditioning—why would you want a boiler on top of that?
You’ll run into the occasional chilly summer night where you’re tempted to kick the boiler on, but it shouldn’t be cold enough to justify it. Make sure you have blankets nearby and a way to stay warm, but try not to turn the boiler on for a single night only to turn it off again afterwards.
HomeGuide estimates that it takes anywhere from $65 up to $165 per month to run your boiler. Now imagine running that for six months when you don’t truly need it, running up an extra $390 up to $990 for no reason. This is the most compelling reason of all.
Reduces Wear and Tear
Your boiler undergoes wear and tear, just as any HVAC machine does, but you can cut the wear and tear in half by shutting it down. This can extend the life of your boiler by a reasonable amount, reducing the number of boiler replacements you’ll face in your lifetime.
Your boiler should receive maintenance just before it’s needed as fall and winter approach, which also serves as a point of inspection. Your boiler technician will be able to tell you if it’s in good shape, and if any repairs need to be done before firing it up for the season.
Fewer Repairs
With maintenance and half the normal usage, your boiler isn’t going to undergo massive amounts of stress. Since it’s not running 24/7, that downtime can mean fewer repairs for your boiler throughout its lifetime.
Optimal Efficiency
It all ties into reduced wear and tear, for sure, but because your boiler isn’t being put through the ringer leading up to its maintenance appointment, you’ll be able to optimize it for the best efficiency.
With any HVAC system, efficiency steadily declines throughout the year. Maintenance pulls it back up on the graph, but then the line slowly descends afterwards. Right before maintenance, your boiler is at its worst possible efficiency … unless it’s shut off six months early.
Put Your Boiler to Rest for the Season
Your boiler needs to take a rest. When the summer nights are warmer than spring days, you have the signal to shut down your boiler and let it rest until it’s needed again. Remember: you should get boiler maintenance before you need to kick it on at the start of the season just to ensure nothing goes awry.
Contact First Choice Heating & Cooling today to schedule your boiler maintenance so you aren’t hit with any nasty surprises. If your home had a voice … it would call First Choice!