Winter is on its way again and soon it will be time to fire up the boiler. Now’s the time to check and make sure it’s ready to keep you warm and comfortable, and here are some things to check to see if your boiler is suitable for another cold winter.
Poor Reliability
Have you experienced any reliability issues? If so, this is a sign that your boiler may be near the end of its life. If it’s older than 15 years, it’s likely that it is worn out and inefficient, and you need a boiler upgrade. If you have any concerns, have the boiler inspected and serviced before the colder weather starts.
Insufficient Capacity
If you have extended your home or increased the heated area, your boiler may be too small. Also, if it is old it may not be as efficient as when it was new, due to wear and tear. This may be a good time to have a capacity calculation done to see if your boiler is still up for the job.
High Idle Losses
Conversely, if the boiler is too large, it may cycle frequently resulting in poor temperature control and long idle periods. This may occur after you have upgraded your home’s insulation. A boiler that is too big will waste energy. It’s also worthwhile to check and see how hot the boiler and boiler room are when it’s not heating. If it’s hot, this is a sure sign your boiler is wasting energy.
Fuel Costs
Have you noticed that your expenditure on gas appears to have steadily increased? Natural gas prices have nearly doubled since the 2012 low. This may be the time to switch to a modern condensing furnace with a thermal efficiency approaching 95 percent compared to the 75 to 85 percent of an older boiler that will reduce your energy bills.
What to Do?
It’s not always easy to evaluate if your boiler is on its last legs, but contact us at Arpi’s Industries Limited. We serve the Calgary area and will show how you can save money with a boiler upgrade.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Ivelin Radkov/Shutterstock”
