Here in Texas, it’s easy to forget that it ever gets cold outside until it actually happens. But, ready or not, the heating season is right around the corner — and it’s important to ensure your boiler is ready to go before cold weather arrives.
Proper boiler maintenance is all about being prepared
Regular boiler maintenance ensures you’ll catch the warning signs of a potential issue with your boiler, before they escalate into major problems requiring expensive emergency repairs. While you might get away with skipping regular inspections and upkeep for a while, it’s a mistake to assume that neglecting to prepare your boiler system for winter will never lead to serious problems, just because it hasn’t happened yet.
Failure to keep up with inspections, cleaning, and maintenance can often have a compounding effect on the condition of your boiler. For example, when dirt, dust, and soot build up inside your boiler, it may not lead to premature failure right away — but over time it can cause a whole host of issues, ranging from extremely high stack temperatures to the release of dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide.
Smart boiler maintenance is all about timing
We recommend having your boiler inspected by an experienced, reputable boiler service company every quarter. Three of these quarterly inspections are routine operating inspections, while the fourth is an even more thorough annual inspection and cleaning.
It’s best to schedule your annual inspection and cleaning just before winter weather arrives, since there are several key steps that are particularly crucial to perform in preparation for the heating season. Cleaning the fireside, checking gas & air pressures, and performing combustion analysis are just a few of the components of an annual inspection that are key to getting your boiler ready for the winter.
Minimizing boiler downtime is all about efficient scheduling
While operating inspections are performed while your system is still running, an annual inspection involves completely shutting down, disassembling, and thoroughly cleaning your boiler.
For this reason, it’s wise to schedule your state inspection at the same time as your annual inspection, so the government/insurance inspector can check to ensure that everything is up to code while your boiler is already disassembled. This is a great way to take care of all your major maintenance work in one swoop, thus minimizing downtime without cutting any corners.
Do you still need to schedule your annual boiler inspection for this winter?
We’re here to help — give us a call or fill out the form below to get in touch. Our team can also help guide you through the process of setting up any additional inspections required by the state or your insurance.
