Boiler Repair - How Inspections Can Help

Boiler repair can be costly. Depending on what part is having to be replaced and how long it will take to diagnose the problem you can be looking at hundreds of dollars of repairs. Most of the parts, that commonly breakdown, cost a hundred dollars or more to replace. Add to that the cost of having a licensed technician come out and service your unit can mean having a bill of three hundred dollars or more just to get this piece of equipment back up and running. The good news is that many of these problem parts can be diagnosed early enough that you will not have to suffer downtime.

Because boiler repairs can be so extensive you should really check the unit daily. You should look for anything that looks worn or rusted. You should also look forward drips or leaks that could possibly be coming from the unit. During your daily inspection you should make a note of what the water level is each day. Any drastic change in the level should be noted any and it should be investigated further for leaks. By knowing what your unit looks like from day-to-day you can catch some of these issues early enough that a repair can take place promptly.

Another thing that you should do on a regular basis is have the boiler cleaned. By taking time to clean and vacuum fireside surfaces, depths, firebox, and ash pit you can spot problem areas before the entire system breaks down. Also if you leave the system dirty for an extended period of time you can actually cause the unit to crack which means that it will have to be completely replaced costing you thousands of dollars. Cleaning and vacuuming the unit regularly will help it to run more efficiently. If the unit has not been run in a while, a technician should clean and inspect the unit prior to starting it up.

While inspecting the unit for potential boiler repair issues the technician should look at all the gaskets and seals to ensure that they work properly. Should any of these look brittle or worn they should be immediately replaced in order to keep leaks from happening. The technician should also look for signs of corrosion on the unit's outer sheet, piping, and electrical components. Corrosion can lead to leaks or malfunctions depending on where the corrosion is located.

Routine maintenance can reduce your boiler repair costs and downtime. By keeping a log you can easily track changes in your unit. The logs should be updated at each inspection including the daily inspections that the technician should perform.