3 Ways to Prepare Your Boiler for This Winter
As winter approaches, it's very important to be proactive when it comes to preparing for the colder temperatures. Around your Vancouver home, making sure the boiler is working properly is key to staying warm on a cold winter night.
However, many people fail to think about their boilers until they stop working, which always seems to be on the coldest night of the year. But by doing just a few things during the summer months to the boiler, virtually any person can rest assured their home will stay warm and cozy on even the coldest of nights
Use it in the Summer
While nobody needs a boiler running during the summer, HVAC technicians recommend that it's good to get a service check while the weather is warm. In addition, they also recommend running the boiler at its lowest possible temperature each month during that time to check for any potential problems. For those people who do this, there are rarely any unexpected surprises once the weather turns cold.
Insulate the Condensate Pipe
One of the most common problems for boilers in cold weather is having the condensate pipe freeze. If this happens, not only can condensation not be passed from the boiler to an outside drain, but the boiler will automatically stop working. Unfortunately, this will result in a service call to a technician that can cost hundreds of dollars.
Rather than have that happen, an HVAC technician can inspect the pipe and then insulate it properly to keep it warm throughout the winter. While Styrofoam pipe insulation or heating tape is usually used, in some instances heating cables that are temperature-controlled are attached directly to the pipe to keep it warm in extremely cold areas.
Guard Against Carbon Monoxide
One of the most lethal gases, carbon monoxide is odorless, tasteless, and invisible, making it impossible to detect without the aid of an alarm. To guard against the gas leaking out of a boiler that has been damaged, HVAC technicians can install carbon monoxide alarms on or near the boiler to alert a family to any leakages that may happen. Sadly, many people still believe smoke alarms can detect carbon monoxide. But unless the smoke alarm also has the capability of detecting carbon monoxide, this is not the case.
By following these tips, the boiler should be in excellent shape and ready for almost anything a cold Vancouver winter decides to throw its way.
Call Lambert Home Comfort at (604) 734-0890 to repair or replace your Vancouver, BC boiler!
