What to do if Your Boiler Breaks Down
Of the many things that can break in your home, your boiler is one thing you never want to be without. A boiler is among the most inconvenient and potentially even dangerous pieces of essential home equipment to be without. If your boiler does break, especially in the winter months, don’t panic!
It’s vital to get professional servicing as soon as possible, and you should never attempt to repair your boiler yourself; it’s just too dangerous. However, before getting in touch with your trusted repair team, here are a few things you should know!
Check the Signs
When you call a professional contractor for a boiler repair, they will ask you some questions to help pre-diagnose the problem. It’s helpful to be as specific as possible so that your repair team can get a general idea of the parts they’ll need to fix your broken boiler.
Be on the lookout for unusual whistling, banging, or clanking noises if your boiler can still turn on. Also, be sure to check for leaks around the boiler itself and the pipework, and the water pressure in the system. Water pressure should be at a constant amount within acceptable parameters (indicated on your pressure gauge). You should tell your repair technician if the pressure is too high, low, or fluctuating.
One other thing to keep an eye on is if your gas bills have been drifting upwards with no uptick in estimated usage, this could indicate that your boiler has underlying issues preventing it from working efficiently. Of course, the last thing to be on the look for is if your boiler has failed outright and won’t turn on at all.
Lastly, if your boiler breaks down in the winter, the worst possible time, check the condensation pipe connected to your boiler system. During extreme colds, this pipe can freeze over and your boiler will shut itself off as a safety precaution, similar to how a surge protector automatically shuts down electric currents in the event of an overload.
In theory, you could just pour hot water over the pipe to defrost it and then reset your boiler. If the cause was the condensation pipe, this should fix the problem. However, this probably isn’t the best idea, and you should have an expert take a look to make sure there are no other issues or damage to the piping.
Quick Boiler Fix Hacks Before Calling a Repair Tech
Again, you should not attempt to perform an actual service yourself; however, before calling your contractor, you can try to diagnose a related issue that is causing your boiler to malfunction. Firstly, be sure to check your fuse box! It’s possible a tripped switch from a power surge turned off the power to your boiler.
Also, check your oil or natural gas (depending on how your boiler works) supply. If you’re running low on oil, the cause of the malfunction may be as simple as low oil supply. If you have natural gas heating, check to ensure no service interruptions are affecting your area, as this could also cause your boiler issues.
Before calling for professional boiler repair, the last thing to check is to make sure your water main is turned on. This is unlikely to be the problem unless you had plumbing work done recently, and for some reason the water main was not turned back on when the work was completed. But before paying for a repair, it’s at least worth a quick look.
Call a Professional, and Your Insurance Company
Call your homeowner’s insurance company first! Many people immediately call for a repair and pay out of pocket. However, some insurance policies will cover some or all of the cost of a boiler repair. Make sure to contact your insurance carrier first and at least discuss your coverage. If your insurance covers the cost, they’ll likely want to send an adjustor to confirm they’ll cover the work. Follow any steps your insurance agent gives you, and don’t schedule your repair until you have the ok. Insurance companies can be highly picky about procedure.
Next, call IMHVAC to get one of THE BEST BOILER REPAIR TECHNICIANS IN THE MAGIC VALLEY to repair your boiler! IMHVAC will fix any issues as fast as possible, but your family’s safety is the top priority. If you’re staying in your home while the repair work is going on, be sure that you have a way to keep warm if your boiler breaks during the winter months. It may be worth purchasing an electric heater to stay warm until your boiler is back up and running.
Once your boiler is fixed, contact us for annual maintenance so your system doesn’t fail when your family needs it most! IMHVAC has been serving Twin Falls since 1986, and here at IMHVAC, we treat our clients like family!