Reasons To Replace A Faulty Boiler
Below are warning signs that you need to replace your boiler.
27/05/2022
What is a Boiler?
What are boilers and how do they work? Boilers are closed vessels where fluid, usually water, is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications such as water heating, central heating, boiler-based power generation, cooking, and sanitation. To start, boilers can cope with pressures much higher than your average pressure cooker. Boilers are made by welding together thick steel plates, allowing high pressures to be made. It has to be incredibly strong to cope with the high pressure, or else it will result in forces close to an exploding bomb (and no one really wants that).
The most common type of boiler used in residential homes are combination or combi boilers. These are great since they provide both hot water and heating from a single unit, meaning no additional hot water storage tank is required and so they are ideal for smaller properties. Ultimately, combi boilers are efficient, reliable and take up a limited amount of space and the modern combi boilers offered by leading brands now offer a very lengthy 10-year warranty.
The primary objective of a boiler is to either produce hot water or steam. Hot water boilers heat water for the purpose of domestic or commercial heating and hot water supply. Steam boilers generate steam in order to power turbines for power generation and various other industrial heating applications. Since the boiler is a very essential tool to heat up one’s home, as consumers, it is important to understand how boiler replacement works. Experts from Warmzilla describe how the usually arduous task of replacing a boiler is made easy (and cost-effective) with their tried and tested method of investing in new boilers. Their method involves no salespeople, hidden extras, or weeks to wait for a new boiler. Y=The primary objective is to ensure a hassle-free and easy service for consumers who want to invest in new boilers.
Trigger signs to replace your boiler:
Foul odour
This is one of the tell-tale signs where you should go ahead and splurge on a new boiler. The only time a boiler emits any odor is when there is something wrong with it. Let’s have a quick recap of the elements associated with boilers. Properly running boilers usually have blue flames. If the flame appears yellow, it may be a sign of carbon monoxide. Yellow flames in boilers can potentially be dangerous. Even though carbon monoxide is potentially odorless, it can potentially mess with the way the boiler is burning its fuel. When fumes are inhaled at low levels, the symptoms are similar to the flu such as nausea, dizziness, headache, and lethargic feelings. However, greater and longer exposure to these fumes can cause irregularities in breathing and even death. The bottom line is if you smell something bad coming from your boiler, or you see yellow flames, it is time for you to replace your boiler for you (and your household’s safety!)
Sky-high energy bills
If you notice a sudden spike in your energy bills, it is time to evaluate your home appliances, including your boilers. In fact, you can save up to USD 650 per year by replacing old boilers with more modern types of boilers.
Ancient boiler
If your boiler has been with you for more than fifteen (15) years, chances are it’s no longer an efficient boiler or even a condensing boiler for that matter. Condensing boilers or more modern boilers where its purpose is to generate more heat from waste gases which is a feature that all non-condensing boilers do not have. These waste gases are produced as the boiler operates and then emitted out into the atmosphere, so the heat they carry is normally lost. However, a condensing boiler has 2 internal heat exchangers that capture and reuse this heat so they can reach high efficiencies of over 90%. For the most quality results, make sure that you replace your ancient boilers with more modern condensing boilers.
Bad performance of the boiler
If you notice that your boiler breaks down often and you have invested a ton of money to have it repaired, you better get a new one. Investing in replacing a boiler can ensure that you have no additional headaches for at least two (2) decades. What more is purchasing a new boiler also has the perks of at most ten (10) year warranties of parts and services; which is definitely not a bad investment.
Leaking boiler
A leaking boiler is a surefire sign to replace your boilers.
Here are possible reasons why your boiler is leaking:
◊ There is a leak from the
bi-thermal heat exchanger between the heating
and hot water bodies;
◊ The expansion tank has
failed. If the leak starts after the boiler
burner has run for a while, then you most likely
have a faulty expansion tank;
◊ It is possible
that the boiler safety valve is faulty. The
build-up of limescale and calcite along the tank
and pipes will increase the water pressure in
the tank and cause leaks;
◊ The pressure relief
valve setting may be incorrect (the normal
pressure setting is 1.5 bar). Excess pressure
causes the valve to open. Once this happens, you
will have to replace the valve;
◊ Corrosion of
the pipes, boiler tank, or valves will weaken
the metal and cause the water to leak;
◊ Poor
installation, in particular bad soldering along,
the copper fittings, will cause the water to
drip.
If you observe any of the aforementioned symptoms, it is time to replace your boiler. It takes a while to heat up. If your radiator takes a while to heat up, you need to evaluate if you need to buy a new boiler.
Some of the reasons why would be the following:
◊ Trapped air. Radiators may need bleeding.
◊ Check if the Lock-Shield Valves are open.
◊ Check if Thermostatic Radiator Valves are turned
on.
◊ Your radiators may need a Power Flush or
Chemical Flush
If any of the above situations happened to you, make sure to check out certified boiler reviews for the best quality boilers for your home. Understanding the science behind how boilers work may be a tad bit complicated, especially if you are new to the boiler industry. What is important is being sensitive to the signs and symptoms above so you can save on money, time, and effort by investing in a new boiler.