Tips for Maintaining a Safer Boiler Room at Your Des Moines Area Home

January 29, 2015

Your boiler works efficiently to ward off the Des Moines winter weather, but it requires regular care to ensure safety and full functionality. Keeping your boiler room organized and staying on top of maintenance tasks will help you avoid future problems.

Keep It Neat

Don't use your boiler room for storage. Your boiler's burner needs good air circulation for complete fuel combustion. Clutter interferes with air circulation and can cause your boiler to produce excess carbon monoxide and soot. Avoid keeping combustible material in the room. If you must store this type of material there, keep it at least 10 feet from the boiler. Make sure your room has sufficient lighting and that the light switch is easy to find and reach. Lack of lighting makes it harder to check up on the equipment as needed. If your room is prone to pooling water from a backed-up drain or storm water runoff, install a floor drain or sump pump. Frequent pools of water on the floor can prevent you from noticing when the boiler is leaking.

Keep Up with Maintenance

Once a day, check your boiler room to make sure everything's running smoothly. This is doubly important if your boiler was recently installed or repaired. If you find any leaks or other issues, consult a qualified technician immediately. Never attempt to bypass safety features that deal with pressure, temperature controls or flame safety. These safety features should be periodically tested to ensure they'll be ready if needed. You should also schedule an annual inspection with an HVAC professional who is qualified to work with boilers. Keep a log of safety feature tests, maintenance, repairs and component replacements. Consult your boiler manufacturer's recommendations for preventive maintenance guidelines, and plan ahead for these by including future dates in your log. Post checklists for the correct startup and shutdown procedures for your boiler and related equipment. Before each startup, your boiler room should be checked for combustible material. Your boiler should also be inspected for wear and blockages. For help keeping your boiler running safely and efficiently, contact Lozier Heating & Cooling in the Des Moines area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Des Moines, Iowa area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: "alexwhite/Shutterstock"