How to Know When You Need a New Boiler

Time will always come when your steam boiler will no longer work as efficiently as it used to in the past. Although regular maintenance can help keep your boiler in top condition, boiler faults don’t give prior warnings before they break down. On that note, continue reading to discover some telltale signs that you need a new steam boiler.

1. Frequent Breakdowns

If your water takes a long time to heat up, then you likely need a brand new boiler. This can be a stressful experience since you’ll have to shop around for quotes and make sure you’re getting the best person to do the job—on top of that, your water is freezing which adds to the stress!

Start with a simple online search of “need new boiler” followed by your location and you’ll be on your way to getting your new replacement. Make sure to read other customer reviews when making your decision. If your boiler keeps breaking down all the time and constantly undergoes repairs, no amount of repair work can get your boiler working at its optimum again. So, it’s probably time to get a brand new one. Besides, you can save the money you spend on hiring a technician for repairs, spare parts, and call-outs towards a new, reliable boiler for your home.

2. Increased energy costs.

Whether for a home kitchen or commercial kitchen, you have to make sure your new kitchen is equipped properly to meet your cooking needs. This includes having an efficient boiler in place. Increased energy costs certainly indicate that there’s something wrong. What’s more, old equipment affects energy efficiency over time. No doubt, a boiler that has seen better days can significantly impact your energy costs. Regular on and off invariably means increased energy consumption. The bottom line is that a drop in efficiency will cost you more money on energy bills than expected.

3. Reduced performance.

Boilers that have been operational for years experience a reduction in energy efficiency. You can check the ERP energy rating to determine your boiler’s efficiency. Boilers or furnaces are rated by AFUE – Annualized Fuel Utilization Efficiency. A boiler with a high AFUE rating means greater energy efficiency. More so, a high-efficiency boiler has an AFUE rating of 90 and 97 percent.

Boilers rated “A” are considered the most efficient, while those with a “G” rating are less efficient. Overused boilers usually have a “G” rating, so you need to get an A-rated boiler.

4. The boiler becomes very noisy.

One telltale sign that your boiler is due for replacement is that it starts making all sorts of noise when in operation. You may have probably noticed a gurgling, kittling, or banging sound whenever you switch on the central heating or open the hot water tap.

If you have a noisy boiler or radiator, it’s a telling sign that your boiler is faulty. Homeowners who ignore these sounds may end up regretting them at the end of the day. Chances are, the fault may get worse and result in a complete breakdown of the boiler. Besides, you wouldn’t want your boiler to break down in the winter season.

5. Radiators take a lot of time to heat up.

Like a ductless HVAC system, when you switch on your boiler, it starts to produce heat to increase the temperature in the home. Sometimes, radiators may take longer hours to heat up, depending on the type of boiler. While this shouldn’t cause any concern if you have a new boiler, it could, however, mean that your boiler is wearing out. This is especially true if you have an old boiler.

The good news is that a good boiler service can fix a radiator that’s slow in heating up. However, if it takes a long time to heat your water after the servicing, you might need a boiler replacement.