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What It Takes To Maintain an Oil-fired Boiler for Your Home

18 February 2016

Amaury Picard

Regular maintenance is necessary to keep your oil fired boiler operating in a safe, cost-effective manner. The oil-fired system for boiling water in your home comprises a source of heat, a distribution system comprising pipes, a chimney to get rid of the burning by-products, and mechanisms for controlling the heating systems, such as the master switch and the thermostat. Once the thermostat is ignited, the heating furnace begins to boil the water, which is distributed to the storage tank in the form of steam. With a slight understanding of how the boiler works, here are few things you should do to maintain your oil-fired boiler and keep it in working order:

Dirt and debris

At times, the water supplied to boilers contains debris and small solid impurities. After prolonged use, the debris and dirt accumulate on different components of the boiler. Moreover, the dirt also clogs the movable parts of the boiler. This increases friction between the movable parts and makes them wear down. Therefore, it is important to clean the boiler regularly to get rid of the accumulated dirt and debris. This will require a boiler plumbing specialist to open some of the components and clean them. They will inform you of any worn-out parts after cleaning, which should be replaced. The cleaning should be done at regular intervals.

The oil filter

The purpose of the oil filter is to remove any impurities in the fuel used to run the boiler. Over time, the filter pores clog due to dirt, which affects the supply of fuel, hindering ignition. This means that the burner will produce less heat and take longer than usual to boil your water. In case of such signs, you should call a plumber to remove the old filter and replace it with a new one.

The master switch and the cabling

The master switch is electrically controlled. Cables are connected to a source of electric power and the thermostat. It is important to inspect the cabling to ensure that there is no physical damage to the wires' coating such that they are exposed. Such damaged cables can cause short circuiting, which damages the fuse in the master switch. Besides, such electrical faults can also cause fires.

The piping

With time, joints linking several metallic pipes become loose. This can be caused by slight movements during major repair and maintenance works or cleaning. Such loose joints often make the pipes leak. Check out for any such loose joints and tighten them with an adjustable pipe wrench.  

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