Vail Valley:

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Vail Valley:

Roaring Fork Valley:

7 Common Boiler Problems and What Can Be Done About Them

If you experience boiler problems in your Western Colorado home, you’ll want to deal with them as soon as possible. Problem is, many homeowners aren’t exactly sure what to be looking for. Let’s take a look at seven common boiler issues that might occur and how you can deal with them:

  1. Lack of hot water – This one may be difficult to diagnose, since it can be caused by a number of issues including failing motorized valves or broken air locks.
  2. Leaks – If you find leaks or notice water dripping from your boiler, there is definitely a problem.
  3. Kettling – This refers to the buildup of hard-water deposits. This often causes loud banging or rumbling sounds as water tries to move past narrowed passageways.
  4. Strange noises – Depending on the issue, you may hear banging (as described above), whistling or gurgling. Kettling, low water pressure and air in your system can all cause these issues.
  5. Lack of pressure – If you notice a lack of pressure, your problem is most likely a leak. If that’s not the issue, your pressure relief valve could be damaged and in need of replacement.
  6. Pilot light going out – A likely culprit in this case would be a broken thermocouple. If that checks out OK, you may be experiencing a broken air seal or a deposit buildup in the pilot light, the latter of which can be fixed by a simple cleaning.
  7. Thermostat problems – Thermostats may fail over a long period of time. Your problem may be as simple as an inaccurate reading, but you could also be looking at the system switching on and off at incorrect times.

How to handle these boiler problems

You may be able to handle some of the issues listed above yourself. Unfortunately, boiler problems can sometimes be difficult to evaluate, so your best bet is to hire an HVAC professional to diagnose the problem and tell you how to proceed.

If you would like further assistance with boiler problems, or for other questions regarding home comfort, please contact the experts at Climate Control Company. We have been serving the HVAC needs of Western Colorado since 1956.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Aspen, Vail and the surrounding Western slope communities in Colorado about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about boiler troubleshooting and other HVAC topics, please visit our website.     

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