Having your boiler system malfunction or stop working during the cold Northeast Ohio winter is no laughing matter. The problem may be caused by many things. Before you call your HVAC technician to come look at the problem, take a few moment to try a few boiler troubleshooting steps. If you can’t fix the problem yourself, you might be able to diagnose it and save your technician a bit of time.
The main reason for you to learn boiler troubleshooting on your own is to save money. Many issues are often just a quick fix that you can do yourself. Make sure to follow the steps below in order.
- Start with the thermostat. Check the temperature. If it’s not set above the room temperature, this is why it’s not working. In addition, check that the boiler is actually turned on. If your thermostat is not digital, remove the casing and make sure the mercury inside is level. If not, it can throw off the calibration. Consider replacing your old manual thermostat with a digital, programmable model.
- Now check the circulator pump to see if it’s running. The motor should be warm to the touch, but not excessively hot. If it’s off and the pump is cool, check the circuit breaker to make sure it’s getting power.
- If the first two steps do not indicate the problem, check the temperature/pressure gauge. It should read above zero, but less than the red line. If at zero, turn the breaker off and then on. Then check the vent damper to see if it’s open and the inducer fan to see if it’s running.
- Check the pilot light if your boiler system doesn’t have electronic ignition, as most newer models do. If t’s not lighted, the vent pipe could be clogged, or the pilot assembly or flame sensor could be dirty. If none of these is an issue, the thermocouple or boiler control might be bad. If the main burners are not working, the gas valve could also be broken.
After going through these steps, you very well could have your boiler working again. If not, please contact us at Energy 1 Heating and Air Conditioning. We are the experts in boiler repair and replacement in Lorain, Erie and Cuyahoga counties.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about boiler troubleshooting and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area