When your boiler isn’t working properly, it may make you a little hot-tempered. But before you blow your stack, first address these common problems by doing a little boiler troubleshooting. The answer may be easier than you think.
Thermostat. The tiny control on your wall may cause your big boiler not to perform up to standard. Make sure the setting is on “heat” mode. Adjust the thermostat selector above the actual room temperature and see if it prompts the heat to come on. Check for loose wires or dirty connections.
Circulator pump. Check to see if the circulator pump is working when the boiler is supposed to be running. Is the motor hot to the touch? If it’s cool and not running, check the breaker box to see if a fuse is blown. If the fuse is okay, the problem may be a bad circulator relay. If the motor is excessively hot, the problem could be with the motor itself, the pump or the run capacitor.
Temperature/Pressure gauge. Temperature and pressure are important steps in boiler troubleshooting. If the circulator pump is working properly, look at the temperature/pressure gauge. You should see a red line, above which the reading shouldn’t exceed. You should see the indicator above zero but below the red line.
Burners. Is the pilot light on? If it is but the burners do not ignite, the gas valve may be the culprit. If the pilot is off, and stays lit only a short while after you light it, it may indicate a dirty pilot assembly, dirty flame sensor or bad thermocouple. If you cannot relight the pilot, the vent pipe may be blocked.
Back to the beginning. When the boiler was installed, your HVAC technician should have sized it properly to your home’s needs. If it wasn’t, it’s likely lost efficiency over time and should be replaced.
Ernst Heating & Cooling can answer all your boiler troubleshooting questions. We’re here to help our customers in Highland, Greenville, Troy and other areas in Southwest Illinois tackle the problems that are out of your expertise.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Hamel, Alton, Glen Carbon, Highland, Greenville, and Troy, Illinois and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).Â