I got a call a couple months ago month from a lady who wanted to schedule a time to have her two boilers checked and cleaned at her duplex. I explained that early September is not an ideal time to check the boilers because the weather is still hot. The lady paused and said, “I don’t know if I have steam boilers.” I asked her to send me pictures of her boilers. The lady sent me two pictures of her boilers. I identified both boilers as hot water hydronic heating systems. If you have radiator heat but you’re not sure what type of system it is, this post will show you how to know the difference.
Know your boiler
When it comes time to have your annual boiler check or when an unexpected breakdown happens, and you haven’t been using a regular service company, it helps very much to tell the plumber or the HVAC technician what type of boiler you have heating your radiators. This tip is very important because, in Western Pennsylvania, there are quite a few HVAC companies that will not go near a residential steam boiler, let alone work on a commercial steam boiler. They won’t work on or install steam boilers. Trust me. Many customers have told me they made tons of calls and just can’t find anyone. I believe it has a lot to do with the old-timers who knew about steam heating being gone, and the new breed of service techs just don’t know.
Is it steam or hot water?
To quickly identify the boiler you have heating your home, here is a simple tip. One if there are two valves north to south, one above the other, with a glass tube on the side of the boiler, it’s a steam boiler. This is all you have to know. On the other hand, if your boiler has a smaller tank attached somewhere near its piping or a tank strapped above it to the joists, then you have a hydronic or hot water heating system. This tip alone will save you a lot of wasted time, especially if you’re asked over the phone if your boiler is steam. Remember what I mentioned: steam is scary to the newer breed of HVAC technicians.
The picture on the left is a steam boiler. Note the two valves, one directly above the other. The picture to the right is a hot water boiler. Note the expansion tank.
Now since you know what kind of boiler you have, the next important tip is to regularly maintain the boiler so it will give you as much problem free service as possible. Steam boilers especially need annual attention. Hot water boilers do as well. Regular maintenance not only ensures your system is running efficiently but also provides you with peace of mind, knowing that your home is safe and comfortable.
The temperature in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area generally stays in the seventy to eighty-degree range longer leading into October. I recommend having your boiler cleaned and checked out no sooner than the second week of October. Schedule a call with Vince for boiler maintenance & inspection.
