Boiler Maintenance. Need help!
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Boiler Maintenance. Need help!
Hi!
I've been using the same company every autumn for the past 10 years to do the annual maintenance on my Weil-Mclain oil fired boiler. The first few years, they would come and change the filter and nozzle, clean and check the electrodes, check the vent pipe and clean and vacuum the inside of the boiler. Over the past few years, they would just clean and vacuum the inside of the boiler and change the filter. Last autumn, they just cleaned and vacuumed. When I asked the guy about changing the filter, he said it only needed to be changed every other year.
My question is.....what should annual boiler maintenance entail? Should the filter be changed every year? How about the nozzle? What about cleaning the electrodes? Is it time to find a new company?
Thanks!!!!
I've been using the same company every autumn for the past 10 years to do the annual maintenance on my Weil-Mclain oil fired boiler. The first few years, they would come and change the filter and nozzle, clean and check the electrodes, check the vent pipe and clean and vacuum the inside of the boiler. Over the past few years, they would just clean and vacuum the inside of the boiler and change the filter. Last autumn, they just cleaned and vacuumed. When I asked the guy about changing the filter, he said it only needed to be changed every other year.
My question is.....what should annual boiler maintenance entail? Should the filter be changed every year? How about the nozzle? What about cleaning the electrodes? Is it time to find a new company?
Thanks!!!!
#2
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How much are you paying for the service? A tune up should include a new nozzle and filter, check electrodes, clean and vac - minimum. Better would be a combustion analysis with an efficiency report.
Ask the company what their tune up includes, make sure you're getting what you pay for.
Ask the company what their tune up includes, make sure you're getting what you pay for.
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Thanks for the quick reply, Tom. I've been paying $99, although that was a special mail offer I'd receive each September off their normal $125 price. This year, their special mail offer price is $125 lol! What really got to me was that they would at the very least change the filter every year for the past 10 years, and then suddenly last year they tell me it doesn't need to be changed every year? Sounds fishy.
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I'll have to call around and see what other companies do. Tom mentioned a combustion analysis and efficiency report. My original company never did that. Is that common?
#6
My original company never did that. Is that common?
You should be left with a printout of the results if the tech has an electronic analyzer with a printer, or at the very least, handwritten on the hang tag.
Results should at a minimum include the CO[SUB]2[/SUB] result (or alternately O[SUB]2[/SUB] (basically the same quantity, but looking at it from a different direction), better would be 'smoke number', and CO (carbon monoxide).
Unfortunately, economics pushes the guys to get as many done in a shift as possible and it's often not done because of this.
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Thanks for the info, NJ Trooper. I'm going to call 2 local places and ask them what their boiler maintenance program entails. My old guy would adjust the burner by eye. He never used any type of electronic analyzer.
Would you happen to know off the top of your head what, on average, I should expect to pay for a good boiler maintenance job? I'm located in NY.
Thanks!!
Would you happen to know off the top of your head what, on average, I should expect to pay for a good boiler maintenance job? I'm located in NY.
Thanks!!
#8
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What you're currently paying is the going rate. $99 special up to $125 maybe as high as $150. It may also depend on whether or not you have an oil delivery contract with them.