Troubleshooting problems with your boiler’s operation

The boiler struggles to reach or maintain operating temperature

It’s important when you first fire up your boiler for the heating season that you allow the water inside the stove’s water jacket to be heated by the fire before you turn your circulating pump(s) on. Let it get above 150 degrees before you turn on the pump(s).

Make sure that your fuel is dry and seasoned for 6 months or more. Don’t overload the stove. Good combustion requires air as well as fuel.

A sudden change in the stove’s ability to heat up properly is usually because the chimney needs cleaning. Pull the diverter tray out most of the way and shake it periodically to clean ash off. If that ash is alowed to keep building up, your stove can’t breathe.

Reduced heat inside of the structure

We have seen problems where the customer’s water has a high mineral content. This can cause clogging and reduced water flow in the air-to-air heat exchanger in the home’s furnace, and in the water-to-water plate heat exchanger at the water heater. It is a good practice to remove the exchangers during the off season and clean and flush them. Usually a good soaking with CLR cleaner will restore their performance.

It’s also very important that the heat exchanger in the furnace plenum be sealed completely around the sides so that your air flows directly through the exchanger rather than around the sides. Also make sure that there is no cold air leaking into the plenum.

Boiler suddenly struggles to reach proper operating temperature

Occassionally, a boiler owner will suddenly encounter a problem where the boiler has been operating perfectly for some time, but now they can’t get the stove temperature up past 140 degrees or so. The most common reason is that the chimney has become plugged with ash and creosote. It happens most often during warmer weather, as the stove can sit at idle mode for long periods before it calls for the damper to open. Burning a lot of damp wood can also cause it. In severe cases, you will need to pull the diverter cover out and run a brush down the chimney. It’s a good practice to routinely pull that cover out about halfway and shake it when you clean out your ashes. It also helps to throw in some clean cardboard once in a while, and it will produce a quick, hot flame that does a nice job of cleaning out that chimney. That diverter box is there to save on fuel use, but it needsm a little routine maintenance as well.