Simple diagram of a heating boiler. (image: lenntech.com)
Among the hazards of wintertime—icy roads, rampant colds—one should include the risk of boiler fires. As temperatures in the Northeast begin to dip, some unlucky residents are ratcheting up their thermostats only to have their basements flood with smoke. As the Providence Journal reported on Saturday, the Providence Fire Department responded to about fifteen or twenty boiler-related calls last week, some of them quite serious, according to Providence Fire Battalion Chief Timothy McDaniel. To prevent boiler fires in your heating system, there are some precautions you can take before turning on your heat.
McDaniel suggests that you hire a heating professional to inspect your heating system each year. This way, if there’s a problem, it will be spotted before it’s too late. Troubles often arise when a boiler is old or not properly maintained; paying a little extra for an annual inspection could save you a lot of money down the road. For instance, a furnace may misfire—or “puff back”—when it becomes stopped up with soot (i.e., when it hasn’t been cleaned regularly), or when the oil burner no longer works properly. Thus, keeping your boiler unsoiled, or replacing a single part, can help you avoid a costly misfire.
HeatingOil.com, which heartily promotes the proper maintenance of home heating systems, has provided a quick overview of what you can do to keep your boiler or furnace in working order. And although the average homeowner can perform much of this maintenance himself, it is always advisable to consult a heating-system professional before starting any major renovations or repairs.
