Boiler Or Furnace Care Tips At Your SC Home

Do you have a boiler and call it a furnace? Or do you have a furnace that sometimes goes by the name “boiler”? It’s true—many people use these words in place of one another. But the truth is, they’re not the same thing. If this sounds familiar, read on to get the record straight on which is which.

Boilers: An Overview

Boilers don’t have blowers or fans, so they don’t contribute the level of particles or allergens in the air. Here’s a look at how today’s energy-efficient boilers work: Hot water moves through the boiler’s combustion chamber and makes its way through the pipes in your home. A circulator helps pump the hot water to the home’s radiators or baseboards. The hot water travels back to the unit where it repeats this process, moving back through the home to baseboards or radiators once again.

Steam systems work a little differently. The conversion from water to steam happens while the water is still in the boiler. By way of baseboard, radiators, in-floor radiant tubing or other sealed hydronic devices, the steam travels through your Palmetto State home to keep everyone warm and comfortable during the coldest nights of the year.

Helpful Hints for Boilers

• Do a damper check. It’s important to know that you are maximizing your home’s heating potential. Make sure you can feel heat when you check the baseboard. If you don’t feel anything, check out the damper and make sure the bottom of the unit is clear. Any obstructions—even carpeting that’s heavy—can create an interruption in your heat.
• Check your radiator valves. Your radiator should be set to either “on” or “off” at all times. If the valve is in between these two settings, your temperature will not regulate, and your pipes will be strained. This will also lead to a hammering sound, which you definitely want to avoid.
• Watch the water gauge. This one only applies to steam boilers. When steam boilers shut down, it’s often caused by the water level being too low. Another thing to check for is if your gauge’s water looks rusty—if it does, you need to give your steam boiler a flush.” This is something your heating oil company can walk you through, so if you have any questions, just give them a call for some assistance.

Furnaces: An Overview

As producers of heated air, furnaces are also sometimes called forced-air or warm-air systems. Heated air is blown by a fan into the home. After traveling through the system of ducts, the warm air comes through vents, aka registers, to ensure that your home is warm and comfortable whenever the temperature drops.

The most modern furnaces have adjustable speeds and are very energy efficient. They feature high-pressure flame-retention burners, durable heat exchangers and microprocessor-based controls.

Helpful Hints for Furnaces

• Go with “on,” not “auto.” When you set your thermostat, choose the “on” setting. This will ensure that the temperature in your home doesn’t fluctuate throughout the day. With the thermostat turned on your indoor air will not stop circulating.
• Do a filter check. One thing you definitely don’t want is impurities getting into your South Carolina home’s forced-air system. Pick a day, say the first of each month, to check your filter and make sure it doesn’t need to be replaced. If you’re not sure or need a second opinion, give your heating company a call and they can make sure you know what to do.

Are You Eligible for Rebates?

When you upgrade your system, you may be eligible for rebates from the South Carolina Convenience & Petroleum Marketers Association, supported by the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA). Check with your heating oil company today to see if you can save big!