Occasional repairs are as important to boilers as they are to any other appliance. However, no repair technician is omnipotent, and there comes a time when repairs no longer make sense. Here are three indications that the boiler in your Chicago, IL home is beyond repair and that it might be time to invest in a replacement.
1. Age
First and foremost, ask yourself how old your boiler is. If it’s more than 15 years old and requires significant repairs, then you might want to begin giving thought to replacing it. At that age, the boiler’s valves and other parts are likely to be quite worn down, it probably has a significant amount of internal sediment buildup, and it probably isn’t functioning as well as it used to.
No boiler can last forever, even if you take good care of it. By keeping it around for much longer than 15 years, you’ll only be tempting fate and running the risk that it will break down at an extremely inopportune time.
2. Increasing Frequency of Repairs
Occasionally, some part of your boiler will malfunction, and you’ll need to ask repair technicians for their help. This is perfectly normal and is far from catastrophic. However, if you find yourself having to pay for repairs more and more often, your boiler may be trying to send you a message.
At some point, the cost of repairs will balloon until it exceeds the cost of simply buying a new boiler and paying pros to install it for you. If you find yourself in that situation, take the hint and get a new boiler.
3. Boiler Parts Are No Longer Available
Many boilers will require very specific parts built according to manufacturers’ specifications. However, as manufacturers retire older models and release new ones, it will become increasingly difficult to find parts for the old units. If heating repair technicians can’t even find the parts you need, your unit is probably much too old, and you need a new one.
Recognizing when your boiler is beyond repair is important if you want to be truly prepared for the arrival of cold weather in Chicago, IL. Call Besco Air Inc. Heating & Cooling, and our boiler technicians will happily set you up with a new unit.
Image provided by iStock