Steam and Hot Water Boiler Installation and Service

      Maintenance is Key

       As with all heating systems, boilers have to be properly maintained to prevent system breakdowns. Primary components, like heat exchangers, must be cleand periodically to help avoid system failure.  Saftey and operating conrtols need to be inspected and tested to assure proper operaton. Periodic flushing with descaling solutions is not common on boilers used exclusively for space heating, but is routinely done when used primarily for domestic water heating due to the minerals present in the water.  This might be required once every year, more or less, depending upon the hardness of the water in the area.  It is often possible for homeowners to descale the water heater themselves.

      When appropriately maintained, tankless heaters can last up to twice the length of a standard tank style water heater before requiring replacement.  Our professional repair technicians will provide everything needed to ensure the system continues operating efficiently for its entire life.

     As Close to "perfect" as You Can Get    

       Many homeowners choose boilers to heat their homes and keep them cozy and comfortable through the year's colder months. Hydronic heating systems deliver the highest degree of comfort, along with excellent operational energy efficiency for your home.  Unlike force air furnaces, this method of heating, when properly installed, will deliver a draft free, even temperature throughout the home, and can easily be zoned to allow for room by room temperature control if desired. Infloor systems put the heat where people live, on the floor, making for cozy feet even on the coldest days.

     Know Your System, Hot Water vs Steam

      Heating boilers and hydronic heating systems are not all the same. Some are modern high efficiency systems that require careful attention to detail with respect to installation and operation of the different components. Others may be older conversions from different fuel systems. Still others may be steam boilers with an entirely different set of operating requirements. Talk to your professional technician, ask questions, and understand how your system is designed to operate. 

      Some boilers are designed to provide both heat and domestic hot water for your home.  Often refered to as "combi" boilers, these units are generally higher in efficiency than standard cast iron boilers and get maximum energy efficiency when operated at lower temperatures, for this reason, they are common in homes with infloor radiant heat.  The domestic hot water section give a continuos supply of hot water without then need for a storage tank.  Other combination systems will use the boiler as a heat source for an indirect tank style heater controled with an aquastat to maintain a ready source of hot water when needed.

      Steam heating systems in homes is becoming less and less common, for a variety of reasons.  As a transfer medium, steam is very efficient, the heat released by condensing steam is many times greater than just cooling water. This allows smaller radiators to have the same heating capacity as a larger radiator using hot water.  Smaller radiators made installation less expensive and space saving, but with todays high energy costs, the tradeoff due to lower efficincey compared with a lower temperture water system, no longer makes economic sense.  Higher maintenance costs with steam boilers can be another influencing factor.

      Benefits of Tankless Water Heaters

      Sharing the same general configuration as high efficeincy boilers, dedicated tankless water heaters are gaining in popularity, "endless" hot water being one of the more popular advantages.  Imagine being able to take a 30 minute shower and not worring about the water getting cold, or having several family members all taking consecutive showers and no one feeling rushed due to lack of water heater capacity.

      Tankless water heaters occupy less space than traditional hot water tanks, which will free up some room in your basement or utility closet that you can put to good use, perhaps by installing a water filtration system or water softener.   A water softener can help reduce limescale and other unwanted mineral deposits thereby reducing maintenance cost, along with the added benefit of better personal hygiene by allowing soap to lather better.  This can lead to cleaner skin and hair.  Additionally, soft water is a better cleaning agent for everyday household cleaning.
 
      Some tankless units can serve an entire house, while others are designed to supply hot  water to a single faucet or fixture. These point of use electric heaters can be helpful where a single fixture, such as a wash-up sink, is far from the main hot water source.  The expertise of our trained professionals can be used in sizing the best tankless system for your family's needs. 

      Finally, their energy efficiency is a major advantage for tankless units. Tankless heaters only heat the water as it is needed, because they don’t have to store and continuosly keep a large amount of water hot, a homeowner will notice a lower energy bill.

       Newer Technology in Water Heating Systems

      As energy costs continue to rise, manufactures and regulators are looking to new technology for inovative solutions.  Many tank style water heaters will soon be replaced by Heat Pump Water Heaters.  Where storage is needed due to a high "dump load" requirement, or high flow rate, energy savings can be achieved with a tank type heater using a heat pump as the source, rather than gas or direct resistance electric.  The initial higher cost of these systems is expected to be offset by the energy savings over the life of the heater.