Boiler maintenance in spring vs. fall

davidski

Just finishing up my first season with my new-to-me steam heat system and my maintenance company has mailed me about scheduling boiler service this spring rather than waiting until the next heating season. I like the company, but am not sure about the wisdom of doing maintenance and letting the boiler sit for several months. Are there drawbacks to getting boiler service early vs at the start of the heating season?

EdTheHeaterMan

Not really. In the world of Oil Heat from times gone by, the fuel oil dealer was too busy to perform maintenance during the cold winter season, so as soon as spring was in the air, let the "Clean-outs" begin. That is what an oil burner tune up was called back in the day. It was a reference to cleaning out the ashes from a season of burning coal. Then we renamed it a tune up to be more like the automotive industry. Everyone got their car tuned up when a certain mileage was reached. The weather was not a factor for cars because we drive them all year.

So getting the burner tuned up and the nozzle changed and the oil filter replaced in April or May was thought of as being a good idea if you could afford the time to let the service tech in your home. Most people however would wait until some time after Labor Day because that is when they remember to get ready for winter, start school, and other fall items. But there are only so many days in the fall before you get too busy to bother with maintenance for procrastinators. Got to start early to get to all the customers at a leisurely rate to spend the proper amount of time on such jobs. In the fall when everyone else wants it done, a company needs to get more customers completed in less time, that can only mean that you get a minimum services required type job. It’s just human nature.

We also find that the workload for April and May is much less, especially those that only worked on heating equipment only. (Maybe that is why my brother and I were born in late December) So to create work for the delivery drivers that didn't want to get laid-off for the summer, some companies offer to get started on the off season tune up before the rush in August and September. Sometimes offering a small discount for the early birds.

Another good reason to get it done before the equipment is one year old, the stuff may still be under warranty, so if there is something the service tech finds that needs attention over and above the price of a tune up, then it is more likely to be covered under that one year warranty.

Maybe have the tune up include a final Skim of the boiler water to get that last bit of scum off the water surface. Pull out the instructions to see what the boiler manufacturer recommends for maintenance and for skimming. This might be the last one you can get for free. Especially if they did not do one a week or so after the boiler was commissioned. Tell them it should be included, and that way you can be sure that the proper fittings are in place for future skimming. Some installers have actually covered up the skim port with electrical controls. If there is no access then making access will need to be included in the original installation cost. You won't be able to argue that point as easily three years from now.

Just some rambling thoughts about things that have gone wrong for others.

Mr. Ed

yellowdog

i am a proponent of cleaning boilers in the spring. especially if you have a damp basement. i would rather have my boiler sitting clean and unused all summer rather than sitting in a damp basement and the soot in the boiler absorbing all that moisture. do you clean your lawnmower out in the fall or spring? most people do in the fall, so all that grass isnt packed in there all winter and the mower is ready to go in the spring. same concept as cleaning a boiler in the spring.

davidski

Awesome. Thanks for the info, folks. I appreciate the insight!

reggi

Spring is always the plan , but now that everyone is older there seems more on the plate for the spring. .. Then yardwork and outside stuff crushes the schedule..
Perhaps Today would would be a good time to start ,  though I can get a lot of yard prep finished for the season today 😖