Everything You Need to Know About Your Home Heating Boiler

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Take a moment and imagine this scenario: You are home after a long day at work. You are tired, but not quite ready for bed so you have decided to curl up on your couch and watch some of your favorite television shows. Just as you start to get into one of your shows you begin to realize the room temperature seems to have dropped somewhat; initially, the change in the air is not dramatic enough to cause any major concern.

You take up the afghan that you always tuck away comfortable on the back of your couch and drape it over your legs and lap to warm yourself a bit. An hour passes and it seems even cooler and a lot more uncomfortable. You check the thermostat, which confirms you fears – your furnace has stopped working. What happened?

Whether you know it or not, the words furnace and boiler are used interchangeably but these units are two very different systems. Within this imagined scenario, your boiler has failed to work. Now, with an examination of how a boiler works in the first place, we might be able to get to the root of the problem.

Boilers Defined

A boiler works with two purposes for its function: The water supply and your home heating. A boiler has a burner that is powered by oil or gas. When properly working and fueled, the burner is in operation and it creates steam: This steam is what heats the house as it moves from burner to the boiler unit.

The boiler has pipes that receive the input of natural gas, and pressurized tank inputs oil, and woodchips go into the burner. With the fuel source in the unit it will mix with the air, light up, and boil the water so that steam is generated.

Water is inside the boiler unit, and the generated heat turns the water into steam, which, in turn, is responsible for heating the entire home through a series of custom piles, baseboards, and under-floor vents, and strategically positioned radiators. A lot of the steam heats the house, but a bit of it remains inside the pipes: this allows for a comfortable change in temperature without changing the temperature to excess.

Boilers are not used as much as they use to be. Gas fired and electric systems have caused them to fade in popularity. Nevertheless, these units are actually cost efficient, durable, and dependable. If you are looking for the most environmentally friendly option, you can get a condensing boiler as it creates few greenhouses gases and it saves money when in use.

Since the home boiler operates off of your water system and pipes, an important part of home maintenance is to make sure that the pipes are in good condition. Otherwise, the imagined scenario is a very real possibility and you will be calling in the pros so you can warm your home again.

Problems With Your Boiler?

If you have problems with your boiler and are unsure what to do about them, make sure that you call the courteous professionals at Dr. Pipe Drain and Plumbing Ottawa. They will be able to help you with all issues ranging from installation to repair.

Give us a call today: 613 791 5777 for a free upfront estimate!

Testimonials

Backed-Up Drain

It is not often that a plumbing company is able to save you 10,000 dollars. We had experienced a serious drain backup and received quotes from five different drain and plumbing specialists. These included some of the more popular local names, and a few that received a very high ranking on HomeStars. Most of them scoped the drain and told me all the root issues and the critical deficiencies that would continuously lead to problems. They suggested that that we crack the floor, replace the drainpipe, and have the pipe from the front lawn excavated, I would be looking at around $5-10k!

Max did the same exact research that these other companies did, but he told me that the drain was not deficient at all; in fact, it had many more years left! I know that Max was honestly biting his tongue when we discussed what these other companies had said. He rooted the drain (very fast) and there has not been a single issue with our pipes since.

Grant

Drain Replacement, Backflow Valve, Sump Pump, Etc.

When I woke up this morning, I was not expecting my basement to have transformed into a full-blown lake. One of our neighbors recommended Dr. Pipe. Our neighbors had needed to replace some of the drains under their home and also recently had a backwater valve installed.

Max came to us and talked about the quote. One of the great things about the discussion was that he took his time and explained everything to me. I remember that Max took the time to make sure that both my partner and I were on the same page and understood everything.

I really want to be honest and admit that I was not particularly friendly that day, I had already received three different quotes, and I just wanted the work to get started. We still decided to go with Max’s company, despite the fact that we already had several other quotes. It was not just about money that we were going to pay, it was about quality, it was about trust, it is about wanting to give my business to a company that wanted ME as a customer.

I can tell you that both Max and his crew came across as polite, clean, honest, and reliable. They were extremely pleasant to work with. The quality of the work that they delivered is excellent, and it certainly added value to the home. Even our insurance rates went down because of the quality work.

It is extremely comforting to know that I have peace of mind the next time that the rain comes down. During the last late-fall storm, it was extremely comforting to hear the sump pump turn on, that sound really allows you to sleep soundly at night.

I have no doubt that the pipes are going to be fine once the tree roots are growing and the snow melts. It is comforting to know is that even if they are not fine, I know that Max is going to be a phone call away to help me set things right. I would honestly be shocked if Max somehow did not uphold the warranty that we have. Honestly, that is the level of trust that we have in Max.

Max

Trenchless Sewer Pipe

I received two quotes for my plumbing. The quote from Dr. Pipe was good, but what I really appreciated was the fact that the professionals at Dr. Pipe took their time to look at the issue, do the research, and actually SHOW me the problem in real-time. The other company never did give me an exact quote, and I was quite worried about potential “unexpected costs.” Both Max and the rest of his crew were extremely professional, kept the area as neat and tidy as possible, and cleaned up after they were done. Despite the fact that I was not actually onsite during the entire three-day process, I felt comfortable enough to give them a key to the property. When someone actually came and took something from the property (I was expecting them to), Max actually called my private number and asked me whether this was OK. I would highly recommend the services of Dr. Pipe.

Rick S.

Drain Work and Sump Pump Installation

Max was the first person to respond to our call for help after our basement flooded. He was quick in determining what the root of the issue was, and fixed the problem quickly. In addition to finding the issue, he also showed us a (potential) issue in our sanitary and storm water drains. He managed to find the possible issue with the drain-camera in a quick amount of time.

Max was courteous and professional when it came to helping us find future issues as well. He helped us alleviate concerns about future problems, thanks to his professional explanation. I have to admit I was also pleasantly surprised by the work of his crew. They cleaned their area thoroughly each time as well. Now I know that extensive repairs are never going to be cheap, but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised at how reasonable the pricing was. Max even helped us fill out the necessary paperwork to file for our basement flooding prevention subsidy.

Stewart

Contact Dr.Pipe:

Reach out right now at 613 791 5777 to learn more about how we can better meet your drainage and plumbing needs. You can also fill out the contact form bellow and we will respond within 24 hours.