Your boiler provides many unique benefits to your home, particularly during the winter, and can help it stay warm and minimize potential pipe damage. But do you need to run it during the summer? That’s an important question that deserves a thorough analysis.
Do I Turn Off My Boiler in the Summer?
Answering the question "what does my boiler do for my house?" before turning one off is important; as they say, knowledge is power! Your boiler produces hot water and steam for your home. It differs from a water heater because you can also use your boiler to heat your home with radiant heating and other devices. In that case, should you shut down your boiler in the summer? Here’s when you should:
- When it runs smoothly and doesn’t need repairs.
- If your boiler is older than 10 years and may run inefficiently.
- When your boiler uses a standing pilot light.
- If you want to save money on heating and cooling bills.
- When your boiler doesn’t have a “standby” mode.
A few of these points are important to explore in more depth. First, if your boiler needs repairs or runs inefficiently, don’t turn it off! Talk to a repair and maintenance specialist to get it back up and running before you turn it off for the summer. Why is this the case? If you turn it off when it needs repairs, it might come back on hard and cause more damage.
As for standby mode, this is a beneficial option many modern boilers have that lets you keep them operational without running at full capacity. Use this setting on your boiler instead of turning it off entirely to keep it active, but not running at full power. This option is wise if you don’t have a water heater but instead use your boiler for water heating throughout the year.
A Simple Summer Tip That Keeps Your Boiler Strong
So, you decided to turn off your boiler for the summer after a lot of consideration, and you’re liking the lower energy bills? Here is something to consider for keeping your boiler strong all year long: occasionally switching your boiler back on from time to time. You don’t need to keep it running long after you turn it on; a few minutes is all.
Turning your boiler on twice a month helps to keep the valves and interior components from getting stuck. Just think about your boiler sitting there, inactive, during the summer. The valves may stay still for so long that they don’t open smoothly when your boiler comes back on later! This may cause major frustration that occasionally turning your boiler on during the summer can prevent.
Talk to Experts
If you’re uncertain about your boiler’s health or are concerned about its general operation, talk to a boiler repair team to learn more. They can help you decide whether you should turn off your boiler and can ensure that you make the right decision every year.