Central heating boilers are the biggest risk to your home when it comes to appliances. Educating yourself regarding the symptoms and signs of a malfunctioning boiler is crucial for your safety. Without timely maintenance and repair, a broken boiler can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
It is easy for a boiler to deteriorate over time. Without timely repairs, this can lead to it breaking down. To save yourself from the inconvenience of having to deal with a broken boiler, ensure frequent and timely maintenance appointments with an HVAC technician.
Meanwhile, here are three major signs that there’s something wrong with your boiler which you must address immediately:
1. Spillage or Black Stain Marks
If you notice black stains on your walls caused by smoke or signs of spillage inside the boiler, it may indicate a leak in the flue. The flue may be leaking gas and you must call a registered technician who can detect gas leaks before it poisons your family.
These black marks indicate that the fumes that should be expelled from your home through the flue are dispersing inside, which can lead to carbon monoxide filling up your home. Even a 2% concentration of carbon monoxide poses serious threats to your health and life.
2. A Faint, Foul Smell of Gas
Although carbon monoxide is odorless, a smell is added to the gas so you can identify a leak easily. The boiler may also give off a foul smell if it doesn’t burn properly.
If you smell something weird, turn off all sources of fire and leave your house immediately. Move outdoors before you call a gas emergency service or a technician who can identify a gas leak. A gas leak is a major hazard. Don’t ignore foul smells in your home.
3. Dwindling Pilot Light
A pilot light is a small flame that ignites the gas in the boiler. If the gas doesn’t fully burn, the pilot light may go out. This is one of the biggest signs that something is wrong with your boiler. Instead of lighting gas fuel, the boiler may be leaking it into your house.
An easy way to tell if this is happening is a change in the color of the flame from blue to yellow, which indicates that there isn’t enough oxygen to light a fire, and carbon monoxide may be increasing in concentration. If the carbon monoxide reaches an alarming level, the flame may go out completely.
Move your children out of the house immediately. Open all windows in your house to circulate fresh air and let in oxygen. Check for signs of carbon monoxide poisoning which include headaches, dizziness, nausea, chest pain, weakness, etc.
Bottom Line
Remember that there’s no better way of staying safe than getting your boiler serviced and maintained by an expert regularly. Call a technician immediately at the earliest sign of concern.
If you wish to take a whole-house approach to an energy-efficient HVAC system, call up Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing for boiler repair in Frederick, MD to keep your family safe from boiler emergencies.