InspectAPedia®   -   Search InspectApedia

Photograph of  a modern oil-fired heating boilerDictionary of Heating Boiler Components - Boiler Parts Guide

Dictionary of heating boiler terms:

How to identify & name all of the parts & components of Hot Water Heating Boilers and hot water heating systems including oil burners and their parts, boiler parts, hot water baseboard and its parts, hot water radiators, and hot water convector units and their parts and controls.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

A List & Dictionary of Oil Fired Heating Boiler Parts & Components

Photograph of  a modern oil-fired heating boilerEach simple definition includes links to detailed articles discussing how to identify, inspect, diagnose, and repair each component of the heating system.

This article series answers most questions about central hot water heating system troubleshooting, inspection, diagnosis, and repairs. We describe how to inspect, troubleshoot and repair heating and air conditioning systems to inform home owners, buyers, and home inspectors of common heating system defects.

[Click to enlarge any image]

Below we list and describe the parts and controls on heating boilers.

The articles at this website describe the basic components of a home heating system, how to find the rated heating capacity of an heating system by examining various data tags and components, how to recognize common heating system operating or safety defects, and how to save money on home heating costs.

 




ADVERTISEMENT





Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2018-01-17 - by (mod) -

Joyce

This sounds like a gas fired boiler that is not igniting properly - perhaps you ignited a collected bolus of gas that caused an explosion.

Watch out: DO NOT DO THAT again as someone could be injured or you could start a fire.

It is not usually necessary to replace a whole heating boiler just because a gas regulator, valve, igniter, thermocouple or other control has failed. Those are pretty standard and can usually be replaced.

Call someone else.

On 2018-01-17 by Joyce

My friend's elderly hot water boiler stopped working. Upon inspection we realized the flame had gone out.

When attempting to relight flame it lit but was immediately blown out when the cover blew off and flames shot out for about a foot.

When she called the gas c0mpany out for an inspection she was told that although the boiler appeared to be in good condition without any leaks old parts were expensive and repairs costly so she sould purchase an entirely new sysyem or switch to a forced air furnace.

Her home is more than a hundred years old with plaster walls. When she had central,air installed they put the air handler in the attic with small, circular vents in the ceiling of both floors.

Obviously she doesn't want to deal with the expense or ruined aesthetics of having her plaster walls torn out to have duct work installed for forced air. However, the quotes she got for a new boiler system were astronomical. Is there a way to order a part to repair the system? If not what would you recommend?

On 2017-11-06 by Kevin Kendrick

I need a part for my house steam boiler. 2672074988

On 2017-04-14 - by (mod) -

Dorothy

Your plumber or heating contractor will of course see a lot more than I can from my hideout in Mexico, but I think what's needed is

1. Shut down the boiler and drain off pressure and temperature

2. Turn off the circulator or zone valve for the zone to be removed

3. If there are no manual control valves that will isolate the supply and return lines to the zone to be removed, have the plumber cut and install those valves, then close them along with a zone drain.

That will let you return the boiler to service.

Drain the zone to be cut and disabled.

Then you can remove and later replace the baseboards.

Include air bleeders when the baseboards are restored.

On 2017-04-14 by Dorothy

I have a baseboard oil hot water burner, with no separate hot water heater. I have 4 zones and need to remove the baseboards in one zone then 2 weeks later replace them with new. I need to restart the burner to get hot water for the 2 werks. Can I just leave the loop open, close off the water to that zone and restart the burner? Or do I have to connect the pipes by a temporary straight run of copper and then restart. I dont need the heat only hot water. Thanks for any advice

On 2017-03-22 - by (mod) -

LaNell

Try first disconnecting the thermostat at the heating system furnace or boiler. If the unit turns off then the either the thermostat isn't really OK or perhaps the thermostat wires are shorted together.

More diagnostic details and step by step recommendations can be found by using the search box just above to find, at InspectApedia, this article

HEAT WON'T TURN OFF

On 2017-03-22 by LaNell Mimmack

Our heating system will not turn off automatically. There is nothing wrong with the thermostat.

On 2016-12-20 by shaun

My water heater which comes with an attached vissle is not heating water properly.

On 2016-10-20 - by (mod) -

Jamie, I need clarification. A gas boiler used for central heating would not be a domestic hot water source unless it's using a tankless coil or an indirect fired water heater.

And if you have hot water at some fixtures but not others, the problem is definitely not at your water heater.

On 2016-10-20 by Jamie Windemiller

I have a Burnham Independence gas boiler that seems to work but I do not seem to get even water or any steady hot water to one of my bathrooms...

(Mar 10, 2012) David Harris said:

This is the very article I needed. Not only does it explain what each part does in a hotwater/boiler system it shows pictures as well to identify these componants

(Dec 15, 2012) Shuttering Oil said:

Each simple definition includes links to detailed articles discussing how to identify, inspect, diagnose, and repair each component of the heating system.

Reply:

Thanks so much for the nice note, Mr. Harris. If specific questions arise when you read information at InspecAPedia, we'd be glad to hear them - that feedback helps us see where more research is needed.

InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information provided free to the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website.

Question: how to replace or re-line a boiler combustion chamber

(Nov 4, 2012) Anonymous said:

my utica boiler model# sf-3100wt needs a chamber kit is this something a homeowner can replace? how do I know if it needs a wet or dry chamber kit?

Reply:

Anon,

A wet pack chamber liner kit is usually a replacement alternative to the factory liner that is often in one larger piece.

The wet pack can with care be installed through the oil burner opening - less labor.

The rub for a do it yourself has 2 parts

If you do not install the liner correctlynthe system can be damage, unsafe, even start a fire

Also because the burner is removed for this job youdnneed knowledge and simple tools to bleed air out of the fuel lines on reassembly.

Question: safety switch trips itself

(Jan 12, 2013) c.p. said:

Is there any malfunction that would cause the service safety switch on our oil fired boiler to trip itself?

Reply:

Possibly a wiring error, but generally 98% of the time if a boiler is off on reset there is a flame problem sensed by the cad cell or stack relay.

Question: replacing an old boiler, large pipes

(May 28, 2014) Alex said:

Replacing an old boiler.
This is a open loop system.
Want to turn it to closed system.
Pipes are huge, because the original had no pump.
What could be any difficulty?

Reply:

Alex, for an unseen system I'm nervous about predicting the difficulties involved, but I can offer that I've certainly seen many older hot water heating systems whose large diameter piping, installed to heat by gravity-convection, was left in place successfully when changing to a new boiler with circulator pump(s). The main effect is that there is a greater volume of water in the large-diameter pipe system, more thermal mass.

Question: boiler won't come on

3 Dec 2014 Anonymous said:

why when i turn heating on it wont come on

Reply:

Anon try the simple diagnostic steps at HEAT WON'T TURN ON

Question: pre 1975 did boilers have asbestos around them?

(Jan 21, 2015) rob said:
pre 1975 did boilers have asbestos around them

Reply:

Rob

Certainly some models did.

For photos and examples of asbestos on heating boilers see

ASBESTOS INSULATION ON HEATING BOILERS

Asbestos was also used in some furnaces including in the air path.


...

Continue reading at BOILER CONTROLS & SWITCHES or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

Suggested citation for this web page

BOILER COMPONENTS & PARTS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to HEATING BOILERS

Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly.

Search the InspectApedia website

Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, photograph, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. Apologies for the delay.

Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like.
You will not receive a notification
when a response to your question has been posted.
Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response.
Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca

Comment Form is loading comments...

Citations & References

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.



ADVERTISEMENT