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 Mobile ViewHEATING SYSTEMS AFUE DEFINITION, RATINGS AGE of AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS AGE of HEATERS, BOILERS, FURNACES AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS AIR FILTERS for HVAC SYSTEMS AIR HANDLER / BLOWER UNITS AIRBOUND HEAT SYSTEM REPAIRS ANODES & DIP TUBES on WATER HEATERS ANTI SCALD VALVES APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY RATINGS ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings BACKDRAFTING HEATING EQUIPMENT BACKFLOW PREVENTERS BAROMETRIC DAMPERS BASEBOARD HEAT BIOGAS PRODUCTION & USE BLEVE EXPLOSIONS BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION BLOWER FAN CONTINUOUS OPERATION BLOWER FAN OPERATION & TESTING BLUE vs YELLOW COMBUSTION FLAMES BLUERAY Recall BOILERS, HEATING BOILER CONTROLS & SWITCHES Air Bleeder Valves Air Scoops Purgers Separators AQUASTAT CONTROL Functions Boiler Pressure Controls & Settings CAD CELL RELAY SWITCH CHECK VALVES, HEATING SYSTEM Chemical treatments, Boiler Circulator Pumps & Relays DIAGNOSE & FIX BOILER DRAFT REGULATORS, BAROMETRIC DAMPERS ELECTRIC MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH ELECTRICAL POWER SWITCH FOR HEAT Expansion Tanks FIRE SAFETY CONTROLS Gauges on Heating Equipment Limit Switches, Boilers Low Water Cutoff Valves, Boilers MIXING / ANTI-SCALD VALVES OIL LINE QUICK STOP VALVES OIL LINE SAFETY VALVES Pressure Gauges, Boilers Pressure & Temperature Settings, Controls RELIEF VALVES - TP VALVES Reset Switch - Primary Control Reset Switch - electric motors SPILL SWITCHES STACK RELAYS THERMOSTATS, HEATING / COOLING Water Feeder Valves, Hydronic Boiler Zone Valves BOILER LEAKS CORROSION STAINS BOILER LEAKS, HOW TO LOCATE BOILER NOISE SMOKE ODORS BOILER OPERATING PROBLEMS BOILER OPERATION DETAILS BOILER PRESSURE & TEMPERATURE SETTINGS BOOKSTORE - InspectAPedia BUILDING SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE CAPACITORS for HARD STARTING MOTORS CARBON DIOXIDE - CO2 CARBON MONOXIDE - CO CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR CHIMNEYS & Flues - Asbestos Transite Pipe CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS CIRCULATOR PUMPS & RELAYS COOL OFF HEAT, Thermostat Switch COMBUSTION AIR COMBUSTION AIR for TIGHT buildings COMBUSTION GASES & PARTICLE HAZARDS COMBUSTION PRODUCTS & IAQ COMPLETE COMBUSTION, Stoichiometric CREOSOTE FIRE HAZARDS CONDENSING BOILERS/FURNACES CONDENSING BOILERS/FURNACES DAMAGE CONVECTOR HEATERS - HYDRONIC COILS DEFINITION of Heating & Cooling Terms DIAGNOSE & FIX AIR CONDITIONER / HEAT PUMP DIAGNOSE & FIX HEATING PROBLEMS-BOILER DIAGNOSE & FIX HEATING PROBLEMS-FURNACE DIRECT VENTS / SIDE WALL VENTS DIRECTORY of OIL TANK EXPERTS DRAFT HOODS - gas fired DRAFT MEASUREMENT, CHIMNEYS & FLUES DRAFT REGULATORS, DAMPERS, BOOSTERS DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS DUST CONTAMINATION FROM HVAC? ELECTRIC HEAT, DIAGNOSIS, REPAIR ELECTRIC MOTOR DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE ELECTRIC MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH ELECTRICAL POWER SWITCH FOR HEAT EVAPORATIVE COOLING SYSTEMS FAN, AIR HANDLER BLOWER UNIT FAN AUTO ON Thermostat Switch FAN, COMPRESSOR/CONDENSER UNIT FAN CONVECTOR HEATERS - HYDRONIC COILS FAN LIMIT SWITCH FAN NOISES FILTERS, AIR for HVAC SYSTEMS FILTERS, OIL on HEATING EQUIPMENT FIRE SAFETY CONTROLS FIREPLACES & HEARTHS FLAME COLOR, BLUE vs YELLOW COMBUSTION FLOODED HEATING EQUIPMENT REPAIR FLOODED WATER HEATER REPAIR FLUE SIZE SPECIFICATIONS FLUE VENT CONNECTORS FREEZE-PROOF A BUILDING FUEL OIL TYPES & CHARACTERISTICS FUEL UNIT, HEATING OIL PUMPS FURNACES, HEATING FURNACE CONTROLS & SWITCHES FURNACE EFFICIENCY, HIGH vs MID FURNACE HEAT EXCHANGER LEAKS FURNACE OPERATION DETAILS FURNACE OPERATING TEMPERATURES GALVANIC SCALE & METAL CORROSION GAS BURNER Flame & Noise Defects GAS FIRED WATER HEATERS GAS PIPING, VALVES, CONTROLS GAUGES ON HEATING EQUIPMENT GEOTHERMAL HEATING SYSTEMS HEAT EXCHANGER LEAKS HEAT LOSS in buildings HEAT LOSS DETECTION TOOLS HEAT LOSS INDICATORS HEAT LOSS PREVENTION PRIORITIES HEAT LOSS R U & K VALUE CALCULATION HEAT PUMPS, DiAGNOSIS, REPAIR HEAT TAPES & CABLES on Roofs for Ice Dams HEATING COST FUEL & BTU Cost Table HEATING COST SAVINGS METHODS HEATING LOSS DIAGNOSIS-BOILERS HEATING LOSS DIAGNOSIS-FURNACES HEATING OIL CLOUD WAX GEL POINT HEATING OIL EXPOSURE HAZARDS, LIMITS HEATING OIL - OLD, USEABLE? HEATING OIL PIPING TROUBLES HEATING OIL SHELF LIFE HEATING OIL SLUDGE HEATING OIL USAGE RATE HEATING SMALL LOADS HEATING SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR HEATING SYSTEM INSPECTION DETAILS HEATING SYSTEM NOISES HEATING SYSTEM TYPES HIGH EFFICIENCY BOILERS/FURNACES HOT WATER HEATERS HOT WATER IMPROVEMENT INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT LP & Natural Gas Safety Hazards MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC MIXING / ANTI-SCALD VALVES MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH Natural Gas Combustion Products NO HEAT - BOILER NO HEAT - FURNACE NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE NOISE AIR CONDITIONER / HEAT PUMP NOISE, DUCT VIBRATION DAMPENERS NOISE, HEATING SYSTEMS NOISE, PLUMBING NOISE, WATER HEATER ODORS GASES SMELLS, DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS FROM HEATING SYSTEMS OIL BURNERS OIL BURNER FUEL UNIT OIL BURNER INSPECTION & REPAIR OIL BURNER NOISE SMOKE ODORS OIL BURNER NOZZLE & ELECTRODES OIL BURNERS, RETENTION HEAD OIL BURNER SOOT & PUFFBACKS OIL FILTERS on HEATING EQUIPMENT OIL FILTER MISSING OIL FUEL TYPES & CHARACTERISTICS OIL & GAS PIPING OIL LINE CLOGGING FIX OIL LINE QUICK STOP VALVES OIL LINE SAFETY VALVES OIL ODORS, LEAKY OIL TANK PIPING OIL PUMP FUEL UNIT OIL SPILL CLEANUP / PREVENTION OIL TANKS OIL TANK GAUGES OIL TANK PIPING & PIPING DEFECTS CAULK PIPE ENTRANCES FIRE SAFETY CONTROLS HEAT TAPE HAZARD ON OIL TANK OIL FILL & VENT OIL FILL PIPE EXPOSED OIL FILL / VENT PIPE CAP LOST OIL FILL & VENT PIPES UNDERSIZED OIL FILTERS on HEATING EQUIPMENT OIL FILTER MISSING OIL LINE CLOGGING FIX OIL LINE EXPOSED OIL LINE SINGLE, UP HIGH OIL LINE SINGLE ON BURIED TANK DUAL OIL TANKS - PIPING OIL LINE LEAKS OIL LINE QUICK STOP VALVES OIL LINE SAFETY VALVES OIL TANK FILL & VENT LINES APART OIL TANK GAUGES OIL TANK VENT PIPE MISSING OIL TANK SAFETY OIL TANK SLUDGE OIL TANK TESTING OIL TANKS, BURIED OIL TANK WATER REMOVAL PLASTIC HEATER VENT PULSE COMBUSTION HEATERS PASCAL CALCULATIONS RADIANT BARRIERS RADIANT HEAT RADIANT HEAT Floor Mistakes to Avoid RADIANT HEAT TEMPERATURES RADIANT SLAB FLOORING CHOICES RADIANT SLAB TUBING & FLUID CHOICES RADIATORS RELIEF VALVES - TP Valves on Boilers RELIEF VALVES - STEAM TP VALVES RELIEF VALVES - Water Heaters RELIEF VALVES - TP Valves on Boilers RELIEF VALVES - STEAM TP VALVES RELIEF VALVES - Water Heaters RELIEF VALVES - Water Tanks Reset Switch - Heater Primary Control Reset Switch Broken - Quick Repair Reset Switch - Electric Motors Reset Switch - Stack Relays SAFETY HAZARDS & INSPECTIONS SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE SAFETY, HEATING INSPECTION SAFETY,HOME HEATING TIPS Safety Recalls, Chimneys, Vents, Heaters BLUE vs YELLOW COMBUSTION FLAMES BLUERAY Recall CHIMNEYS & Flues - Asbestos Transite Goodman HTPV RECALL Heat Recovery Ventilator RECALL Lennox Furnace Manuals Lennox SAFETY WARNING PLASTIC Plexvent / Ultravent RECALL Weil McLain RECALL SOLAR HEATING SYSTEM DESIGNS SOLAR HOT WATER HEATERS SOOT on OIL FIRED HEATING EQUIPMENT SPILL SWITCHES - Flue Gas Detection SPLIT SYSTEM AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS STACK RELAY SWITCHES STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS STEAM HEATING SYSTEMS TANKLESS COILS THERMAL EXPANSION of MATERIALS THERMAL MASS in buildings THERMAL MASS FLOOR SLABS THERMAL MASS in UPSTAIRS THERMAL MASS WALL DESIGN THERMAL MASS in HOMES - STUDY THERMAL MASS TRADEOFFS, HEATING vs COOLING THERMAL TRACKING & HEAT LOSS THERMOSTATS, HEATING / COOLING Transite Pipe Chimneys & FlueS VIDEO GUIDES: Heating System Videos VIDEO GUIDES - InspectAPedia.com WATER HEATERS WATER HEATER SAFETY WATER HEATERS for HOME HEATING USE? WATER HEATER NOISES WATER HEATER SCALE - De-Liming Procedure WATER HEATER SCALE PREVENTION WINTERIZE A BUILDING WOOD, COAL STOVES & FIREPLACES WOOD STOVE SAFETY ZONE VALVES More Information |
Residential heating boiler inspection, diagnosis, and repairs: troubleshooting, inspection, diagnosis, maintenance and repairs. We describe how to inspect all types of residential heating systems to inform home owners, buyers, and home inspectors of common heating system defects. The articles at this website describe the 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. We include product safety recall and other heating system hazards. The limitations of visual inspection of heating systems are described. We continue to add to and update this text as new details are provided. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. Hot water or Steam Boiler Heating System Diagnosis & Repair - where to start?If you have no heat, see HEATING LOSS DIAGNOSIS-BOILERS.. You can also continue your heating furnace diagnostic procedures with the articles at page left headed under BOILER CONTROLS & SWITCHES. If your heating system is fired by an oil burner, you can go directly to those diagnostics at OIL BURNER INSPECTION & REPAIR. Gas burners are discussed at GAS BURNER Flame & Noise Defects. The article below explains hot water heating boilers (hydronic systems). If your building is heated by steam, see STEAM HEATING SYSTEMS. If you don't know what kind of heat your building uses, we explain how to figure out the answer in more detail at HEATING SYSTEM TYPES. First, determine what type of heating system is installedWarm Air Heating Systems - Furnaces: If the heat in your building is provided by warm air that flows out of ceiling, wall, or floor air supply registers into the occupied space, or if your heating system uses a water-to-air heating system then the air which warms the living space is probably being delivered through large or small diameter ducts, registers, air filters, and a furnace blower, and the air is being heated by a gas, oil, or electric furnace, or perhaps by a heat pump or a geothermal system. See FURNACE CONTROLS & SWITCHES. Hot Water or Steam Heating Systems - Boilers: If the heat in your building is provided by warm or hot metal radiators, heating baseboards containing finned copper tubing, or wall convectors that look like a radiator but contain finned copper tubing, or if heat is provided by flexible rubber, plastic, or metal tubing run in building floors or ceilings, then the warm or hot water circulating in those devices is probably being delivered by piping circulating water heated by a heating boiler, or possibly by a steam boiler or a heat pump or geo-thermal system. See BOILERS, HEATING and RADIANT HEAT Floor Mistakes to Avoid. What's the difference between a heating boiler and a furnace?In general, a "heating boiler" heats the building using hot water. A "furnace" heats a building using hot air or "warm air". Don't confuse the two since their means of making and distributing heat, their controls, and their equipment are mostly different. For a detailed guide to inspecting and maintaining warm air heating systems or furnaces, see FURNACES, HEATING. What's the difference between a hydronic (hot water) boiler and a steam boiler?A "steam boiler" delivers heat to the occupied space in the form of steam: the boiler literally "boils" water and sends steam rising up through steam riser pipes and through steam radiators in the occupied space. If your heating radiators have valves which hiss and let air escape as heat is coming on your heat is probably being delivered in pipes which circulate steam from the steam boiler up through radiators in the occupied space. For a detailed guide to inspecting and maintaining steam heat systems see STEAM HEATING SYSTEMS. How is heating boiler efficiency or economy measured? What does boiler AFUE mean?Each model of heating boiler is assigned an AFUE number. AFUE is an abbreviation for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. In short, the AFUE tells you, for each dollar you spend on energy for heating by gas, oil, or another fuel, just how much of your dollar shows up inside the occupied space of your building as heat. Details are at AFUE DEFINITION, RATINGS What is a Hydronic or "hot water" Heating System?What are we looking at when we're talking about oil-fired hot water heat? It's helpful to form a simple working definition that helps understand the system. An oil-fired forced hot water or "hydronic" heating system is a collection of components which heats a building by heating and then circulating hot water through heat-radiating devices located in the occupied space. A "heating boiler" is a steel, copper, or cast iron "box" of hot water, connected to a loop of pipe (and radiators or baseboards) which runs around through the living area. The same physical water stays in the boiler and is circulated by a pump so that heat is delivered to the living area. Burning oil makes hot gases which are used to heat the water before being exhausted outside. Pumps move fluids through the system. Safety controls of various types are installed at various points protect against a number of potential hazards. How does a Heating Boiler Work?We discuss how heating boilers work in step-by-step detail at BOILER OPERATION DETAILS How to Inspect a Heating System using Physical Location of ComponentsThis approach broadens the scope of the heating system inspection and it may aid in heating system defect recognition or problem diagnosis, for example by observing that a heating boiler is located in a small, air-tight room (possible combustion air problems), or that the furnace is quite close to the oil storage tank. Below we give the basics of heating system inspection using the physical location "map" of components to assure completeness. See full details of heating system inspection procedures provided at HEATING SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR
Continue with Hydronic Heating Diagnosis & RepairIf you have no heat, see HEATING LOSS DIAGNOSIS-BOILERS.. You can also continue your heating boiler diagnostic procedures with the articles at page left headed under BOILER CONTROLS & SWITCHES. If your heating system is fired by an oil burner, you can go directly to those diagnostics at OIL BURNER INSPECTION & REPAIR. Gas burners are discussed at GAS BURNER Flame & Noise Defects. Questions & Answers regarding this articleQuestions & answers about heating boilers: inspection, diagnosis, repair, efficiency, tuning & maintenance Ask a Question or Search InspectAPediaHTML Comment Box is loading comments...
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