There are two types of boiler heating systems. There is the old school steam system, which heats a home using hot steam and radiators, and the newer hot water boilers, which heat a home via hot water and smaller convectors that throw off heat from the boiled water. If you currently have an old steam system, you should seriously consider converting to a boiled water system for all of the following reasons.

Boiler Repair and Maintenance

The newer boiled water systems require far less maintenance and less repairs than the old steam systems. They have been designed and constructed to be more efficient with fewer parts and fewer complications. Additionally, the "radiators" for the new boiled water systems are extremely small and compact, which makes them much easier to repair in the event that they actually do need some repair work (which is not all that often).

Fewer Parts to Replace with Greater Access

In old steam boilers, some of the components are inside the boiler, which makes it a very dangerous task to repair it. The HVAC contractor/technician has to turn the boiler off, drain it and wait for it to cool down before going after the parts that may be faulty or broken. With the new boiled water systems, most (if not all) of the parts are located outside of the boiler, allowing the technician easier access to the components that may need to be checked, repaired and/or replaced.

Boiled Water Systems (Hydronic) Are Quieter

Anyone who has ever lived in a house with an old steam boiler knows that these heating systems are loud, clangy, and noisy. When you are trying to sleep on a late winter's night, the hissing and rumbling of the boiler and the radiator can really drive you crazy. The new boiled water, or hydronic, systems are much quieter, making only a soft, steady hum in comparison to the loud noises of the steam boiler.

Making the Conversion

Since your home is already equipped with the plumbing for boilers, your HVAC contractor/technician only has to remove the old boiler and the old steam radiators and replace them with the hydronic boiler and convectors. If you so choose, you can even place the new convectors in other areas of your house besides the areas where the old radiators used to be, or not place any convectors in certain areas of the house at all. The whole process takes about a few hours to about a day, give or take a few hours and based on whether or not your contractor has any extra help.

For more information, contact companies like Rickett Industrial Environmental Systems.

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