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Boiler Services in Zanesville
Boilers: Efficiency and Comfort Are Only Part of the Story - Safety Matters Too
Boilers are workhorses. When properly maintained, a quality boiler system can heat a home reliably for decades with relatively little drama. But in our experience servicing boiler systems throughout the area, we’ve encountered a safety issue that doesn’t get nearly enough attention: the absence of a backflow preventer between the home’s potable water supply and the boiler’s makeup water line.
Here’s why this matters. Most boilers are connected to the home’s water supply through a makeup water line - a small connection that allows the system to replenish water lost through minor leaks, steam venting, or evaporation over time. In a properly configured system, a backflow preventer sits on that line, acting as a one-way valve that keeps boiler water from ever being pushed back into the household drinking water supply. Without it, there’s nothing standing between the two.
Boiler water is not drinking water. It typically contains dissolved minerals, rust, scale inhibitors, and in some cases chemical treatments added to protect the system. Beyond the chemistry, boiler loops operate under constantly fluctuating temperatures and pressures - and when expansion tanks fail (which they do with some regularity), those pressure swings can become significant. Under the right conditions, that pressure differential can push boiler water backward into the supply line. The result is contaminated drinking water, and it’s a scenario that’s entirely preventable.
If your home is heated by a boiler and you’re unsure whether a backflow preventer is installed on the makeup water line, it’s worth having a technician take a look. It’s a simple, low-cost fitting that provides meaningful protection. We also recommend having the expansion tank evaluated at the same time - a failed expansion tank is one of the most common boiler service calls we make, and it’s directly connected to the pressure dynamics that make a missing backflow preventer a real concern rather than a theoretical one.
Why Does My Boiler Take So Long to Heat Up The House?
If you’ve ever turned your boiler on and found yourself waiting what feels like forever for the house to actually get comfortable, you’re not alone - it’s one of the most common complaints we hear from homeowners with hot water heating systems. The good news is that slow heat-up time usually points to one of a handful of issues, most of which are fixable.
The system may need bleeding. Hot water heating systems can accumulate air in the pipes and radiators over time. Air pockets prevent hot water from circulating freely, leaving some radiators only partially warm or stone cold while others heat normally. Bleeding the system - releasing that trapped air through the bleed valves on your radiators or baseboards - is sometimes all it takes to restore proper circulation and dramatically improve heat-up times.
Circulation problems run deeper than air. If bleeding doesn’t solve it, the circulator pump may be weakening or failing. The circulator is what moves hot water from the boiler through the entire system and back again. A pump that’s losing efficiency moves water too slowly, and slow water means slow heat delivery to every room in the house.
The boiler itself may be undersized or losing efficiency. A boiler that was never quite the right size for the home, or one that has scaled-up heat exchangers from years of mineral buildup, simply can’t produce and transfer heat as effectively as it should. Scale acts as insulation inside the boiler - not the kind you want - and forces the system to work harder and longer to reach the same result.
If your boiler seems to be working hard but your home is slow to respond, it’s worth having a technician take a look at the full picture - circulation, pressure, and the boiler’s overall condition. These systems are built to last, but they do need attention to perform the way they were designed to.