A lot of homes around Missoula don't heat with a furnace. They use hot water: a boiler in the basement, plus baseboard, cast-iron radiators, or radiant floor tubing under the floor. Plenty of older homes in town and multi-unit buildings around Western Montana run this way. Hot-water heat is comfortable, quiet, and can last a long time, but it needs some attention before the long stretch of cold weather we get here.
I've spent more than ten years working on heating systems across Western Montana. Here's what I'd want every boiler owner to know heading into winter.
Why fall is the time to check your boiler
A boiler can sit idle all summer and then run almost nonstop from late fall into spring. Small problems that didn't matter in July, like a sticky valve, a weak circulator pump, or a little air in the lines, show up once the system is working hard. It's a lot easier to deal with them on a mild October afternoon than at 2 a.m. during a cold snap, when a no-heat call can also mean worrying about frozen pipes.
What a homeowner can safely check
You don't need tools for most of this. A few minutes of looking and listening goes a long way.
Look at the pressure gauge. Most residential boilers have a combined pressure and temperature gauge. Find out from your installer or your boiler's manual what normal looks like for your system, and notice if it starts creeping up or dropping over time.
Watch for water. Check around the boiler, the expansion tank, the relief valve, and any exposed piping for drips, puddles, or crusty white or green buildup. That buildup often means a slow leak.
Listen when it fires up. Banging, gurgling, or a loud whooshing sound can point to air in the system, a circulator problem, or a burner that needs attention.
Feel the radiators or baseboard. If some rooms heat fine and others stay cold, or a radiator is warm at the bottom and cold at the top, there may be trapped air or a balancing issue.
Keep the area clear. Boilers need combustion air and room for service. Don't store boxes, paint cans, or anything flammable near the unit or the venting.
Check your carbon monoxide alarms. Any home with fuel-burning equipment should have working CO detectors. Test them and replace the batteries if needed.
If anything looks off, don't try to adjust the controls, open the relief valve, or take panels off. Boilers work with pressure, high temperatures, gas or propane, and electricity, so that part is best left to a pro.
What a professional boiler tune-up covers
A proper fall service goes well beyond a glance at the gauges. Depending on the boiler, a technician will typically:
Inspect and clean the burner and combustion chamber
Check the ignition, flame, and safety controls
Test the pressure relief valve and make sure the expansion tank is working correctly
Check the circulator pump(s) and zone valves
Bleed air from the system where needed
Inspect the venting and check for safe combustion
Look over the piping and connections for leaks or corrosion
If your boiler also heats your domestic hot water through an indirect water heater, that's worth looking at during the same visit, since one system is doing two jobs.
Warning signs you shouldn't ignore this winter
Call for service if you notice any of these:
No heat, or heat that keeps cutting out
The pressure gauge running higher or lower than normal, or the relief valve discharging water
Water leaking around the boiler or piping
A smell of gas, or soot around the boiler or vent (if you smell gas, leave the home and call your gas utility or 911 first)
Your CO alarm going off
New loud or unusual noises
Radiant floors, heat pumps, and other hot-water setups
Not every hot-water system looks the same. ProCare Climate works on radiant floor heating, multi-unit building boilers, indirect water heaters, and heat pumps tied into hot-water heat, along with propane and electric furnaces. If you're thinking about upgrading an older boiler or adding radiant heat, fall is a good time to talk through your options before you're stuck making a decision in an emergency. We also handle the permits and inspections.
Local help, any time of day
ProCare Climate serves homes and businesses in Missoula, Lolo, Frenchtown, Stevensville, Hamilton, Polson, and across Western Montana, and we're open 24/7. We work on all brands.
Need a boiler tune-up, have a heating problem, or want to talk about a new system? Call 406-546-1289, or request a free install estimate on our website.