To ensure the full efficiency and safety of the condensing boiler, it is necessary to schedule the cleaning and checking of the system.
- Condensing boilers are a great advantage in terms of cost savings and less impact on the environment;
- For their green technology to work at its best, they need to be serviced periodically;
- When we check the proper operation of the condensing boiler, let's not forget about the condensate drain pumps.
We are still a while away from the return of the fall season, when thinking about restarting the boiler will become a necessity. If it comes to maintenance, however, it is good not to wait too long, just so that everything will work at its best when it comes to putting it back into operation. Proper maintenance means, in fact, safety and optimization of consumption.
The importance of maintenance to ensure the efficiency of our boiler is an even more important topic in the case of condensing models, since their main advantage is that they adopt a green technology that must be able to operate at its maximum performance.
The advantages of the condensing boiler.
Before considering what are the basic steps to take care of the boiler, let's look at how condensing models work.
Condensing boilers take advantage of the water vapor produced by the flue gas. This allows latent heat to be recovered and used to power the boiler itself, increasing its energy efficiency. The higher efficiency of condensing boilers is the reason for the higher economic savings compared to traditional boilers and, of course, the lower environmental impact.
Let's take stock of boiler maintenance.
Condensing boilers are characterized by high reliability, but it is important that they are properly installed and periodically inspected, also following the manufacturer's instructions in the system manual.As far as the regulations are concerned in Italy, they stipulate that the routine check should be done once a year, while the flue gas check should be done every two years for boilers with a rated output of less than 100Kw and every year for the others.
Routine maintenance involves checking all components of the system and is therefore primarily functional for the safety of the appliance. As for the flue gas test, on the other hand, this consists of an evaluation test of the boiler draught, flue gas temperature, and CO and CO2 values. These are obviously indicative parameters of the efficiency of our boiler.
In any case, it is a good idea to contact technicians who are qualified to maintain condensing boilers, who will be able to carry out all the necessary procedures for proper operation.
For optimal system operation, we also check the condensate drain pump.
When talking about condensing boilers and their maintenance, we cannot forget the management of condensate drains.
We have seen in a previous article how the operation of these boilers results in the formation of acidic condensate with strong corrosive power that must be properly treated before being channeled and disposed of, so as not to cause damage to the pipes and the environment.
For the latter problem, the solution is simple: there are acid neutralizer that act as calcium bicarbonate filters, transforming the condensate from acidic to basic. For the actual drainage of condensate, on the other hand, when this is not possible by gravity, dedicated pumps can be used.
Condensate drain pumps are an essential ally of our boiler because they allow proper removal of the by-product of the combustion process in any situation, even when the discharge point is located at a higher level than the boiler itself. In order for the pump to do its job, which is to automatically remove the condensate water that accumulates in the system, it is important that the pump undergoes periodic cleaning and maintenance.
Condensate drain pumps are an essential ally of our boiler because they allow proper removal of the by-product of the combustion process in any situation, even when the discharge point is located at a higher level than the boiler itself. In order for the pump to do its job, which is to automatically remove the condensate water that accumulates in the system, it is important that the pump undergoes periodic cleaning and maintenance.
The condensate removal pumps available today are characterized not only by a wide power range, so as to cover different needs, but also by ease of installation, maintenance and cleaning. Of course, the main thing is to check for clogging or blockage of the drain and to use appropriate products to prevent the growth of bacteria.
