You depend on your boiler, whether you realize it or not. Your boiler's job is to provide hot water to your home. And, whether you're making tea or taking a shower, it's never a good thing when your boiler goes out. Fortunately, your boiler going out doesn't have to be a "surprise attack." There are several signs that can alert you when your boiler is on its last legs, and if you're being watchful of them, you can get them taken care of before they pose a serious problem.  

Short-Lived Hot Water

Many people love nothing more than to take a long, hot bath. These are the people who often notice when their water heater isn't doing so "hot." If you're not that type though, it may tale you a little longer to realize that your hot water isn't working quite as well as it used to.

If you fall into the second camp, run your hot water for a few minutes straight every so often. If you find it goes cold in less than five minutes or so, this could be a sign that you need to get a professional in to take a look at your unit.

Things that Go Bump in the Night

Hot water heaters should be relatively quiet other than the occasional whirring noises that let you know it's running. As such, if you happen to notice banging, clanking, or other annoying sounds, you need to have it looked at.

Typically, a noisy hot water heater is a dirty one in need of professional cleaning. Those annoying sounds you hear are likely dust and debris coming into contact with the boiler's fans and other sensitive internal components.

Showing Its Age

Hot water heaters are great machines and, more often than not, they will last well past the common 5 to 10 year warranty they typically come with.

However, if your hot water heater is getting near its projected expiration date, you need to be extra watchful of it. If you catch problems or issues early enough, the unit, even if it's older, can typically be repaired. If you let problems go on too long, though, a full on replacement may become necessary.

In fact, that's pretty much true of all hot water heaters. The longer you let problems go on, the more serious and thus more costly and difficult to repair they are likely to become. So, the second you notice anything odd with your boiler, call in the professionals like those from Reagan-Riter Boiler Works Inc.