Do you have one of the older homes in North Boise that Steam Radiators still heat? This is not uncommon in many homes in the Boise area. It was very popular through the early years of heating in Idaho to use steam heat due to the fact that it works so well. It is efficient and puts out a lot of heat. Those old radiators can sometimes wear out due to old age, rust, or other issues. Drake Mechanical can locate and install new steam radiators for you, or if possible, we can repair your old ones. If you have Steam Finned Tubes, that is no issue either. They are no problem to install or get a hold of.
If you have a steam system that is making a bunch of popping or banging sounds that it didn't use to, or you are noticing other problems with your radiators that you have never noticed, you could have some issues with steam traps in the system that have failed or stuck open. We can easily check these out for you and get them repaired or replaced so your steam radiator system works as it should. The purpose of a steam trap is to let the steam condense back into the water; once the trap fills up with water, it will activate a float or other method and let the water pass back to the condensate pump or boiler, where it is converted back into steam and so the cycle continues. If the steam trap is open, it will allow steam to continually pass through it and pressurize the condensate side of the system, causing other problems. For questions or to get work done on your steam radiator system, CLICK HERE or Call 208-362-6200 today.
What's the right boiler for your home?
A qualified, registered installer will help you to buy an appropriate boiler for your home. But first, here's a little background on boilers: what's hot and what's not.... In most cases, the "right" boiler will mean a condensing boiler. In fact, exceptional circumstances aside, all new gas and oil central heating boilers fitted in the UK must now be condensing boilers by law.
As your installer will confirm, condensing boilers can be easily fitted to most new and old heating systems. But what makes them better than older, non-condensing boilers is their efficiency: they waste far less energy. Put another way, while poor old non-condensing boilers convert just 60% of their fuel into heat, the efficiency rate on modern A-rated condensing boilers is at least 90%. An A-rated condensing boiler will also use a third less fuel than an older boiler to provide the same amount of heat, potentially cutting heating bills and CO2 emissions by a third too. All of which makes condensing boilers the most efficient boilers on the market.
To tell a condensing boiler from a non-condensing boiler, look at the flue that sticks out from the outdoor wall adjacent to your boiler - and the type of waste heat it lets out into the atmosphere. A flue is a pipe that takes the exhaust gases generated by your boiler and passes them out through the wall or roof - letting them escape into the air. The end of the flue is covered by a metal or plastic protective cover, which makes sure that a good flow of air is maintained. If the flue is made of plastic and lets out visible steam when the boiler is firing, then congratulations: you are likely to have a condensing boiler already. if the flue is made of metal and no steam is visible, you are likely to have a non-condensing boiler. These older boilers let out much hotter gases that are invisible to the naked eye' and would melt a plastic flue.
We cover the entire Treasure Valley to make sure that your Boiler is maintained properly and if you need a new one we will be there for you. From Boise, Meridian, Kuna, Star, Eagle, Nampa and Caldwell Drake Mechanical handles your boiler work in a quick and proffesional manner.