How Does My Boiler Work?

During a cold month like January, having a working boiler is a blessing.

But if you’ve never considered how your boiler works to heat your home, your Brooklyn heating experts at Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning are here to explain.

A Boiler System

Boilers work by heating water within the unit. Then it pumps this warm water or steam through a system of radiators placed throughout the home.

The first step involves heating the water and circulating it through the radiator and pipe circuits. To carry out this operation, many boilers are made to operate with particular fuel types. The most popular fuel types are gas and oil.

Then the boiler releases steam or hot water through pipes that link to radiators located around your house. Once the water or steam has cooled, it’s pumped back to the heating vessel. This helps to maintain a continuous process of providing heated water to the radiators.

Types of Boilers

There are essentially four types of boilers on the market. These include:

• Hot water boilers. These use oil or gas as fuel to heat the boiler water to a high enough temperature to power the radiators throughout your home.
• Steam boilers. These work by electrically igniting a combustible reaction between fuel and air. This raises the temperature of the boiler’s water-immersed tubes. This results in steam that is sent via pipes from the boiler to radiators. Homes don’t typically use steam boilers, but they are common in older commercial buildings.
• Gas boilers. Gas boilers allow fuel to be released via a gas valve and into a sealed combustion chamber via tiny jets inside the boiler. Using an electrical ignition, the gas is burned to produce heat, which is then distributed throughout your house via the radiators.
• Oil boilers. These work similarly to gas boilers and keep a home warm by heating water and transferring it through a system of pipes and radiators. The only difference is that oil boilers combust oil instead of gas to heat the water.

Petri has been installing, repairing and maintaining Brooklyn’s boilers for decades. Our professional team of experts knows how to work with all types of boilers and can help you maintain yours for optimal use.

If you have a boiler that isn’t working properly or want to discuss installing a new and updated boiler, give Petri a call at (718) 748-1254 or contact us online. We can help you find the best boiler for your home.