Your gas boiler acts as the central heating unit for your home or business, and as such is an essential part of your day to day schedule. Any disruption to your boiler's heating system can cause a massive disruption that can greatly reduce the comfort levels within your building, and be a serious safety concern depending on the severity of the weather outside. Fortunately, there are a few early warning signs associated with a gas boiler that is on its last legs, so you can identify and replace the unit before it actually starts problems for your building.

Reduced Responsiveness

One of the main advantages of using a gas boiler to heat your property is the fact that they produce and distribute heat extremely quickly. However, if you notice that your boiler is taking a greater amount of time to heat up, and that the heat that it is creating takes a while to actually spread throughout your home or business, there may be a mechanical issue with your boiler that is limiting its effectiveness. Replacing the unit is likely the best call, because this reduced effectiveness will cause your boiler to use more energy, thus driving up operation costs.

Yellow Pilot Light

While newer gas boilers may not have a pilot light, older models make use of a small flame to ignite the main burner within the boiler. If the pilot light is functioning properly, it should be a blue flame: however, if there is a gas leak (which could be a serious health and safety concern), the pilot light can turn yellow. If your pilot light is yellow, the best course of action is to get people out of your home and to contact a professional straight away to come and service your unit.

Noisy Operation

Another clear sign that there may be something wrong with your boiler is if you notice strange clunking, grinding, or otherwise irregular sounds coming from the unit when it kicks into gear. These noises can be caused by a variety of mechanical or pressure problems within the boiler, so they can be hard to diagnose from sound alone, but in any case, you should have a professional come and take a look at the unit straight away. Internal mechanical issues can increase the amount of wear that your boiler experiences, reducing its lifespan, while also causing for inefficient operation and increasing your energy bills at the same time.

For more information, contact a local furnace repair expert.