Boilers, it's maintenance time Safety and savings, here's what to know

Boilers, it's maintenance time

Safety and savings, here's what to know

With the arrival of cold, the proper functioning of the boiler or heat pump air conditioner is essential, both to ensure a warm winter and to avoid unpleasant penalties. Furthermore, a tidy plant pollutes and consumes less

Adiconsum has prepared a set of guidelines to help with periodic maintenance, which must be entrusted to a maintenance technician or a company in possession of the technical and professional requirements.

The cost of ordinary maintenance of the boiler varies depending on the company you rely on and depending on the Region and usually ranges from 60 euros to 80 euros (it goes over 100 euros, instead, for checking emissions).

In general, however, there are other expenses once the appliance has been purchased: the first cost to be incurred is the first ignition, the testing of the newly installed boiler, the first smoke control, which only some companies include in the purchase price; the second may be the extension of the guarantee and the scheduled assistance: depending on the company, there is a one-off cost ranging from 50 to 80 euros and an annual fee of around 100 euros. So, if – for example – you want to extend the warranty up to 5 years, it will cost you between 500 euros and 700 euros, a price that is too high, even though it covers the costs for the checks required by law (which in 5 years, in addition to when tested and first switched on, there are one or at most two), even extraordinary maintenance and any spare parts for the boilers, which should not have major problems in the first 5 years of life.

The maintenance of systems with power lower than 35 kW must be carried out according to the instructions given in the use and maintenance manual of the manufacturer or manufacturer's plant, in compliance with the Uni and Cei standards relating to the type of installation.

Without these indications, in Lombardy one must intervene at least once every two years for thermal plants fueled with gaseous fuel, and once a year for the other plants. The maintenance technician, having completed the operations of checking, cleaning and analyzing the plant's combustion products, compiles and signs a technical control report and the system booklet. Subsequently, the plant manager signs the report, for acknowledgment.

The contribution for the certification is destined to the competent local authority and is used to support the inspection service of the thermal plants required by law. It is different from the regional contribution, which is instead used for the management of the Curit, an important surveillance tool for all the plants, which allows the Lombardy Region and local authorities to identify the most appropriate interventions to improve energy efficiency.

«It is a good rule – advises Mina Busi, president of Adiconsum Bergamo – to read the meter every year, before turning on and after turning off the heating. The system booklet, which must be kept by law, on the last page has a table where it is possible to note the values ​​recorded. Even if there are no legal obligations, we recommend for your own and other people's safety to regularly have all the systems serviced. For stoves and water heaters there is no need to certify maintenance ».

The Decalogue of Adiconsum

1. We limit the temperature of the heating systems (20 °)

2. Maintain boiler maintenance before the start of the season

3. Insulate the windows to avoid losing heat

4. Use light curtains that can let sunlight in

5. Check the radiators and purge the air

6. Ventilate the rooms when the radiators are not yet lit: 10 minutes is enough

7. Lower the shutters when it gets dark to avoid heat dispersion

8. Close the radiators in rooms that are not used

9. Use appliances well:

– Class A ++ appliances cost but also save 40%

– use full load and low temperature dishwashers and washing machines

– check the operation of the refrigerator which is the one that consumes the most

– eliminate the plug-in stand-bys

10. Choose the operator and the most convenient rate: the free market allows you to choose. The dual-rate tariff is suitable for those who work outside the home if we concentrate consumption from 7pm to 8am on weekdays and during weekends and holidays.

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