After several months of heavy use, your pellet boiler needs to be properly prepared for its summer shutdown. Thorough cleaning is essential to prevent moisture buildup and corrosion while ensuring the boiler is ready for the next heating season
Pellet heating is known for being one of the most convenient methods of solid fuel heating. Many satisfied users have replaced their wood boilers with pellet boilers in their central heating systems. To keep the system running smoothly, in addition to using high-quality pellets, regular maintenance is key.
Simply Shutting Down and Cleaning the Ash Isn’t Enough
An important aspect of keeping your pellet boiler healthy is preparing it for the summer break and months of inactivity. Simply shutting down the boiler and cleaning the burner from ash is not sufficient. A more thorough cleaning is required to remove soot buildup. Most boilers are located in basement areas where there is moisture, and since ash and soot residues are hygroscopic (absorb moisture), they create favorable conditions for corrosion.
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Additionally, depending on the quality of the pellets used, the ash may contain substances that can react aggressively with moisture. Therefore, it’s important to clean the pellet boiler thoroughly at the end of the heating season, rather than leaving the task for the start of the next season.
Annual Cleaning of the Boiler Is Recommended
Many modern pellet boilers have special springs inside the heat exchanger tubes. By pulling the lever, the springs move and remove soot deposits, improving heat transfer efficiency. In some boilers, this operation may be more complex, and manufacturers provide detailed instructions on how to perform this task.
While not mandatory, it is advisable to perform annual cleaning at the end of each season. After two or three years, a thin layer of soot may accumulate on the inside of the tubes that cannot be removed by simply pulling the lever. This layer acts as an insulator, reducing heat transfer to the water in the boiler and increasing pellet consumption.
The task of annual cleaning isn’t overly complicated. It’s recommended that an authorized service technician perform the cleaning in the first year so you can assess whether it’s something you can handle yourself. Just be sure to note the procedure and order of operations specific to your boiler. Some users will choose to handle the cleaning themselves every year, while many others prefer to pay a technician.
Proper Cleaning Prevents Corrosion
It’s important to mention that cleaning the burner, ash trays, and all other containers with ash at the end of the season should be more thorough than during the season. During the heating season, a quick clean is sufficient, as the boiler will be turned on again, creating new ash.
At the end of the season, the burner and all ash containers should be thoroughly cleaned to prevent residue buildup, which can absorb moisture from the air and cause corrosion. For this end-of-season cleaning, using an ash vacuum is ideal, if you have one. A regular household vacuum can also work, but only if you have disposable paper filter bags that you can throw away afterward.
Pellet Boilers Produce Less Soot in the Chimney
One of the advantages of using pellets is that the chimney remains cleaner. With efficient combustion and no condensation, the chimney should not pose any issues. Cleaning the pipes from the boiler to the chimney at the end of the season is usually enough. Cleaning these pipes is a straightforward process as they are connected by fitting into one another.
To clean the flue pipes, gently separate them using a rubber mallet and check for accumulated dirt on the inner walls. If present, remove them with a brush of appropriate dimensions. When disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling the flue pipes, be careful not to damage the seals, and replace them if necessary. Remember that unclean flue pipes can reduce the efficiency of the pellet boiler by up to 30%!
Finally, the level of dirtiness in your boiler at the end of the season and its reliability and efficiency largely depend on the quality of the pellets used. Starting with low-quality pellets may result in cost savings initially, but this is usually not worth it by the end of the season.
Photo: Alfa Plam, Kepo, Power Smith