Trusted Home Inspectors in Marlborough, MA

What are condensing boilers, and why is it important? Condensing boilers are high-efficiency tankless water heating appliances that are being used more and more for residential hot water and heating purposes. Often, one type of boiler can even be used for both. These appliances usually vent directly to the exterior of the home via a PVC vent, and they are very efficient. There are a few important things to know about these appliances: They are fairly new in general, so we have not seen the full track record for reliability and life expectancy. They require regular maintenance (they need to be flushed periodically, see manufacturer recommendation for frequency). They are more complicated in terms of controls and electronics, which means there are more parts that can fail. They heat water as it is running through unit, which means there is a longer period of time on startup to get hot water to the faucet (which is a least favorite feature). They can be fitted with circulation pump systems (and some have them built-in) to solve the longer times on startup for hot water. We're seeing some other issues as these units age - leakage at connections for piping and venting being the most common ones, and we make sure to remove the cover on these units at every inspection, so we can identify these issues. We think these are generally great - and if you have one in your home, make sure to service it regularly. Let us know if you have any questions!