What is Radiant / Hydronic Heating?

Radiant in-floor heat involves boiler and radiator installation for the use of low-temperature heating elements within walls and floors. The heating elements warm the floor which in turn warms the entire living space. Advantages include reduced heating costs for efficient heating and a decrease in airborne particles due to lower air circulation, a boon to allergy sufferers. Also, the warmth of the floors will keep occupants warm far longer in the event of a power interruption.

Most homes are heated with a forced air furnace or by electric baseboards. There are other heating methods as well, but radiant in-floor heating (also known as hydronic heating) is one of our specialties as a local heating company.

Using Boilers for Radiant Heat

Though some in floor radiant heat systems are powered by electricity, more common are systems that use water heated in a boiler unit, which itself can be fired by gas, oil or electricity. We have decades of boiler experience with both residential and commercial boiler installation, maintenance and heating repair.

Residential Boiler Maintenance

Boilers are reliable workhorses, but a lack of proper heating maintenance can result in leaking of poisonous carbon monoxide and possibly even an explosion. Proper maintenance is, therefore, essential. Despite the need for stringent maintenance – as legislated in British Columbia – boilers provide the most economical means of delivering large volumes of hot water. Additional services could include plumbing and drain maintenance with a maintenance agreement. 

Different boilers have different maintenance procedures and we always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. Boiler service should always be performed by qualified personnel and our boiler technicians can advise you on the correct service requirements for your boiler.

Our boiler services include: 

• Complete visual inspection
• Pipe and flue inspection
• Testing water pressure
• Testing water temperature
• Check system diagnostics and error codes
• Boiler flushing
• Annual maintenance programs 

If you are looking at replacing gas boiler with a different residential heating system call us for advice. We have decades of gas boiler services within our team and a wide range of home heating installations. For business interests you may be questioning the apartment building boiler cost for maintenance and repairs. We invite you to consult with one of our heating technicians for any of the above concerns.

For question about electric or gas boiler installation cost, please visit our rates page for the current fee structure.

Our technicians are experts at boiler repair services and will have any defective boiler back up and running in the shortest possible time. If you have a boiler in your home or business, or wish to have one installed anywhere in Richmond we are the right people to hire.

Pioneer Plumbing is the only name you need to know for expert installation, maintenance and repair.

Boilers are volatile systems containing very hot water or steam under high pressure. Care must be taken to ensure the boiler is clean and working properly and that all safety systems are functional and ready to work if needed. Hot water or steam leaks can cause serious injuries or damage. Boiler system failure can cause an explosion, which could cause serious injuries or death as well as catastrophic damage to your facility. An efficient boiler is a safe boiler and reduces customer downtime to a minimum.

Setting up a preventive maintenance plan is your best disaster insurance. Routine maintenance will not only ensure the system works properly at its highest level of efficiency but that safely is assured. Installation of a high efficiency boiler in a commercial property takes planning, and experience for successful results. We are one of Richmond top boiler maintenance companies.

Industrial boiler systems used to produce steam and generate electricity are typically the largest boiler equipment types. The process of doing so is called the Rankine cycle. To make steam, the boiler uses a form of energy, like coal, natural gas, or nuclear fuel. These are usually maintained by in-house specialists on salary.

Institutional boilers come in a wide variety of forms ranging from packaged systems to condensing types, skid mounted and waste heat recovery boilers. If you are looking at a system on this scale, call to set up a meeting. Regular office hours are 9:00 to 5:00 PM weekdays.

Commercial boilers will usually contain the following parts and components.

• 
  Burner: The burner is the part that provides the flames that heat the water in the boiler. The burner is responsible for creating the mixture of fuel of oxygen that produces a consistent, efficiently burning flame.
• Combustion chamber: The combustion chamber is the area within the boiler where fuel is burned to heat the water. The chamber contains the burners and is specially designed to provide a safe and secure zone for high-temperature combustion of volatile fuel. The chamber is usually constructed of cast iron, steel, or other heavy-duty metal.
• Heat exchanger: The heat exchanger is a vital component that transfers the heat produced by the burners to the water in the boiler. Heat exchangers are commonly made of cast iron, bundles of steel tubes, or copper.
• Controls: System controls allow users to set water temperature, ignition, air and fuel supply mixtures, and internal pressure. The controls regulate when and how often the burner fires, the temperature of the water, the rate at which fuel is used, and the quality of the mixture of fuel and oxygen. Safety controls also exist that ensure that the internal pressures in the boiler don’t get to high, that water temperature stays within a safe range, and that the system continues to operate properly.
• Exhaust stack: Also called the flue, the exhaust stack is the series of pipes that carry exhaust gases away from the inside of your facility to the outside. The exhaust stack must be carefully constructed to ensure that dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide are safely vented away from the interior of your facility.

Employing our team of expert technicians for new boiler installation and upkeep has proven to be a valuable asset for our customer base. They rely on us to shoulder the responsibilities of a boiler maintenance plan, repair, installations and peace of mind.

Call today to speak to one of our technicians about your heating requirements.