Our house is equipped with a hot water boiler system for radiant heat. The boiler is 40 years old and we've never had a single problem with it other than having to replace zone valves. With proper maintenance how long will one of these boilers last?
Boilers can last 20 years or more if they are properly maintained and no air enters the system. The key is that you MUST have it drained and serviced each year. A simple thing like a frozen check valve can turn your hot water boiler (or heater, for that matter) into a bomb/rocket in very short order. There is no advantage to keep a boiler over 20 years, as the energy savings provided by modern units will pay for the new system in 5-10 years.
