An annual Laars boiler service checks combustion, venting, the heat exchanger, circulator pump, and safety controls to catch wear before it causes a no-heat call.
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A thorough annual Laars boiler service checks the flue and venting for corrosion or blockage, tests combustion and gas pressure, inspects the heat exchanger for scale or soot, confirms the circulator pump and expansion tank are functioning, tests the pressure relief valve and any low-water cutoff, and reviews the control settings. Many Laars units in Metro Vancouver homes are older cast-iron boilers tied into long-running hydronic loops, so a service visit also looks closely at expansion tank pressure and piping condition rather than just the boiler itself.
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Laars has a long history in residential hydronic heating, and a fair number of the units still running in Metro Vancouver basements are cast-iron boilers installed years ago, sometimes with a newer control board retrofitted onto an older chassis. That combination means an annual service isn't just about the boiler — it's about how the whole loop is aging together, including piping, radiators or baseboards, and the expansion tank.
A technician working on one of these systems will typically check for mineral scale inside the heat exchanger, since years of makeup water in an older loop with minor leaks can leave deposits that reduce heat transfer and make the burner work harder than it should.
Booking a Laars service before the fall heating season starts is generally the most useful timing, since it catches problems — a seized circulator, a fouled pilot assembly, a slow expansion tank leak — before the first cold snap puts real demand on the system. A boiler that sat idle over a damp coastal summer can develop issues that only show up once it's asked to run continuously.
Homes on Fraser Valley well water sometimes see faster mineral buildup in the heat exchanger and piping than homes on Metro Vancouver's softer reservoir supply, which is worth mentioning to your technician if you're on a well, since it can shift how often a flush or closer inspection makes sense.
| Component | What a technician looks for |
|---|---|
| Flue/venting | Corrosion, blockage, correct slope |
| Heat exchanger | Scale, soot, corrosion affecting efficiency |
| Circulator pump | Noise, leaks, seizure after idle periods |
| Expansion tank | Correct pre-charge and system pressure |
| Relief valve | Opens and reseats correctly under test |
None of these need an emergency call on their own, but they're worth flagging at your next service or sooner if they're paired with a burning smell or any suspicion of a gas leak.
Safety note
If you ever smell gas anywhere near a boiler, water heater, or gas line, leave the home right away and call FortisBC's emergency line at 1-800-663-9911 from a safe location outside — don't flip switches, light a match, or try to find the leak yourself. Gas boiler and water heater work, including venting changes, combustion adjustments, and gas line connections, must be performed by a Technical Safety BC licensed gas fitter.
Once a year is the general guideline for most residential Laars boilers, ideally before the heating season starts in the fall.
The checklist is similar, but older cast-iron units with atmospheric venting get closer attention to chimney condition and expansion tank pressure, since these components tend to age alongside the boiler.
Visual checks like watching for rust or unusual noise are fine for a homeowner, but combustion testing, gas pressure adjustment, and heat exchanger inspection need a licensed gas fitter.
It's often a sign of scale buildup on the heat exchanger causing localized boiling, which is worth having checked before it accelerates wear on the boiler.
It can catch early warning signs like soot staining or unusual combustion readings, though a fully cracked heat exchanger is typically a replace-not-repair situation once confirmed.
A technician will generally check that heat is distributing evenly through the system, but detailed radiator or baseboard work is usually a separate conversation from the core boiler service.
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