Like any other piece of HVAC equipment, your home's steam boiler has several safety devices that help keep it operating within its normal limits. While boilers developed a bad reputation from catastrophic failures in the past, modern boilers include numerous features to keep them running efficiently and safely. However, these features can also make it challenging to diagnose some failures.
If your boiler runs for a time and then shuts down, the most likely culprit is a safety switch.
Although you may not be familiar with the component, your propane or natural gas furnace's heat exchanger is one of the most critical components of the HVAC system. The heat exchanger is the largest component of your furnace, and it is the job of the heat exchanger to transfer the heat created by the combustion of the gas or propane to the exterior parts of the unit and then into your home.
