It’s safe to say that in most homes there’s usually a single area or room that ends up being lavished with a bit more attention than other parts — kitchen, garden, and master bathroom all come to mind. But the boiler room? Well, as The Wall Street Journal’s Wendy Bounds explains in a recent article, that’s increasingly the case.

 

Home cooling and heating systems have come a long way in recent years. They’ve become less menacing, noisy, and bulky and more and sleek, stylish, sexy, and energy-efficient (is Steve Jobs to blame?) and in turn, some homeowners have focused their undivided attention on them. I’ve yet to enter a household where a nifty-looking water heater is the apple of the homeowner’s eye — take a look at this! Isn’t she a beauty?! — but from the sounds of Bounds’ article, it isn’t entirely implausible.

 

Do you or a loved one spend more time hanging out in the boiler room than on the back porch? Does your heart race at the mention of a well-designed HVAC system? If so, Bounds is here to discuss the six symptoms to look for in a “boiler room junkie.”