I believe that boiled and felted are the same. You can run it in your washer on Hot and that is like boiling (or so they say). I think the important thing is that you also need to run it through the dryer.
I have run it through the washer and hadn't had any issues in the past - maybe it was the kind of wool? Although with this in mind I think if I want to do this I will take it to the laundromat just like with a rag quilt. I did the same thing (brand new washer so at least it was under warranty) the first time I washed a flannel rag quilt.