Is your boiler winter ready?
Is your boiler winter ready?
As the weather creeps further and further away from light nights and warmer weather, we can all see the winter weather approaching. People all over the UK are packing away their garden furniture and swapping it for cosy nights in in front of the TV.
Did you know that almost half of Brits turned their central heating on in mid-October, meaning that there is only a couple of weeks to go before the panic of broken boilers spreads across the UK. So, what should you do to prepare your central heating for the cold weather?
Annual boiler services
An annual boiler service is the easiest way to avoid boiler breakdowns and make sure everything is in top working order. Ideally, you’d get your boiler serviced before the cold weather kicks in so you can be assured its in great working order, but if not get our boiler service booked in as soon as possible.
Months of non-use can create problems in gas appliances, and these problems can lead to central heating system failures when the appliance begins operating in winter. Boilers should be serviced every year in order to ensure that they are safe and efficient for your family. A regular boiler service can also help to reduce running costs as it ensures that it is running efficiently.
Check your pressure and radiators
Take a look at your boiler’s water pressure to see if your boiler needs topping up or the pressure reducing. If the pressure is too low, you may be able to bring it back up to the right pressure without any difficulty, but if it is too high, you might need to speak with a Gas Safe engineer to resolve the issue.
The start of winter is also a good time to bleed radiators. This will ensure that your central heating operates efficiently – if there is air trapped in the radiator, then it will not warm up as well as it would if it was full of water. It might not even warm up at all. It’s time to dig out the radiator keys.
Run a practice test
Although it isn’t too cold outside just know, it is important to test your central heating system. A quick test for an hour will allow you to check whether your boiler is performing properly before the harsh winter weather arrives. Finding any issues now allows you to contact a heating engineer whilst the weather is still pleasant to arrange a repair. Plus, you won’t necessarily need the heating on just yet.
Insulate pipes
When the weather drops below zero, stagnant water in your pipes can freeze and cause major issues in your plumbing system. As water expands when it turns into ice, frozen pipes are also particularly likely to rupture and break. Pipe insulation is a simple, cost-effective solution to this problem.
Is your boiler winter ready? It will be after these simple steps!
Don’t be afraid to call out the experts
One of the key ways to avoid a boiler break down and beyond is get help sooner rather than later. Waiting until the whole system goes defunct is unnecessary and can actually be dangerous to the boiler.
If you think that it might be time to get your boiler serviced or think there’s an issue, contact Woolfoot Heating today and see how we can help.