At this time of year, you can’t afford to be let down by your boiler. Follow our simple guide to maintaining your heating system to lower the risk of potential breakdown, whilst ensuring your boiler is running safely and to its optimum efficiency. It could also save you money in the long run, both on repairs and fuel costs!
Annual Service
Similar to a car, each year your boiler should be checked over by a Gas Safe engineer in order to make sure it is running properly. During a service the components are checked and cleaned and a certificate is produced. Don’t forget, even if your boiler is new an annual service is essential to check it over and maintain the warranty.
Insulate the pipes
In the cold winter months your boiler’s external condensate can freeze and this will cause the boiler to cut out. As an immediate solution you can pour warm water over the pipe but as a preventative measure you could insulate the pipes or keep your heating on a lower setting when there is a risk of ice.
Wear and Tear
If you spot any black soot, hear strange noises or notice any leaks or cracks it is important that you contact an engineer. The sooner that an issue is detected the better.
Blue Flame
If you notice that the flame in your boiler looks to yellow or smoky rather than a strong blue this means that it not burning correctly. An engineer should be contacted as soon as possible.
Bleed the radiators
If your radiators feel cold at the top when they are on it could be a sign that there is trapped air inside. This needs to be released by bleeding the radiator. If you are unsure of how to do this have a look at our ‘Fuss Free Guide to Bleeding Radiators’.
Gas Safety
Carbon monoxide is a highly dangerous gas which can kill. You can’t see, smell or taste it which is why it is essential that you have a detector installed in your home. This needs to be placed near the boiler and checked once a month to ensure that is working.
