As winter hits in the UK, you can hear the whirring sound of the boilers coming from the different houses. Definitely, that’s the time you need your boiler the most. And for that you need to be sure that you can completely rely on that thing, you are so much banging on.
So, out here, in this blog, we have explained the best ways, you can undertake to get your boiler ready for the winter months:
1. Check before it’s Cold: Having your boiler not working in the freezing cold can be the worst thing to happen. So it’s wise to check it earlier to avoid such unwelcome surprises. Try to identify the issues beforehand and get them repaired if there are any.
2. Book a Boiler Service: During a boiler service, a professional eye does a thorough checkup of the system to find out any minor or major errors so that they can be rectified in time. However, such defects can be overlooked by someone, who is not a gas engineer. Servicing your boiler before the fall is, therefore, most required to make it give a healthy service during the heating season.
3. Power Flush your Heating System: With time, dust and debris, like limescale and sludge deposits can make their shelter in your heating system. As you power flush your boiler, heating system, and radiators, they become free from those unwanted deposits and turn clean and more effective.
4. Bleed your Radiators: While its the winter, you might notice heat unevenly distributed throughout the home. The radiator turning cold at the top, even when switched on can be an indication of the excess air in it. To get rid of that air, you can just bleed your radiators by turning the radiator bleed valve anticlockwise using a radiator key. Shut the valve down, once you find the water coming out of it.
5. Get your Boiler Pressure Right: Boilers can work right with the right boiler pressure. However, it can be understood with the help of a pressure gauge. Normally anything between 1 to 1.5 in your boiler pressure gauge can indicate normal boiler pressure, usually showing the green mark. Boiler pressure going lower than this mark can get your heating system give an inferior performance. Whereas boilers with high pressure can get your boiler leaks and damages. However, a high boiler pressure can be adjusted by bleeding the radiators. And if the boiler pressure turns too low, you can use a refilling loop to increase the pressure.
6. Do a Summer Run: Before the heating season hits, it’s better to be sure that your central heating is working all well. So it gives you the time in your hand to find out the issues and to get them rectified, before the time you need it the most.
7. Keep your Heating System Clean: Cleaning your heating system is a big task, you should do to get its optimum performance. At times, a system can get permanently damaged due to the accumulation of sludge in it. A trained plumbing engineer will know the right way to thoroughly power flush your entire heating system, along with its valves, pipes, radiators, and all. A chemical compound known as the inhibitor is also added to the system, finally to prevent any further sludge formation and corrosion.
8. Install a System Filter: To eradicate unwanted contaminants from the water in the boiler, system filters play a great role. It is a handy appliance that serves a great purpose in getting your boiler clean and sludge free. Installing it before the winter assures you of a better and more effective service. with fewer chances of breakdowns.
9. Give your Boiler Enough Space to Breathe: Boilers need sufficient air for the combustion process. Too many things in its front, blocking the air to reach it can reduce its performance. So get the boiler sufficient space to take the air in and out.
10. Check your Boiler Flame: If you are aware or not, it’s the flame of the boiler that can help you make out your boiler’s health. Whereas a bright, blue flame indicates a healthy boiler, if it is burning with a weak, yellow flame, that should be of a faulty boiler, probably giving out poisonous gas. A gas-safe engineer should be called soon to get things rectified asap.
11. Insulate your Pipes: Take care of your water pipes, when the temperature starts dipping outside. Mostly, the pipes you have outdoors need to be well insulated. You can get a ready-made pipe lagging for pennies from a D-I-Y store, and can get your pipes well wrapped. Also check for the cold areas in your home like the basement, attic, bathroom, or other areas, and see if the pipes need insulation. Also maintain your thermostat at a low temperature, even when you are away to prevent such freezing. Or else you will be shocked to find your pipes, broken and leaking, once you come back.
12. Check your Thermostat: To get your boiler to work right, your thermostat should be all good. If your thermostat is malfunctioning or even is wrongly placed, it will fail to read the room temperature correctly. Thereby, it will get your boiler to give inaccurate heating and also cause energy wastage.
13. Install a Smart Thermostat: As you get your thermostat right, it’s better if you can upgrade it. A programmable or smart thermostat can help you get more control over heating, thereby lowering energy wastage and carbon emissions.
14. Take Gas Safety Measures: As the best way to be gas safe, you need to have your boiler serviced annually. However, installing a carbon monoxide alarm can be a far better step to detect any such poisonous gas leakages.
15. Search and Go for the Best Energy Deal: As we know due to the present scenario of the world, fuel cost is increasing day by day. Do some research and compare the different deals in the market to find out the right one for you.
16. Boiler Replacement: Though it’s not the thing, you should do it every winter. But it’s’ something which is much considered and does give a reasonable benefit in return. As we want to get your boiler fit for the winter months, we have them repaired and serviced. But a boiler that is more than 15 years old and is showing regular signs of repair, should better be replaced. Even, if you have an old-fashioned boiler, you can rather upgrade it to a modern condensing Combi boiler.
17. Get the Right Boiler Type: However, your family’s hot water usage also matters in what type of boiler you should install. For families with high usage, system boilers, and conventional boilers are the better option. Now if you have a conventional boiler, it’s better, if you get it replaced with a system boiler, as the latter has got a much-updated technology to provide a more energy-efficient service. But, still, energy gets lost in system boilers, as well, while its hot water cools down. On the other hand, the Combi boiler heats up the water instantly, involving less wastage of fuel. And, it has got the updated technology to provide more effective service and thus turns out to be the right option for small households.
18. Boiler Retrofitting: Modern boilers always turn out to be technically more advanced than their older counterparts. So, rather than going for a boiler replacement, upgrading your boiler with those new technologies can also do the purpose of giving you an effective heating service in the winter.
A warmer home is much expected during the winter months. And as you follow the above-mentioned procedures, that will help you enjoy your cold months with much safety and comfort. But anyways, if you need any assistance with your boiler or your heating system, do look for professional help. You can also contact Golden Plumbing & Heating Ltd., as we have got skilled and certified gas engineers, working with us.
