Preparing your boiler for the winter is an important task for any homeowner. The winter is when you’ll rely on your boiler the most, and ensuring it functioning properly is vital. In this article we’ll go over the best ways to ensure your boiler is ready for the winter.
Getting your Annual Service
Getting your annual service is probably the most important thing a homeowner can do to prepare their home for the winter.
Not only is this vital to do to keep your boiler under its warranty (and maintain all the benefits that come with this), but to ensure your boiler is functioning properly. A qualified engineer will examine the boiler, carefully cleaning components, and replacing any components that are damaged.
This can solve potential problems before they can become serious issues and is a great way to prevent your boiler from breaking down during the winter (the worst time for it to fail). It’s best to have your service done before the winter, because this is when engineers have the least amount of work and so it’s much easier to get an appointment.
Bleed the radiators
Radiators may not heat up properly and may be cool at the top but warm at the bottom. This is because hot water is not properly circulating through them, often because of air pockets. This can put a lot of strain on your boiler, while also reducing its energy efficiency (and so costing you more to heat your home).
Another sign you need to bleed your radiators is a gurgling noise, or the radiators taking longer to heat up.
It is good to bleed your radiators once a year, usually around autumn time. This is just before the winter cold snap.
Bleeding the radiators is a simple process. Make sure your heating is off and your radiators are cold. Hold an old cloth (or a jug) beneath the bleed valve and then insert the bleed key. Turn counter clockwise until there is a hissing sound. When water begins to escape, turn the key clockwise to tighten the valve once again.
Repeat this process across the rest of your radiators and then turn on your heating and see if the radiators are heating up correctly. If this does not fix the issue, you may need to have your radiators either drained or flushed.
Check your boiler pressure
Keeping your boiler pressure in check is a simple but important task for any homeowner.
Most central heating systems are sealed and work by heating cold water and pumping it through pipes and radiators. The system is pressurised and has to maintain a stable pressure in order to move around the water efficiently. If this pressure is compromised, then the central heating will become inefficient. Not only will this cost you more to run, but it will take longer for your central heating to warm up your home.
Most boilers have a pressure gauge showing you what the current pressure is. If you have a hydraulic pressure gauge, then low and high pressure will be indicated by red sections on the dial. Digital gauges on the other hand will have a flashing pressure reading.
Always check the manual for your boiler. Systems can be very different from one another, and the manual will indicate what the correct pressure should be.
Both low and high pressure can cause serious problems. Low pressure means the amount of water that is circulating inside of your water has dropped. This can result from a leak or a poorly performed radiator bleed. In either case, you should contact a professional to get help.
High boiler pressure is liable to impact the overall efficiency of your boiler. Furthermore, it is liable to end up causing leaks. High boiler pressure can result from the system being overfilled by water, the natural expansion of boiler parts, and the failure of pressure release devices in the boiler.
It is important to get an expert in ASAP to fix these issues.
Test your central heating system
A central heating system which hasn’t been used regularly for an extended period runs the risk of it developing issues. You may find if you haven’t had your central heating on during the summer (which is the case for most people) that radiators may be slow to heat up. The system may even fail entirely.
Inactivity is a major cause of boiler failure. The system can end up becoming stagnant and even result in serious blockages and breakdowns. After a long period of inactivity, the internal components of a boiler can feel a huge amount of strain having to heat your home, resulting in a breakdown.
As a result, it’s a good idea to test your central heating system with https://chshome.co.uk/ before the winter. This helps to ‘ease’ the system back into normal functionality and avoids putting too much pressure on the system.
