As Winter approaches it’s important to stay ahead of the game with your safety. We want all our customers to be warm, conformable and secure at home this winter which is why we want you to be 100% sure your boiler is ready for the cold months ahead.
There’s nothing better than getting home to a warm house when it’s freezing outside. However, if you’re boiler breaks down during the cold months ahead, you could be in trouble. We have written our top 5 tips to ensure you stay safe and warm this winter, getting home to a warm and comfortable house.
CHECK YOUR BOILERS
Considering the fantastic summer the UK has experienced this year, it wouldn’t be wrong to suggest that most of us haven’t been using our heating that often. Therefore, it is a perfect time to get it checked before winter kicks in, making sure it is in good working order ready to keep you warm when called upon.
GAS CHECKS
Ideal recommends this as an annual occurrence for the safety of you and your family. It is imperative that you have it checked at least once a year by a gas safe engineer (Make sure they show you their Gas Safe registration before having your boiler looked at). It is also important to make sure your carbon monoxide detector is in place and tested to ensure they are working properly, for more information on this, visit our blog.
CHECK WATER PRESSURE
On a sealed system (one where you top the water pressure up using a filling loop) check that your water pressure is between 1 and 1.5 bar. If your pressure drops below 0.5 bar then the boiler will lockout to a “low pressure” fault. This will stop your boiler from firing up. Making sure your pressure is correct will mean your boiler can be called into action whenever it is needed.
INSULATE CONDENSATE PIPES
If your condensate pipe is on an outside wall, then make sure it is insulated. If the temperature has dropped below freezing, then the liquid within the condensate pipe can freeze and cause your boiler to go to a lockout. A simple solution to this is pipe insulation (sometimes called pipe lagging). Pipe Insulation minimises the heat loss keeping the water in the condensate pipe above freezing. We recommend from any condensate pipe work that is run outside should be upgraded to 32mm pipe size. Check out our video for more help!
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
Calling a professional heating engineer to check over your boiler, central heating system and ventilation to make sure everything is in order not only prevents unexpected breakdowns but always gives you a peace of mind. Any serious faults with your boiler may lead to a replacement which is why we recommend you get your boiler looked at early, keeping your family warm and safe ready for winter.
We recommend you turn on your heating a few times throughout the summer months just to make sure everything is in working order.
If you have any questions surrounding these issues, please get in contact with our customer service team who will be able to assist you further on 01482 498660.