Boiler FAQs: The Importance of Summer Boiler Maintenance

Now that summer’s here and we rarely have to reach for our thermostats, we could be excused for forgetting all about our boilers — right? In fact, there are plenty of good reasons for keeping an eye on our central heating, even during the hottest months of the year.

We’re not just talking about the infamously unreliable British weather. Staying on top of maintenance and safeguarding now will often save you time and money further down the road. That’s why we’ve put together this FAQ to help keep your boiler in tip-top condition.

Let’s grab our favourite sunglasses and a tall, cool drink to explore how to maintain a healthy central heating system all year round.

Should You Turn Off Your Boiler During Summer?

With temperatures soaring, you may be thinking to yourself, can I turn my boiler off? But if you want to keep your boiler in great condition, it’s not recommended that you switch the whole thing off for the summer. For starters you still need hot water for your taps and showers which your boiler provides either directly from a combi boiler or indirectly in the case of a regular or system boiler, by heating the water in your cylinder.

Also, our combi and system boilers run a short daily pump exercise where the pump runs for very short burst to make sure everything is kept moving, if you switch off the boiler at the mains then this pump exercise will not run.

In the case of a combi boiler some people like to switch their boiler to hot water only mode so no matter how chilly those mornings get the heating won’t come on, but you still have hot water for your taps and showers. This mode can be found on our older boilers by turning the mode dial on the front to point to the tap icon, or on our newer boilers by accessing the mode function in the menu on the screen. Just don’t forget to switch it back to heating and hot water mode as we go into Autumn

Should a Boiler be Serviced Every Year?

We always recommend that you should have your boiler serviced annually. A service involves vital safety checks for gas and carbon monoxide leaks, making sure your boiler is running at peak efficiency.

This might sound surprising, but summer is actually a great time to get your annual service done.

Here are three good reasons why:

• It’s best to get any potential problems nipped in the bud now, rather than finding out that major work needs to be done when temperatures have dropped. If a service does find a significant fault that needs repairing, it’s safe to say we’d all miss our heating much more in December than during the middle of August!

• When you book a service in the summertime, it’s likely you’ll find it much easier to get the job done quickly because of reduced demand. Waiting until winter, when breakdowns and callouts are much more common, you could find it tougher to get your service sorted when you need it most.

• Finally, getting your annual boiler service completed on time helps protect your warranty, which could mean avoiding big pay-outs further down the line. It’s always best to stay on top of boiler maintenance, secure in the knowledge that you’re keeping your home safe.

Reputable manufacturers, like our here team at Ideal Boilers, will always drop you a line when your boiler is due to be serviced — it’s never been easier to simply book a boiler service online.

Is Summer a Good Time to Replace Your Boiler?

For many of the same reasons that summer’s a smart time to get your boiler serviced, it’s also a good time to get your boiler replaced. It will probably be easier to schedule the necessary work with an engineer because of the time of year, and you’re far better off replacing a boiler now rather than waiting a while and risking it breaking down in winter.

By choosing to find a new boiler before it gets to the point of becoming a priority, you’ll have more time to pick out the perfect model for you, whether you’re looking for a combi boiler or heat only solution. You’ll also have a brand new boiler ready for winter, so you’ll be much less at risk of having to deal with central heating problems in the colder months.

My Boiler is Acting Up — Should I Wait?

No matter what time of year it is, we always advise that you should act quickly if you are concerned about your boiler. Small problems can quickly get worse, so it’s not worth the risk of waiting around and hoping things will clear up by themselves

Taking care of your boiler will help keep it working safely and efficiently, which in turn means cheaper energy bills and less worries for you. If you take great care of your central heating system, you can count on it to return the favour.

You’ll find further advice on central heating, servicing and boiler care in our FAQs, as well as more in-depth guides on our blog.