Joshua Collins

IT SEEMS hard to believe that winter is just around the corner, but if you don’t want to be left in the cold then there are a few simple things you should think about.

TIP 1:

BEAT the winter rush and get your boiler and heating system serviced and checked by a gas safe registered engineer. In a few weeks’ time they will be incredibly busy, and you may be left waiting in the cold.

TIP 2:

CHECK the condensate pipework from the boiler. If you have a condensing boiler, this will be a plastic pipe that runs out of the bottom of the boiler and in some cases to outside. Its purpose is to drain the acidic condensate fluid from the boiler. If it’s incorrectly installed or insufficiently lagged then it could freeze and stop your boiler from working.

A lot were caught out by this when we had the “Beast from the East.”

TIP 3:

IF you have a pressurised heating system, then the pressure should be checked using the pressure gauge which in many cases is integral to the boiler. For most systems, the pressure should be between 1 and 1.5 bar. The manufacturer’s instructions will clarify this and explain how to re-pressurise the boiler to the correct set-point.

TIP 4:

CHECK the heating pipework and radiators for any sign of leaks.

Visually check each radiator and its pipes for signs of rust, white calcified areas, crusted up joints or wet patches. Take a particularly close look at any joints or valves.

RUN the heating system and check for any air in the radiators. A good tip is to feel the top and bottom of each radiator. If the bottom is warm and the top is cold, then you probably have air trapped in it. Bleed the radiator using a special key until some water starts to come out.

Note this will cause a pressure drop in the boiler, so re-pressurise the boiler and then check again.

If the radiator is still cold, or if it is cold at the bottom and hot at the top then you may have a build-up of debris in your system. At this point it is best to speak to a professional who can clean the system out.

CHECK that you have the room thermostat and the thermostatic radiator valves set correctly. There’s a common misconception that these may need to be turned off or down for the summer however this is not the case, remember your thermostats read the temperature of your house not that of the outside.

Once a comfortable temperature is set you can leave them all year round.

If a TRV is turned off for any prolonged period, it could calcify or collect debris from the system and then not work when you turn it back on in the colder weather.

If this has happened, you will need to replace it.