Of course, signing-up with a plumber or British Gas for boiler servicing every 12 months is a necessity, but it’s worth knowing there’s some easy ways to ensure your home’s boiler and heating system is kept in optimum condition to reduce the risk of it breaking down between servicing.
With the harsher winter weather on its way, now’s a great time to highlight what you should do.
1. Bleeding the radiators
If you’ve noticed your boiler sounds nosier than usual, and there are areas of your radiator that aren’t getting as hot as they did then it could be then you may to bleed them. Doing this helps get rid of trapped air pockets in the radiators, ensuring your boiler isn’t overworked, and your central heating system runs more efficiently.
It’s dead as easy to do – as long as there aren’t any other underlying issues to your system. Just a case of opening a valve on each of your radiators and letting out the trapped air that’s affecting their ability to heat-up effectively.
2. Regular boiler-pressure checks
Checking on the pressure of your boiler is akin to how important blood pressure is to the body and heart. The pressure relates to a boiler’s ability to distribute the hot water around the radiators efficiently.
We recommend checking the pressure gauge every couple of months will mean you can keep on top of things and nip potentially any developing issues in the bud before they become a bigger problem.
If the pressure is low (below 1 Bar for most boilers), simply increase it either by following the instructions in your manual, or by asking your plumbing professional who will be able to help you.
3. Let your boiler breathe
Like most appliances, Boilers require an adequate airflow around so that they can stay ventilated – enabling it to run and full efficiency.
That means keeping the direct space around it clear of obstructions. So, your boiler is houses away inside a cupboard, for example, don’t ram the area with items such as coats and bags.
If your have more open boiler in your kitchen then try not to hang anything large on the wall near it, or overcrowd with appliances such as a microwave, kettle or toaster in and round the worksurface underneath.
4. Get any issues resolved as soon you spot them
Last but not least, address any issues as quickly possible. Whether your boiler requires a small, non-urgent repair to help it run a little more smoothly, or it needs replacing entirely, making sure you hire a fully qualified plumber to carry out the work.
The more routine tasks you can do at home to your boiler – keeping it dust free and checking the pressure gauge will go a long way to keeping it running well between the yearly safety check and full service.
Remember also, with boilers there is always that risk of a carbon monoxide leak. With that in mind, we highly recommend a detector with an alarm close to your boiler.
