Your boiler and central heating are never more important than during the winter. It’s when you’re most reliant on them, and if anything goes wrong it can prove to be a total disaster. To prevent this, it’s vital to properly prepare your boiler and central heating systems before the cold sets in.
At CHS we have over 15 years of experience working with boilers and central heating systems across Scotland. The extensive experience we possess with central heating and boilers allows us to quickly resolve any problems you might have with your central heating.
In this article, we’ll discuss how you can properly prepare your central heating for the winter.
Why is it so important?
So why is it so important to get your boiler ready for the winter?
Boiler troubles are always a headache. While modern boiler designs are a lot more refined than older boilers and don’t suffer nearly as many issues, a boiler that isn’t properly maintained can quickly run into serious issues. It is vital that you keep on top of boiler maintenance if you want to avoid issues.
Winter is when you’re most reliant on your boiler. It’s when your boiler is under the most strain and is working its hardest to keep your home warm. If it isn’t in peak condition, then your boiler is going to struggle to deal with the increased demand.
If a breakdown happens in winter, you can still get help, but the problem is that winter is the busiest period for engineers. Not only are they dealing with the influx of repairs from broken down boilers, but many people often leave their annual service to the last minute and so engineers have to handle this as well.
This means if you are dealing with a break down in the winter you are likely going to have to wait longer for help. This is why preparing your boiler ahead of time and ensuring it is so important.
Getting your Boiler Ready for the Winter
So, what are the best ways to get your radiators ready for the winter?
The best ways all ensure that your boiler is working effectively and can provide your home warmth at maximum efficiency. They ensure your boiler isn’t put under additional strange and is in top shape to deal with the additional demands of the winter months, which can be
The most important step – getting it serviced
A majority of boiler manufacturers will recommend that you get your boilers serviced at least once a year.
Many boiler warranties will go further and expect your boiler be serviced once a year. If you fail to get your boiler serviced, you could potentially lose your warranty and all of the benefits it brings. Most boiler manufacturers will expect the boiler to be serviced by a certified gas safe engineer.
This on its own is good enough reason to get your boiler serviced. Losing the warranty could mean an invalidation of your home insurance when it comes to claims relating to your boiler.
But beyond that a service is vital for ensuring your boiler is in good shape. When an engineer examines your boiler, they’ll check all the components to ensure everything is working, clean the boiler, and replace any damaged or worn-out components.
By having a boiler service you’ll ensure your boiler is working as intended, is energy efficient, and meets important safety standards.
It’s best to have a boiler service done before the winter. If you’ve not yet had your boiler service, it’s important to organise it ASAP.
Test your Boiler
A common problem for boilers is that after a long period of disuse the sudden switch to regular use (i.e., the boiler being used daily during the winter after not being used for months prior) can prove to be a huge strain on the boiler.
Running your boiler for a few hours before the cold weather really begins to set in can be an excellent way to check if your boiler system is working as intended.
Insulating your Pipes
It’s not uncommon for the boiler condensate pipe to freeze during the winter. This is because during the condensing process standing water can be left in the pipes.
This is serious, because if the pipe freezes, then the boiler will stop working.
The pipe may not just freeze, it may outright burst. This can lead to serious leaks and water damage.
You should focus on insulating pipes which are in unheated spaces.
Insulating boiler pipes is a great option because it’s cheap and relatively easy to do. It can help you to avoid a very serious problem developing as well.
Staying on top of boiler pressure
Boilers need to stay at a specific temperature to function properly. Your boilers manual will cover this, and most boilers will have a gauge – marked by green and red sections indicating the optimum pressure. If your pressure is too low, your boiler will be inefficient at warming your home. The system simply work effectively. This can result in cold spots (or the radiators simply not heating up at all).
This is obviously a disaster in the winter because you’ll be forced to pay even more money to keep your home warm.
If the pressure is too high, then your boiler can begin to leak. This can result in serious damage occurring, not only to the boiler, but to your home.
Making sure your boilers pressure is optimal is vital. It ensures not only that your boiler remains operational and works as effectively as possible, which is key during the winter season.
The optimal pressure for your boiler will depend on the kind of boiler you have. Always check the manual to see what the optimum pressure should be.
Keeping a close eye on your radiators
Your radiators are a key part of your central heating. How they function is a good sign of the current state of your boiler and central heating.
If your radiators have cold spots or are cold near the top but warm near the bottom, it’s a good indicator you’ve got an issue with air in the radiators and that you’ll need to bleed them.
Bleeding radiators is simple. You’ll need a radiator key, a cloth, and a jug. Turning the key counter clockwise until there’s a ‘hissing’ sound (escaping air). Once the hissing sound vanishes and water begins to escape, turn the key clockwise. Use the jug to collect any water and stop spills. You should bleed the radiators furthest away from your boiler and begin with the radiator’s downstairs.
If the issues continue and or any dirty or brown water comes out of the radiator while you are bleeding it, you may need to get a power flush.
Power flushing
Overtime your heating system will accumulate debris – rust, dirt, and other material. This forms sludge. It can really harm the energy efficiency of your homes heating system, and it can end up damaging the boiler to the point the only option you have is to get a replacement one.
The best way to handle this problem is power flushing. A power flush is a vital part of boiler maintenance, and it should be carried out 5 to 6 years after you’ve installed a boiler. It involves the circulation of powerful chemicals through your heating system.
By getting a power flush, you can make sure your boiler is in top condition before the winter. At CHS, we provide expert power flushing services.
System Filters
One of the best ways you can ensure your boiler remains energy efficient is by attaching a system filter.
Magnetic system filters are a simple kit which can be added to your central heating system. This is designed to extract the metallic sludge which overtime builds up in the system. Because water travels through the pipes, they tend to rust, and this can become dislodged and end up clumping together with dirt in the system to form sludge. Sludge can cause serious problems. We’ve already discussed cold spots and issues with energy efficiency, but it can also result in breakdowns and demand a power flush. The work required to deal with this is costly and invasive – the worst kind of work to need when you’re in the dead of winter.
Magnetic filters work by extracting the rust from the water as it travels, helping to stop the formation of sludge. It cannot deal with pre-existing sludge however, so it’s best used on a new boiler and central heating system.
This can be a fantastic way to protect your boiler and central heating in the long run.
Be ready to bring in the experts
There’s a lot you can do to protect your boiler and central heating from failures, but sometimes you’re going to have to rely on experts for help.
CHS Home Glasgow has a wide range of effective heating care plans and options that’ll ensure any boiler issues you face are handled quickly. We can carry out repairs on a wide range of different boiler brands. As a Which? Trusted Trader, we promise you quick, reliable services, ensuring you are never dealing with boiler issues for long.