We have put together four simple tips to keep your boiler working effectively. Boilers are the heart of your home. They give you hot water and keep you and your family cosy and warm in winter. Boilers breaking down in winter is very common, is a disaster for your home, and can cost hundreds of pounds to fix or replace. Here we have five simple ways to ensure your boiler works effectively.
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Regularly service your boiler
No matter how old your boiler is, annual checks of your boiler are crucial for effective running, and for the health and safety of your family. There are plenty of companies that offer boiler servicing. Have a search for Boiler Installation Evesham to find your nearest engineer. Servicing your boiler regularly means that any small problems or niggles can be dealt with straight away, saving you money in the long run. Regular checks are much cheaper than a boiler replacement. Regular checks also give you peace of mind for a warm house in winter.
Get a carbon monoxide alarm
This is important for boilers of any age. Carbon monoxide is tasteless and odourless. It can cause illness and even death. A carbon monoxide alarm will detect even the smallest traces, and keep your family safe. The alarms themselves are small devices, and are available to purchase from all DIY stores, or online.
Look after your radiators
This is an easy task that you should carry out regularly. Bleed your radiators to let out any trapped air, so keeping them working and warming effectively. You can clean the whole heating system with a power flush. Companies like www.combi-man.com/ can quickly and easily do this for you. A power flush gets rid of all scale, sludge and corrosion deposits, by using water sluiced through the system at high speed.
Look after your pipes.
Freezing temperatures can lead to burst pipes. As water freezes it expands, causing cracks in pipes and even bursting pipes completely. Insulate your pipes to keep the water flowing freely through them in the winter. Pipe insulation materials can be purchased from many DIY stores.
These small steps will ensure you boiler will continue keep you warm, providing hot water, and keep your family safe.
Protecting pipes from freezing in winter
A boiler can only keep the house warm if the pipework survives the cold. Wrap exposed pipes in foam lagging, especially outside and in unheated spaces. Outdoor taps need the same protection, so remove any hose attachments and fit the foam directly around the tap. Get dripping taps fixed before winter too, as a frozen tap can lead to blocked or burst pipes.
Keep some heating on even when you are away for a few days. A low thermostat setting of around 14°C should be enough to stop pipes freezing. If you have a cold water tank in the loft, leave the hatch open in very cold weather so warm air can rise and protect unlagged tanks and pipes.
If a pipe does freeze, turn off the stop tap and thaw it slowly with a hairdryer on its lowest setting, towels soaked in warm water or a hot water bottle. If it bursts while thawing, shut off the mains at the stopcock and call a plumber.
Checking your boiler before winter
A simple way to remember winter boiler checks is inspection, maintenance, operation and safety. Start by making sure nothing blocks the air intakes, look at the burner for signs of wear, and check that pipes are properly insulated against frost. Book a Gas Safe registered engineer to give the boiler a thorough annual service, and keep the area around it clean and free of dust. Bleed any radiators that are cooler at the top than the bottom.
Then watch the boiler while it runs. Listen for clanging, knocking or other unusual noises. A brief smell of dust burning off is normal when it first fires up after summer, but a smell of burning after that means the system should be shut down. Look at the flame too. It should burn a strong blue, and a yellow or smoky flame points to a fault.
Finally, fit carbon monoxide detectors near the boiler and bedrooms, along with smoke alarms, and test them regularly. Landlords are legally required to fit them, and it is good practice for every home.