The Winter is coming, and we might be indoors more than we thought, so now is the time to sort out your boilers efficiency. If your boiler is inefficient it will cost you more money and is bad for the enviromenent.
By following the following steps you can increase your boilers and radiators lifespan.
1. Bleed out your radiators.
Instruction:
If your radiator takes a while to warm up or has patches of cold spots, then you should bleed it. You get a brass radiator key from any hardware store and let the air out of the vent valve. Retighten it as soon as water comes out.
Purpose:
This low-key maintenance task gives your radiators a heat efficiency boost and should mean cheaper bills too!
2. Run your heating system on a regular timescale.
Instruction:
No matter what the season, make sure you pop the heating on for about 10-20 minutes at least once a month.
Purpose:
It might feel strange to fire up the heating in the summer, but it keeps the system active and prevents it from seizing up. This hugely prevents problems occurring in winter, when you need it most.
3. Insulate your pipes.
Instruction:
Get some foam tubes from a DIY store and lag your central heating pipes with them. Make sure that they’re the correct size for your pipes!
Purpose:
Insulating your pipes reduces heat loss and stops your boiler from working too hard and provides a simple way to protect it and save money.
4. Get a Powerflush by a professional.
Instruction:
If you’ve bled your radiators and they still fail to heat up properly, it might time for a powerflush. This pumps water through your central heating system and can be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Purpose:
Rust or debris builds up and clogs the central heating system over time making it hard for a boiler to operate efficiently. A powerflush clears the sludge, which can corrode the system if it is not cleared, and is a much bigger and costly problem to fix.
5. Top up the pressure of your system.
Instruction:
Check the gauge on your boiler. If it’s between 1 and 2 bars of pressure – ideally 1.5 - then it’s healthy. If not, then you’ll need top up by opening the filling loop valve beneath the boiler until the pressure hits 1.5.
Purpose:
High pressure can prevent your boiler from working properly, while low pressure means higher energy bills and poor boiler efficiency.
6. Get an annual service for your boiler.
Instruction:
Call a Gas Safe registered engineer once a year and arrange a service.
Purpose:
Boilers are like cars: they need a regular service to ensure peak performance. Arranging this annually will optimise its safety and efficiency and prevent more costly problems later on.
7. Upgrade to a new boiler.
Instruction:
Replace your boiler with a high-efficiency option if all of the above did not help.
Purpose:
Ensuring you boiler is regularly serviced and maintained will help maintain its efficiency, but there will come a time when it’s time to replace it.
For advice or help with any of the above points, if you live in our SERVICE area, feel free to get in touch with us.