Heating tips: how to get your home winter ready

With the impending cold weather quickly approaching, all measures to ensure our homes are kept warm this winter need to be carried out.

Performing these checks will ensure that your heating system is in perfect condition for the winter. By carrying them out regularly, you will have a more efficient system, which will save you money.

Boiler Service

An annual boiler service is a great way to check the overall well-being of your boiler. This process checks that your boiler is working safely, efficiently and picks up any potential problems. This is like a car service which prevents any small problems from become costly.

We offer boiler services at Swale Heating, and you can have one carried out from just £90. Click here for more information.

Boiler Inspections

A boiler inspection is something that you can carry out without the need for a Gas Safe engineer. These general checks ensure that there are no obvious faults:

• Check that there are no leaks from the boiler.
• Check that the flue is accessible.
• Check that the vents are clear.
• Check that the flame is bright and blue. If it's yellow, this could indicate an issue, and a Gas Safe registered engineer will need to check this immediately. You can contact Swale Heating to book one of our Gas Safe engineers by clicking here.
• Check the boiler pressure if you have a pressure system. It should sit between 1 and 2 Bar. 

Pipes

It is vital to ensure the pipes are well insulated. Not only will this prevent them from freezing, but it will also make them more energy efficient - the insulation will reduce heat loss.

Thermostat

Faulty thermostats can lead to rooms being too hot or too cold. If the signal from the thermostat fails to send the signal to the valves, then your home will be at an uncomfortable temperature. It can either be that it may fail to turn the heating on, making the room cold, or it can stop them from cutting the heat off and making the room too hot.

It is easy to check if the thermostat is faulty or not. Set the temperature to the minimum and see if it turns off. If it fails to do so, reset the boiler clock and try again. If it continues not to shut off, then call a Gas Safe engineer.

You can click here to view Swale Heating’s repair services.

Radiators

In addition to ensuring your boiler is working efficiently, it is vital to ensure that your radiators are too. You should regularly bleed your radiators.

With the intake and exit valves open, use the radiator key to turn the bleed valve open. You should hear a hissing sound, which is air escaping, and be careful to ensure that you catch any water which also leaks out.

This process removes any excess air in the system and ensures that the entire radiator is warm and not that the top feels cold whilst the bottom feels warm, or vice versa.

It is important to ensure that your boiler and heating system are well maintained so that you are kept warm this winter and aren’t paying excessively. These checks should also ensure that your boiler runs safely and efficiently.

If you require any repairs, then you need to make sure they are only carried out by a Gas Safe engineer. You can rely on Swale Heating to keep you warm this winter and can find out about our contact details here.