We are now approaching cold weather and making sure that your boiler is in working order is more important than ever. But in addition to providing you with constant heat during the winter months, there is much more at stake when maintaining your boiler. Boilers that are neglected become faulty and can eventually become dangerous. So, if you care about your and your family’s safety, you should do everything in your power to make sure that the boiler is in working condition. Here are a few boiler maintenance tips every homeowner should follow.
Service your Boiler Every Year
While there are plenty of things you can do on your own to make sure that your boiler is in perfect condition, you should have heating engineers service your boiler every year to make sure that it stays in top shape. Professional heating engineers will be able to make the necessary adjustments to make sure that your boiler isn’t only running efficiently, but it is safe as well.
Central heating engineers will also check various components of your boiler to see if they’re in working order and might perform a thorough cleaning of accessible areas. If you’re looking for a new boiler engineer, one company worth looking at who work in the Bristol area is Plumbing Care Services who have more than 50 years’ experience in fitting and repairing boilers.
As they say on their website plumbingcareservices.co.uk:“With over 50 years in the industry and with highly qualified staff from backgrounds in British Gas, boiler manufacturing, and electrical engineering, Plumbing Care Services can help you with all your plumbing, heating, and boiler needs.”
If that doesn’t put your mind at rest, nothing will!
Bleed your Radiators
This is something that can be done regularly and by any homeowner on their own. You may notice some cold patches when you open your radiators. This is often caused by trapped air. If that is the case, giving your radiators a good bleed could help.
All you have to do is get a radiator key and an old cloth and make sure that you cover the floor with plastic in case there is a leak. Next, put the key inside the valve and turn it for a quarter of a turn counterclockwisemaking sure that you put the cloth under the key in case any water escapes. You should hear a hissing sound first. Once it stops, water will start flowing. If any excess water leaks out, catch it with your cloth. Now close the valve by turning the key in the other direction. Your radiator should be heating completely from now on.
Once this is done, it would be a good idea to check the boiler’s pressure gauge since it will probably drop, which means you’ll have to refill your boiler.
Check for Common Issues
You should also make sure that you check for common problems and consider calling an engineer to assist you. If you do a lot of painting, it’s possible that the radiator valve was painted over. This means you may have issues freeing it. If you’re having trouble with a painted over valve, it would be wiser to contact an engineer to make sure you don’t damage it.
You should also consider calling engineers if cold patches on your radiator are at the bottom. This is usually a sign that your radiator system is clogged up with sludge. Only a power flush will help in this situation, which can only be done by a professional.
If your radiator doesn’t produce any heat, check if the valve at the bottom is open. If the valve is open and you still aren’t getting any heat, then it could mean that it is broken. If you’re going to replace it, we suggest you go with a valve with a thermostat that will allow you to adjust the level of heat as you please.
Balance the Radiators
This might be a challenge to do on your own, but it’s still possible. If you notice that certain radiators are hotter than others, then gently adjusting your radiators to make sure that the hotter ones are cooler should balance the colder ones. While this can be done easily in a small flat, it may be more of a challenge in a bigger house. If that’s your case, then you could consider calling help to balance the radiators for you.
Check if your Boiler Overflow Pipe is Dripping
If you see any dripping coming from your boiler’s overflow pipe, then this could be a sign that there’s something wrong with it. In many cases, this is caused by a faulty pressure release valve. This could have happened as a result of overfilling the boiler or wear and tear. If that is the case, you’ll have no choice but to call someone to look over it.
Conclusion
Making sure that your boiler is in working condition will help your home stay hot in the next few months. Don’t neglect it and do whatever it takes to ensure that it runs safely at all times.