Is your old boiler prepared for winter?
Your boiler works hardest in the colder months, and it’s also the time when you need it most. That’s why it makes sense to carry out a winter DIY boiler check to ensure your old boiler is performing at its best.
Having been called out to many households with no heating or hot water in winter, I can tell you now that it’s no fun. Which is why I thought I’d put together this blog post, to help you carry out your own winter boiler check ahead of time.
Below are five checks you should carry out on your old boiler. (NOTE: If your boiler is newer and still under manufacturer’s guarantee, your annual service should cover everything below)
Check 1: Turn on your central heating
Listen to see if everything sounds normal, and is running smoothly with no strange noises coming from the boiler. Check all the radiators are heating up, with no cold areas. Check your boiler’s display in case there are any error codes when running.
Check 2: Vent the radiators
If you notice any cold areas at the top of your radiators, use the little air key and vent/air the radiators. This should fix the problem and get your radiators working optimally again.
Check 3: Insulate tanks and pipes
If you have an expansion tank in the attic, check it has a jacket around it to protect from any frost. While you’re there, check all of the pipework in the attic, and the cold area around the boiler, are insulated with heavy duty foam lagging.
Check 4: Protect your condensate pipe
If you have a condensing boiler, check where the condensate pipe discharges. If it is internal, it should be fine. However, if the pipe discharges outside, make sure it’s lagged or has a trace heater fitted to the pipe to stop it from freezing.
I was once called out to a customer who had a new boiler fitted by another company just two months previously. The boiler would not come on, was making strange noises and it was -3 degrees outside.
It turned out that the condensate pipe which discharged to the drain outside had frozen. We defrosted it and fitted a trace heater (basically an electric blanket with a frost thermostat), which stopped the problem from occurring again.
Check 5: Turn up the power
Turn the boiler and radiators up to maximum and leave the system running for around 10-20 minutes. If there are any issues, or the boiler cuts off, I’d recommend calling in an engineer, as it could be a sign the pipework is blocked or water is not getting round the system properly.
The last thing you want is for this to cause an issue in the depths of winter, so call a good, reputable Gas Safe registered engineer to advise you and see to any problems or issues.
Remember, proactive maintenance is always better than being caught out in the depths of winter – a time when heating companies are very busy and it becomes hard to source good engineers at short notice.
Conclusion
If you have an older boiler, it’s wise to carry out an annual winter DIY boiler check in preparation for the colder months ahead, as that’s when it’s going to work hardest. Being prepared means there will be less chance of your boiler breaking down and leaving you cold.
Here are the five checks you should carry out (explained in detail above):
- Turn on your central heating
- Vent the radiators
- Insulate tanks and pipes
- Protect your condensate pipe
- Turn up the power
Are you prepared this winter?
