Tips on checking your boiler with Martyn Bridges, Director of Technical Communication and Product Management at Worcester Bosch
With the excitement of Halloween and the changing of seasons, you might forget that this is also the month that we, as a nation, turn on most of our boilers. After a long break, we may have forgotten to consider how well our boiler will run over the colder months. As the dark nights set in it’s important that you take time to make sure you won’t be left with a freezing house, haunted by your broken boiler.
Worcester Bosch wants to save you the spooks and treat you to our checklist to make sure your boiler doesn’t break down over the colder months. No tricks, we promise!
- It’s boiler turn on month, don’t leave it too late!
It is normal to have your central heating off over the warmer months with your boiler switched to just the hot water mode to help reduce your energy bills. However, it is important to turn your heating back on early enough to check that everything is working efficiently before the colder months creep in. October owns the most popular boiler switch on day, so if you haven’t already done it, we suggest you do soon.
To check, run your boiler and radiators at the highest temperature for around 15 minutes and make sure your boiler runs smoothly and your radiators heat up evenly with no bumps in the night.
- Bleed your radiators (it’s not as scary as it sounds!)
Air can build up in your heating system over time, causing gurgling sounds, or the tops of your radiators feeling colder than you would expect. It may sound spooky, but it’s completely normal. If this happens, you will need to bleed your radiators to make sure your heating is working at full efficiency and keeping your house warm throughout winter. After bleeding your radiators check your boiler pressure as you may need to top that up if it has dropped below 1 bar.
For a video on how to bleed your radiators, click here.
- Check your boiler pressure isn’t frightfully low
Your boiler pressure is usually indicated on a dial by the boiler. The optimum boiler pressure is between 1 and 1.5 when the system is cool. If your boiler has lost pressure, this is something you can quickly resolve yourself.
You can check your boiler user manual or watch Worcester Bosch’s video on re-pressurising your heating system.
- Watch out for frozen condensate
Frozen condensate is one of the most common winter problems with condensing boilers. If part of your condensate pipework is outside, then in extreme cold weather it may freeze. This could cause your boiler to stop working. You might hear a gurgling noise coming from the boiler and if your boiler has a digital display, you might see an ‘EA’ error code too. There’s no need to worry if your condensate pipe freezes. You can usually thaw it safely without the need to call an installer or plumber.
Find out how to safely thaw a frozen condensate pipe, by watching our video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL4ot-MNYfE.
- Get your boiler serviced, you’ll fang us later
Getting your boiler serviced before the extreme weather arrives is advisable to make sure your boiler is in optimum working condition. This will reduce the risk of you encountering any surprise problems during the winter months.
Top Tip: Talk to your installer!
Martyn Bridges, Director of Technical Communication and Product Management at Worcester Bosch wants the public to know how important it is to make sure things are running smoothly this Halloween. “Make sure you talk to your installer and consider everything you might need in the future from your new boiler. Remember, a trusty Worcester Bosch boiler can last over a decade, so make sure your new one will cover any long term plans you may have.”
If you do run into any problems on the run up to Christmas or your boiler breaks down, don’t be scared. The new FastTrack Installation service by Worcester Bosch allows you to have a new combi boiler in place as if by magic! The quick and easy to use service gives customers access to over 800 Worcester Accredited Installers who are specialists in installing Worcester Bosch boilers. Skip out on the chills and let Worcester Bosch keep your home warm this Winter.