Our expert engineer John shares his top tips for your home heating
Our heating engineer John Francis has many years of experience in home heating and boilers. His advice could help you prevent and predict some common problems.
If you have an issue with your home heating system or boiler that needs expert support, get in touch or call us on 0118 932 8811.
Don’t wait for the cold weather.
Check your boiler is working properly all year round, preferably once a month, as part of your home’s general maintenance.
Check your entire home heating system, not just your boiler.
Go around to see if all the radiators are working throughout your home and the radiator valves are sound and not leaking. Don’t forget to check the heating goes on in any spare or unused rooms. Also, check all the controls and programmers are set correctly.
Check the pressure gauge on your boiler is at the correct level
Your boiler instruction manual will tell you how.
Visually check your hot water storage tank every year.
Look out for possible leaks and loose cables.
Remember to book your boiler in for its yearly service.
Every boiler needs to be checked for safety and serviced by a properly qualified OFTEC or Gas Safe engineer once a year. Failure to do this could invalidate your boiler warranty. Have your boiler manual handy for your engineer so they can update the service record, usually found on the back pages.
Only use an accredited engineer.
If you are calling out an engineer for a boiler service, or to look at a fault, remember to check both the back and the front of their Gas Safe ID card. This will tell you if they are qualified to work safely on your type of boiler. You can see exactly what you should look for here www.gassaferegister.co.uk/find-an-engineer
Know where to find your mains water stop valve
It’s really useful if you need to turn off the water supply into your home, especially in an emergency.
Keep your boiler instructions handy.
Carrying out a few checks before you call out a heating engineer can save you a lot of time (and money).
See my Answers to your heating and boiler questions
See my Answers to your heating and boiler questions