10 Top Tips for Keeping Your Boiler in Excellent Order
When it comes to a safe, comfortable and cosy home, it is easy to take one key appliance for granted. London homes rely on their gas boilers for hot water and central heating, and most people forget about the boiler until it breaks down. A broken boiler is a serious inconvenience, and can be a costly thing to replace. If you have a gas boiler, pay it a little attention now so that you can enjoy continuous warmth and avoid an unexpected breakdown.
1. Book a Regular Appliance Service
The best thing you can do to avoid a potentially costly boiler malfunction is to check the boiler regularly. An engineer will do this for you. Any issues and problems will be identified and you can fix them before they become serious. A regular boiler service helps the appliance run more efficiently as well, which means it will be cheaper to heat your home. For boiler repair London options include complete boiler replacement or new parts for an existing boiler – both options are expensive, so it makes sense to keep your boiler working well with an annual maintenance check.
2. Check the Pressure
If your boiler works on a pressurised system then check this pressure on a regular basis so that it matches the readings that are displayed in the manual. If you can adjust your settings, do so – a boiler running at the wrong pressure is potentially dangerous and it causes damage to the system.
3. Turn it on in Summer
Turn on the central heating for a short time, around 10 minutes, each month so that you can keep all the systems working correctly and stop problems occurring due to lack of use.
4. Check the Timer
Keep an eye on the timer to make sure that it is accurate and still working effectively. A common source of boiler problems is a timer that has got out of alignment with its settings.
5. Look for Damage
Take a look at your boiler to see if you can spot any signs of damage to the equipment, such as scorch marks or a case that is coming away from the body of the boiler. Make sure that air vents are kept unblocked and that you do not see any signs of leaks.
6. Lag the Pipes
In order to stop the boiler condensate pipe from freezing you need to make sure it is lagged properly. Take a look and make any necessary repairs to the pipe cover.
7. Bleed the Radiators
Make sure you bleed the radiators on a regular basis to stop air building up in the system, which causes inefficient heating.
8. Keep the Boiler Well-Ventilated
The boiler needs a good air flow around it in order to burn fuel efficiently and safely. Make sure that the boiler is free from clutter surrounding it, and that air vents and flues are unblocked.
9. Look at the Pilot Light
The flame should be strong and blue. If the flame is a yellow colour or seems sooty, call an engineer as soon as possible.
10. Check with the Manual
Make sure you keep the copy of the boiler handbook so that you can check details if you need to set the timer, or check the pressure levels. If you lose the book you can often download it online.
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