Everybody dreads a boiler breakdown. Especially, during the winter months. If you maintain your boiler you will increase its efficiency and life span. You will also save yourself money on costly boiler repairs. In this blog post we will discuss some tips for boiler maintenance.
Annual Boiler Service
You should have your boiler serviced annually by a gas safe registered gas engineer, even if it appears to be working fine. The gas engineer will check that the main components of the boiler are working and will give components a clean. We recommend that you arrange a boiler service in September so that your boiler is ready for the strain of the cold winter months.
Check The Boiler Pressure
Over time boilers loose pressure, which can cause them to run inefficiently. Check the pressure gauge on the front of the boiler and make sure that it is between 1 and 1.5 bar. If the pressure is low you can top it up yourself by following the manufacturers instructions.
Turn The Heating On
A boiler can seize up if it is not used regularly. We recommend that during the summer months you switch your boiler on once a month for 15 minutes, to keep it ticking over.
Bleed Radiators
If your radiators are colder at the bottom, than at the top, it means that air is trapped in the system. You can get rid of the trapped air by ‘bleeding’ the radiator. If you don’t bleed the radiators the system will not work efficiently, putting strain on your boiler. Click here to learn how to bleed your radiators.
Blue Flame
A boilers flame should burn a strong, clear blue. If it is burning yellow, orange or smoky your boiler may be faulty and you should call a gas engineer immediately.
Lag Your Pipes
If the temperature drops below 0 your boilers external condensation pipe could freeze. This will lead to your boiler shutting down as a safety precaution. To prevent this from happening you should insulate your pipes. Alternatively, you can keep the heating on a constantly low setting when the temperature plummets. If the pipe does freeze you can melt the ice by pouring boiling water over the pipe.
If you need your boiler servicing give us a call today on 0758 0395 493. Alternatively, you can email us at mike@wirralplumbers.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We install new boilers and repair existing boilers in Wirral and across the surrounding areas.
