Maintaining your boiler
It’s important to have your boiler maintained and serviced by a professional to ensure it remains efficient and will last for years with little or no hassle and inconvenience.
Finding a competent engineer is especially crucial, and if you have a gas boiler it’s necessary to have a Gas Safe registered engineer complete any work. Always check for identification before allowing an engineer to work on your boiler, even if it’s only a service.
But what should you know about maintaining your boiler?
Boiler manuals
Always keep the boiler manual in a safe place because in an emergency you’ll need to find this quickly. If you have lost the original manual then simply contact the boiler manufacturer and they’ll issue a replacement. You can check the model number of your boiler to get the right instructions and most manufacturers nowadays allow you to download the manual from their company website.
The automatic pump anti-seize function
This can be found in most modern boilers and helps to prevent problems when the boiler is started up after a long inactive period. This is commonly after the summer when you wouldn’t have needed heating. The automatic pump anti-seize function will spin for a few minutes upon start-up.
Boiler equipment costs
If you’ve lost some of the basic heating equipment such as a radiator key, or you want to purchase a carbon monoxide alarm, you’ll be able to find both at most DIY stores. Carbon monoxide alarms are crucial to have in any home, protecting you from the colourless and odourless gas emitted from faulty boilers. They work in a similar way to a smoke alarm and can be bought for around £15-30. A radiator key will cost as little as £5.
My boiler’s condensate pipe has frozen. What can I do?
Condensate pipes have been known to freeze, especially in the depths of winter when temperatures really plummet.
Condensate water is retained and then let out at once to prevent freezing, but this can still be an issue.
If your condensate pipe does freeze, the boiler is likely to switch off. Of course, that’s the last thing you need. To rectify the situation just follow these steps:
1. Unfreeze the contents with warm (not boiler) water. However this will only be temporary fix.
2. You then need to invest in lagging to insulate the pipe.
3. If the pipe is at a shallow angle or is very narrow then it may be worth reinstalling it. Simply put, the larger the pipe the better.
Facts & Figures You’ll Love To Share
- [tweetable alt=””]Heating accounts for around 60% of the annual household bill and a new boiler can slash expenses.[/tweetable]
- [tweetable alt=””]By replacing your old and inefficient boiler you can save up to £310 a year according to the Energy Saving Trust.[/tweetable]
- [tweetable alt=””]Energy prices have doubled since 2004 and will double again by 2020, so secure your energy future with an A-rated boiler.[/tweetable]
- [tweetable alt=””]An annual boiler service costs between £50 and £100 but could save you hundreds of pounds on future repair work.[/tweetable]
- [tweetable alt=””]With a new boiler you can slash carbon dioxide emissions by a whopping 1,200kg each year.[/tweetable]