Top Tips for Maintaining Your Boilers [2020]

Maintaining your boiler is very important because it can prevent it from breaking down. Also, boilers that are regularly maintained tend to be more energy-efficient and can massively help reduce your energy bills. Castle Heating Kent has put together a list of tips and tricks that you can consider to help maintain your boiler. If you prefer speaking to a qualified Gas Safe engineer instead, simply call 0800 0016511.

How do I maintain my boiler?

Service your boiler

You should service your boiler annually, this ensures that it keeps running safely. A boiler service check will allow the engineer to test and inspect the components of your boiler and see if they are functional. Any parts that are in need of repair will also be repaired during the service check, so it does not break down on you when you need them the most.

Bleed the radiators

You may have noticed that over time, your radiators are not heating up properly. The air in the radiators causes the bottom of the radiator to be warm whereas the top to be cold. You can fix this easily by bleeding your radiator.

Simply get a radiator key, cover your carper to protect it and turn the key gently counter-clockwise. If you hear a hissing sound, that is the air escaping. Now close the valve back and check to see if the top of the radiator is warm again.

Check the pilot light

If the pilot light is blue, that means your boiler is fine. However, if you check and it is an orange or a yellow flame, that means that there is something wrong and you need to make sure to call an engineer as soon as possible.

Turn your heating on regularly

People often turn their heating completely off during the summer, however, this can cause a bigger problem than you think. Keeping it running for a short month of time will help ensure that all components are working properly.

Checks to carry out when your boiler breaks down

1. Electricity Supply

Tripped Fuse Box

To begin, check to see whether a switch in your fuse box has tripped, since this might affect your boiler, especially during a power outage causing the timer to reset. We recommend checking the time shown on the clock and to reprogram it if it does not match.

Meter

If you have a prepaid meter, there may be a chance that it has run out of credit, causing your electric supply to be cut off and stop your boiler from working.

2. Gas Supply

Gas Valve

When there is something obstructing the gas flow, the boiler fails to ignite. Try checking your other gas appliances to ensure they are still working and ensure that the Emergency Control Valve hasn't been turned off, this can easily be found next to the gas meter. We recommend hiring a Gas Safe registered engineer to inspect your gas supply.

Gas Pressure

Your boiler may have issues if there is too much or too little gas. If the gas pressure is incorrect, your boiler will most likely show a fault code. Get a trained and qualified engineer to test the gas pressure in your central heating system.

3. Are the pipes frozen?

Because of the UK's severe temperatures in the winter, it's very common for the weather to damage your piping system, and frozen condensation may quickly produce a blockage. This obstruction might cause the boiler to overflow and cause it to shut down. So if your boiler has broken down, check to see if the pipes are frozen, helping you understand the cause of your boiler issue!

4. Fault Codes

You may have noticed a fault code on your boiler which can either help you understand whether the issue you are presented with can be fixed on its own or requires professional help. You should be able to find your boiler handbook online if you don't have it. It will include instructions that will walk you through the most frequent boiler error codes and how to fix them.

5. Pilot Light

On older boilers, a pilot light going out for a variety of causes is very common. To start, you may try to light the pilot light on your own by following the directions in your boiler handbook. Our heating engineers highly suggest not to disassemble or modify your boiler on your own. If you are unable to relight the pilot light, please contact a Gas Safe Registered engineer.

6. Thermostat & Programmer

Your thermostat should be adjusted above room temperature and your programmer should be turned on. If your central heating system is controlled by a timer, the clock may have moved ahead or backwards and has to be corrected.

A few gas-saving tips include:

Check for Warning Signs on Your Gas Appliances

Looking out for signs that indicate there is an issue with your gas appliances is a great way to ensure they are running safely. Make sure to look out for leaks or strange noises coming from your heating system. If you are unsure of how to check your gas appliances are running safely, our Gas Safe engineers are happy to help.

Some of these signs include:

- Your gas cooker's flame should be clean and blue. A yellow or orange flame indicates that your gas cooker needs to be looked at by a professional engineer.

- On or around gas appliances, there may be soot, black markings, or stains.

- The pilot light goes out often

If you have noticed these or other signs which we have not mentioned get in touch with us today by viewing our contact details down below.

Get Your Appliances Checked When You Move Homes

Whenever you move homes, it is always recommended that you get your gas appliances checked, especially if you have a gas boiler. The reason for this is that you may not know when the boiler was last thoroughly tested and inspected. If you are renting a property, your landlord should provide you with a Gas Safety certificate, which should be issued by a trained and qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.

Book a Boiler Service

When book to get your boiler serviced, it ensures that your boiler is running safely and efficiently. When you call us to service your boiler, we will ensure all components of your boiler are thoroughly tested and inspected. Once it has passed all the necessary tests, we will also be happy to issue a Gas Safe certificate. Find out more about our boiler service checks throughout  Gravesend, West Malling, Rochester and Kent by speaking to our professional heating engineers today.

Check the Gas Safe ID

When you hire someone to install, repair or service any gas appliances in your home, you need to make sure they are Gas Safe registered. You can check to see if the heating engineers you have hired is Gas Safe by simply asking them to show you their Gas Safe ID.

If you are a landlord, it is a legal requirement to hire a Gas Safe registered engineer to service any gas appliances in the property that you are renting. All gas appliances should be serivced once year, and you need to provide a Gas Safety certificate to your tenants. This certificate gives proof that the gas appliances in your property are fully safe to use.

We also recommend that if you think the heating engineer you've hired is not Gas Safe registered, to report them on the Gas Safe website.

Install a Carbon Monoxide Alarm

A carbon monoxide detector helps detect any presence of carbon monoxide in your home. If gas appliances are not fitted properly or have great ventilation, it could cause a leak. Carbon monoxide is an odourless and very dangerous gas, so make sure you keep yourself and your family safe by getting an alarm installed.

If, you or someone near you suspect the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, like headache, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, weakness and confusion. You or the affected person should get into fresh air immediately and seek medical help without further delay.

Want to know more?

If you would like to know more about how you can maintain your boiler, call the office on 0800 0016511. Castle Heating Kent offers a range of boiler services across Snodland, Gravesend, Maidstone, Rochester, West Malling and Aylesford.

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