Your boiler is indispensable in keeping your house warm, especially during the winter months. While double siding for windows and thick walls will keep the cold out, central heating is still the most effective way to keep your home cosy despite the harsh weather.
Imagine trying to sleep through a rainy winter night without a heater—it is probably impossible! Whether you have an old or new unit, you cannot have it installed and just forget about it. Here are a few things that can help you keep your boiler in tip-top shape throughout the year.
1. Have it scheduled for maintenance work
Your boiler needs upkeep just like a refrigerator would. Once a year, you should arrange for a boiler service with your plumber to be sure that everything is functioning the way it should.
Your plumber should also be able to point out issues that need to be addressed right away, or ones that cannot be solved in an afternoon’s work. Imagine; just one maintenance session a year is all it takes for you to have warm showers and heated rooms for the entire year.
2. Get your boiler regularly cleaned
Aside from maintenance, it would help if you also planned for regular cleaning. Why? Because your boiler collects dust, just like everything else in your home. Regular boiler cleaning should be part of your upkeep, to prevent dust buildup and keep your boiler working for a long time.
There are DIY instructions for cleaning boilers online. However, it can be dangerous to do this if you aren’t very knowledgable about boilers and heaters. Boiler manufacturers stay well within the safety standard, which is a heating capacity of less than 120 degrees Celsius.
Despite this, coming into contact with water at temperatures higher than 40 degrees is an unpleasant, potentially dangerous experience. To prevent untoward incidents, you should have a boiler repairman or a Gas Safe engineer do the cleaning. You can just dust the outside of your boiler, to prevent dust from settling on its surface.
3. Mind your radiators as well
Your radiator’s performance makes an impact on your boiler’s. If your radiators aren’t performing well, your boiler will have to work double-time. Increased work on your boiler will wear its machinery out quickly. You can keep your radiator clean through powerflushing.
This is a deep cleaning procedure that uses chemicals to flush out debris and sludge that had built up in your radiators. If your boiler is noisy, that usually means it’s working double-time, and your radiators might be due for a cleanup.
Bleeding your radiator is something you can do yourself. It involves nothing more than opening a valve on your radiator. This lets out air trapped inside it, which is preventing the radiator from functioning at full capacity.
4. Check the pressure and ventilation
Over time, your boiler can lose pressure. You must try to top this up from time to time because letting it depressurise will decrease its capacity for work. Check the pressure gauge every other month, and read your manual to be sure what levels your boiler needs.
Furthermore, boilers should be well-ventilated and the space around it should be clear. Don’t keep your spare coats and boxes around your boiler, because it will also cause inefficiency. Your plumber can advise you about your boiler’s pressure levels and ventilation.
Conclusion
It is essential to maintain boiler efficiency and address issues promptly. If you have a problem with your boiler, you run the risk of having a carbon monoxide leak in your home. Keep your family safe by being proactive about your boiler’s performance.
If you need central heating repair in Aberdeenshire, get in touch with Grampian Boiler Services today. We offer a range of services including boiler and radiator maintenance and repair, for homes and commercial buildings alike. Contact us today to learn more.