"Oh the weather outside is frightful," said Dean Martin and as the weather gets colder, wetter, and windier, all we want to do when we get home in the evenings is to snuggle up on the couch and watch TV in the lovely warmth.
Your boiler becomes one of the most important appliances in your home during winter and here at advertiser.ie we provide the top tips on how you can get the boiler in shape for the cold blast.
Test your boiler
It is likely that your boiler has not been used extensively over the last number of months as there was no need. But with the cold snap arriving, we will be asking all boilers to heat the house. However like asking a human to run a marathon with very little preparation beforehand, a boiler may not hit the ground running and may have a few kinks that need to be sorted out. It is important to test your boiler out now that it is not very cold so you can identify any faults and have them remedied before the weather drops below zero.
Insulate your pipes
Something which many people forget to do but can have drastic consequences. Pipes which are not insulated are liable to freeze up and crack resulting in no hot water or heating for the house. Install lagging around your home heating and water pipes to insulate them. A professional can fit this for you or keen DIY-ers can purchase lagging from a DIY store.
Keep your heating on constant
During cold weather it is often more efficient to keep the heating on low constantly, rather than running it at full capacity at intervals throughout the day. This keeps the system at a constant warm temperature and prevents freezing which will lead to cracked pipes. If you are going away for the Christmas break, leave your heating on for at least an hour a day while you are away from home.
Check your fuel supply
A pretty obvious tip, however, a significant number of call-outs over the festive season are due to boilers running out of oil and with oil being in demand over the winter months, you do not want to be left waiting a day or two in a cold house.
Always call a professional to fix a boiler
Modern boilers require a trained and professional technician to ensure your system is operating correctly, efficiently, and safely. Never attempt to fix it yourself.
So there you have it. Five top tips to get your boiler ready for winter.
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