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Handy advice for efficient heating this winter

Published: 30-01-2023

In the next few weeks, weather experts say we are likely to experience freezing temperatures as winter continues ^[1]. So, we wanted to give you some winter-ready advice to keep your heating running smoothly during the winter chill.

Here’s Martyn Bridges, our Director of Technical Services, answering three common questions about boiler breakdowns and concerns to help keep everyone safe and warm during the cold snap:

1. How do I know if my boiler is working properly?

The best way to make sure your boiler is running smoothly is through reading its pressure. The optimum boiler pressure is between 1 and 1.5 when the system is cool. If your pressure is below 0.5 bar (down in the red section), then water has been lost and you should call in a heating engineer to sort this for you. If your boiler has lost pressure, this is something you can quickly fix yourself during the cold spell.

2. Has my boiler stopped working due to a frozen pipe? How do I fix it?

Boilers are made to help keep you warm in colder months, however if part of your condensate pipework is outside and it’s very cold for a long time, it may freeze and stop your boiler from working. You may hear a gurgling sound coming from the boiler, and if your boiler has a digital display, you may see an ‘EA’ error code too which is caused by a blocked condensate pipe. Luckily, this isn’t a big problem and can be easily resolved yourself without the need for an engineer.

To safely thaw a frozen condensate pipe, have a look for an outdoor pipe connected to your boiler (this is usually white plastic connecting to an external drain). If it is safe to do so, pour some WARM water (not boiling) along the pipe, and reset your boiler. If the pipe has defrosted, everything should be back to normal. Here is a video to help show you how to thaw frozen pipes if you need some extra guidance.

3. How do I know my boiler is efficient?  

One way to make sure your boiler is working efficiently is to get it serviced. This will help reduce the risk of running into any potential issues during winter. Another thing to think about is where the heat and hot water are being released in the property. Overtime, it is normal for air to build up in your radiators which can affect their efficiency. You can normally tell your radiators need bleeding if they are colder at the top than at the bottom. To find out how to bleed a radiator, visit our handy winter advice page here.

For more winter safety advice, visit https://alpha.worcester-bosch.co.uk/winter-check.

^Sources:

^{[1] https://www.bbc.com/weather/outlook}