Our winter check can help you prepare your home and your boiler for winter, to make sure there is less chance of your boiler breaking down and keep your heating running smoothly.
4 steps to be winter-ready
Having your boiler breakdown during winter and being left without heating and hot water is a situation nobody wants to find themselves in.
Follow our steps to make sure your boiler is ready for the winter and to help reduce the chance of your boiler breaking down.
1. Check your heating
It is normal to have your central heating off over the warmer months, and have your boiler switched to just the hot water mode to help reduce your energy bills. However, it is important to turn your heating back on early and check that everything is working efficiently.
A good way to test your boiler and heating system is to run your boiler and radiators at the highest temperature for around 15 minutes. Running this check, can help you identify any problems before you need your boiler the most.
2. Bleed your radiators
It’s normal for air to build up in your heating system over time, causing gurgling sounds, or the tops of your radiators feeling colder than you would expect. If this happens, you’ll need to bleed your radiators to ensure your heating is working efficiently. After bleeding your radiators, remember to check your boiler pressure so your home stays warm throughout winter.
3. Check your boiler pressure
Your boiler pressure is usually indicated by a dial or on a screen, if you have a newer boiler. The optimum boiler pressure is between 1 and 1.5 when the system is cool. If your boiler has lost pressure, this is something you can quickly resolve yourself. Please refer to your boiler user manual or our videos explaining how you can re-pressurise your heating system.
4. Frozen Condensate
Frozen condensate is one of the most common winter problems with modern boilers. If part of your condensate pipework is outside, then in very cold weather it may freeze. This could cause your boiler to stop working.
You may hear a gurgling noise coming from the boiler and if your boiler has a digital display, you might see an ‘EA’ error code too. There’s no need to worry if your condensate pipe freezes. You can usually thaw it safely without the need to call an installer or plumber.
For more home heating tips and advice check out our series of how-to videos.
Find more in our video library
Find a local installer
Each heating system needs custom designing. Find and contact a Worcester Accredited Installer in your area to book a home visit.
After calculating the best system for your home and hot water requirements, your installer will then provide you with a free quote.