Caring for Your Heating System
Heating systems require a little maintenance to keep them in good working order. Most people only pay attention when something goes wrong, however, a few simple steps will help reduce the need for an emergency plumber on the coldest day of the year.
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Professional Service
Arrange for your heating system to be serviced once a year. This may be the minimum requirement to keep your system under warranty. If you have a wet heating system, e.g. radiators or underfloor heating, please make sure you also get the water quality in your system checked.
The following websites will help you find a qualified engineer to service your system:
- If you have a gas system visit www.gassaferegister.co.uk
- If you have an oil fuelled system visit www.oftec.co.uk
- If you have a solid fuel system visit www.hetas.co.uk
- If you have an electric system visit www.niceic.com
- If you have a renewable technology system, ask your installer for information about servicing. You can find registered installers at www.microgenerationcertification.org
Bleeding Radiators
If you have radiators installed in your home, you might sometimes notice that some of them aren’t heating up properly.
If a radiator is cold at the top, this is caused by air trapped in the system. To release this air, you’ll need to ‘bleed’ the radiator:
- Use a radiator key to turn the valve in the top corner of the radiator
- Hold a cloth under the valve while it’s open to avoid scalding yourself or damaging your floor or wall when hot water escapes from the radiator
- Allow air to hiss out of the valve – once the escaping air is replaced water, close the valve with the radiator key
After bleeding air from your radiators, your boiler may need to be re-pressurised:
- Check the pressure gauge on your boiler – if it’s below 1 bar, it’ll need to be topped up with air
- There will be a filling loop valve near the boiler – open this valve to top up the pressure to about 1.5 bar (never go above 2.5 bar)
- Each boiler is different, so please read the manufacturer’s instructions for more precise details
If a radiator is cold at the bottom and bleeding the radiator didn’t help, it’s likely that debris has collected in the bottom of your radiator. You’ll need to employ a qualified plumber to remove the radiator and flush this out of the radiator system.
Thermostat Reading Wrong Temperature
Make sure thermostats aren't covered up or too close to a heat source, e.g., a lamp, so they can read the air temperature correctly.
Winter Heating Tips
- Time your heating to heat up gradually rather than turning up the temperature to warm your home rapidly, as this uses more energy and could making bills more expensive
- During the winter there will be a warm-up period of at least 60 minutes before the effects of any heating will be noticed
- If you can, close your curtains as soon as dusk falls to help your home retain heat
- Consider using draught excluders to stop heat escaping through gaps under doors, but be aware that this will effect ventilation
- If you’re away for an extended period over the winter, leave your heating thermostat at 10°C, so pipes don’t freeze
*How To articles are intended as advice only. Please refer to your completion documents for specific information on lease and covenant restrictions and maintenance of your home.*
