Taking preventative measures before winter sets in can reduce or eliminate the risk of frozen pipes, other cold-weather threats and the need for an emergency plumber. Be aware that all the pipework within the boundary of your home or business is your responsibility. Take a few sensible precautions when the winter months are coming…

• Check that you know where your internal stopcock is located – this is usually under the kitchen sink or in the downstairs cloakroom.
• Insulating/lagging of any exposed pipes connecting your boiler and hot water cylinder will reduce heat loss, especially on pipes that run outside.
• Ensure pipes, cisterns and tanks in unheated areas such as lofts are also lagged. Foam insulation is easy to install yourself and costs under £2 per meter. Simply choose the correct size in 22mm or 28mm, cut to the desired length, and slip around the pipework.
• Repair dripping taps now – even a small trickle can result in frozen pipes.

If a pipe bursts, turn off the water and the central heating. Open all taps to drain the system – but remember to close them before the water is turned on! If water has leaked onto or nearby any electrical appliances, switch them off at the mains.

If a pipe freezes, check to see if it has burst. Open the affected tap and slowly thaw the pipe with hot water bottles or a hot wet towel. Never use a hairdryer or naked flame to thaw the pipe.

There are various products on the market, ranging quite substantially in price. Some are fitted in place permanently, measuring the ambient temperature and delivering heat when needed to keep the pipe from freezing. Or you can simply use good quality foam lagging to cover the exposed pipe and secure it with zip ties.

• Locate the frozen section by feeling with your hands for the coldest part.
• Slowly poor warm water from the kettle over the pipe. Do not use boiling water, as this can crack the pipe – and/or scald you.
• Once the frozen section has cleared, check the manual and restart the boiler. If it does not re start correctly, you will need to call out a gas safe registered boiler engineer.

Here are a few helpful hints to economically heat your home:

• Check your boiler programmer and room thermostats. Is your heating schedule set to be as efficient as it could be? Even turning the thermostat down by one degree centigrade in a rarely used room could net a significant yearly saving
• Keep radiators clear of all junk to maximise their heat circulation potential. Curtains, washing, shrouds and furniture will significantly hinder their effectiveness
• If your radiators are fitted with TRVs, set them low and gradually increase the temperature to a comfortable level for each room. Setting them really high won’t actually increase the room temp quicker – that’s down to your boiler capacity and radiator size – but you will overheat the room and possibly forget about some rooms, wasting lots of valuable energy

There are some highly effective draught-proofing products available to do the job, and at a reasonable price. DIY draught proofing of windows, doors and blocking cracks in floors and skirting boards could cost up to £200, but could save up to £40 a year in a draughty home. That might not sound like such a good deal, but you would get your money back in five years or so, and know that you were doing your bit to save the planet at the same time..!

You can also seal skirting boards with decorators chalk, and fit a chimney draught excluder or sealed fire guards without great cost and much benefit. In more than one ways, this will help you to sleep better at night.

Autumn is well and truly here – and so is the cold and wet weather. At the first sign of a chill, we do what is entirely natural and normal. We reach for the thermostat and whack the heating up. Unfortunately this is often the first time we realise that there is a problem with a problem, resulting in little or no heat coming through our central heating system. This is probably because your heating system has been completely off for the entire summer, and any problems are only arising now that you require heat!

You may need the boiler repaired by a Gas Safe registered engineer (used to be Corgi). Depending on the time of day, this can mean an emergency call out or an irritating delay. We therefore suggest that that you test your boiler during the day regularly during the summer months; rather than when you need it, and it’s too late to avoid emergency rates.

We also strongly recommend that you keep your thermostat set at a low temperature throughout summer, rather than totally off, something like 17 degrees, so that it is ticking over on a daily basis – this can prevent lots of problems. Occasionally, the temperature will drop low enough at night to cause the boiler to fire up and the central heating to come on. This prevents the entire boiler system lying dormant for such a long period of time and ensures that the pipework sees action on a more regular basis, flushing waste around rather than allowing it to build up in one place and clog the entire system, for example.

We also recommend you invest in an annual service. Introducing a chemical inhibitor into the system costs around £20 and is a great way to inhibit corrosion of vital metallic parts such as pipes and radiators. It also prevents scaling up of the system, and in particular the boiler. This is really important when it comes to London, where we have particularly hard water that can cause all sorts of boiler repairs requirements.

Water flow rate
With modern, wall-hung, light-weight gas boilers, water flow rate is particularly important.
Check that the mains water is on. If it is, check your feed and expansion tank (if you have them, they’re usually found in the loft).

Float valve
First, shut down your central heating boiler.
Locate the tanks and double check that the float valve isn’t stuck. If it is, you’ll have to move its metal arm to release it. Check that the open safety-vent pipe is correctly installed. If not, air can get into the system, causing noise in the boiler. If this is the case, you’ll need to enlist the help of a professional heating engineer.

Frozen water supply pipe
If this doesn’t work and it’s currently very cold outside, then it’s possible your water supply pipe may have frozen.

Like a car, boilers should be serviced every year to ensure everything is as it should be. Not only will this allow any issues to be pre-empted, saving the heartache and inconvenience a breakdown can inevitably lead too,but a correctly operating boiler is an efficient boiler too, saving money off energy bills. And if your boiler is still under guarantee, an annual service is usually part of the terms and conditions.

Age is a common reason for a boiler to breakdown; quite simply, it’s reaching the end of its useful life. If your boiler is more than 10 years old, it therefore might be time to upgrade to a new model. A modern high efficiency boiler, as well as being more reliable and quieter in operation, can shave as much as 30% off your gas bills.

Many breakdowns are caused by something within the system itself (i.e. the pipes and radiators connected to the boiler), usually dirt or air. Air can stop the water within the system from circulating properly, while dirt can foul parts within the boiler itself. For this reason, manufacturers always recommend a central heating system is flushed before fitting a new boiler, and a filter is then fitted to protect the boiler from any dirt that might then build up within the system over time.

If you are worried about your boiler. Give us a buzz, and we will have one of our engineers inspect it for you.

Call 020 3741 8018 NOW!