It’s all too easy to forget all about your boiler during the summer months. After all, who has central heating on their mind when they’re struggling to cool down in the midst of a summer heatwave?
The summer is the best time to start making a few simple changes that’ll improve your boiler efficiency, however. So, if you want to keep those heating bills as low as possible when it comes time to switch the heating back on in the Autumn, it’s well worth thinking ahead.
In this article, we’ll take you through some of our top recommendations that’ll allow you to maximise the efficiency of your boiler at a time when doing so won’t cause you any disruption at all.
Book an Annual Boiler Service
No matter how old your boiler is, we always recommend that it is serviced annually. If you ensure that your boiler is serviced every year, you’ll minimise the risk of any problems when the weather does get colder – and you could extend its lifespan too.
During the service, your engineer will check for any emerging issues, and advise you on any parts that might need replacing soon. An engineer will also be able to spot any other signs of damage or wear and tear, and can give you recommendations on how best to keep your boiler in good condition.
Of course, if you book your annual boiler service during the summer you won’t need to worry about not being able to use the boiler during the service, and any required repairs can be quickly carried out without too much hassle.
Make Sure Your Boiler is Clean
It’s worth taking the time to ensure that your boiler is clean – both inside and out.
While it’s perfectly possible to keep the exterior of your boiler dust-free yourself, we’d never suggest that you attempt to clean the inner workings of a boiler at home. Leave this job to one of our gas safe engineers, who know exactly how to clean boilers and their parts safely.
Often, engineers will spot any parts that would benefit from a clean during services, but if you think that your boiler might benefit from a thorough check get in touch with our team and we’ll soon be on our way to help.
Bleed Your Radiators
Radiators should be bled annually, to remove any air that could’ve become trapped within the system.
If you notice any cold spots on the radiators, or you start to hear strange noises from within the radiators when you switch your heating on, this is a good indication that the radiator might benefit from bleeding.
This is a quick, simple and safe job to do at home. It’s just a case of opening the bleed valve on the radiator using your radiator key, and waiting for the air to start escaping. Once water begins to come out of the valve, you’ll know that all the trapped air has been released and the valve can be closed.
Adjust the Pressure
If your boiler pressure gets too high or too low, you’ll soon start to notice a difference in terms of its effectiveness. In a worst case scenario you might find that it won’t switch on at all.
Adjusting pressure on a boiler is simple. Just take a look at the gauge on the front of the boiler, and you’ll be able to easily see whether it’s within the optimal range (between 1 and 2 bar), or if it’s too high or low.
If the pressure is low, you should be able to use the valves beneath the boiler to increase it. High pressure levels are less common, but can sometimes be resolved by bleeding radiators.
However, in many cases pressure tends to rise as a result of a fault within the system, so if your boiler pressure keeps rising to overly high levels it may be time to call in an engineer.
Opt for a Power Flush
Summer is a great time to undergo jobs that would be hugely disruptive in the middle of winter. And a power flush is a prime example.
If your heating system is on the older side, it’s likely that dirt and debris would’ve built up within the pipework over time. This is problematic because it’ll cause parts to fail more quickly, and reduce the efficiency of your heating.
A power flush will remove dirt and debris using highly pressurised water, to clean the inside of the system and improve energy efficiency.
Ensure Your Pipes Are Insulated
An incredible number of boiler breakdowns are caused by frozen pipes, and unfortunately this is an issue that tends to strike without any warning, during the very coldest weeks of the year.
There are a few ways to help avoid the threat of frozen pipes, though. One of the easiest and cheapest ways of doing so is simply by insulating your pipework.
If you have any pipes that are vulnerable to freezing, take the opportunity to insulate them during the summer when the job will be far less unpleasant. Pipe lagging and tank jackets are readily available from DIY shops and can be fitted quite easily.
Turn the Heating On in Summer
It might sound odd to suggest switching your heating on during the summer, but it’s always a good idea to turn the heating on occasionally to ensure that everything is working as it should.
As you can imagine, our engineers get a huge surge in calls as the weather turns – and that’s usually because people have found that their boilers have suddenly stopped working over the summer.
This can easily be avoided by switching your heating on for short bursts during the summer months.
Find a New Boiler
If you’re thinking of upgrading your boiler to a new model, it’s a great idea to do so during the summer.
Install a new boiler in the summer and you won’t have to suffer from a lack of heating while the work is in progress. Not only that, you’re more likely to be able to get an installation booking at a time of your choice, as engineers tend to be more available at this time of year.
Investing in a new boiler can make a huge difference to your energy efficiency, so if your current boiler is reaching the end of its lifespan and you’d like to feel the benefits of a more modern version, get in touch with our team.
Get Advice on Boiler Efficiency in Summer
Whether you’ve just realised it’s time to get your boiler serviced or you have some questions about the efficiency of your current system, we’re here to help.
Get in touch with our team to discuss any concerns that you have, and if needed we can arrange a time to visit your property to advise you on how best to improve your boiler efficiency.
Just give us a call to book an appointment with one of our engineers.
