The harsh cold of the winter months are fast approaching us now, making it the perfect time to ensure that we are fully prepared to embrace these low temperatures. Winter is the time when we encounter the most problems with boilers. This can be down to all kinds of reasons, from faults due to frozen pipes, to the fact that people haven’t used switched their heating on in a long time and therefore didn’t know there was anything wrong.
So, it is at this time we strongly advise you to make sure that your boiler and your home are ready for winter.
Winter is when you rely on your boiler the most!
The worst time of year to experience any kind of issues with your boiler, is winter. It can leave you without any heating or hot water for an extended period of time, which is most definitely not ideal when the temperatures are so low. However, this is the time when most boilers do break down, and so plumbers such as ourselves become very busy and booked up over the winter period. Therefore, we suggest that you get one step ahead and make sure that your boiler is working properly before it gets to this point as it can be difficult getting a boiler repair or replacement done quickly and at a convenient time during winter.
How old is your boiler?
Perhaps your boiler hasn’t shown any direct sign of damage or faults, but there are still ways to assess what sort of condition it is in. The average boiler lasts for around 10-15 years, so it is really handy to know how old your boiler is so that you know if it’s getting to a stage where a replacement may be likely or for the best. You may have an old boiler that trips or ends up with a bit of a fault, but if the boiler has been in your home for a long time and is reaching the end of its lifespan, it is probably a more efficient and cost effective solution to get it replaced rather than repaired. Furthermore, you don’t have to wait until your boiler breaks to replace it. If your boiler is old and you feel it would be more beneficial to replace it now, we would advise doing this.
Looking out for unusual signs
Although we would recommend having your boiler serviced to ensure that everything is running smoothly, there are things you can do yourself to bring anything unusual to attention. The best way to do this is by switching it on and being vigilant of any signs. This could include unusual noises, taking a long time to heat up or not heating up properly, leaks in the pipes or anything out of the ordinary. If you do happen to notice any of these things, you should seek help from a professional plumber as they can come out and assess the situation and inform you of the recommended steps, or carry out a repair.
Controlling your bills
A faulty boiler brings many troubles with is, and one of these is actually an increase to your bills. Generally when a boiler is faulty or not working properly, this will have a direct impact on your energy bills and you will see an increase. This is also another sign of something being wrong with your boiler. For example, if you have been using your central heating, but noticing that the bills are higher than they should be, you should get a plumber to come out and do some checks as there may be a reason which could be an issue with the boiler itself.
For more information and advice or if you would like us to come out and service your boiler, simply get in touch with us via our contact page and we will be more than happy to help!
