Boiler Repair or Maintenance

It’s National Maintenance Week! Founded in 2015 by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, this annual campaign is dedicated to reminding people how vital proper maintenance is during the winter months.

“Maintenance makes a difference – never put it off!” says National Maintenance Week spokesman and TV archaeologist, Neil Oliver. “The longer you ignore a problem, the harder it becomes to put it right.”

To help you keep your home in top shape and avoid costly repairs in the springtime, here’s our essential guide to maintaining your home this winter.

Wrap your pipes up warm

Being full of water, pipes have a tendency to freeze in winter. As the liquid inside them cools, it expands rapidly and puts strain on your pipes.

As a result, thousands of UK families experience blocked or burst pipes each year during winter cold snaps – especially those who live in older properties, or in colder parts of the country.

To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, we recommend drafting in a professional insulator to wrap your pipes up warm with insulating foam.

Get your boiler serviced so it runs smoothly

There’s nothing nicer than returning to a warm home on a bitterly cold day – but before you put the heating on full blast, you should book your boiler in for its annual checkup.

The extra strain that’s put on your boiler during the colder months can cause it to leak or break. So it’s important to make sure yours is in top working order before it gets too nasty outside.

It’s also a great way to make sure your central heating is running efficiently, and could save you up to 25% on your heating bills.

Bleed your radiators so they run efficiently

If your radiators are creaking, or colder at the top than they are at the bottom, that’s a sure sign there’s trapped air inside them keeping the heat from circulating properly.

That means it’s time to grab a towel, get on your knees and bleed your radiator. It’s a messy job, but a small price to pay for a lovely warm home.

Or, if you’d prefer not to get your hands dirty, simply place a Bark now to get quotes from local plumbers fast and free.

Keep the heat in with proper home insulation

About a quarter of your home’s heat it lost straight through the roof. So if you want to keep your home warm without having the heating on 24/7, the first thing to do is check your loft and wall cavity insulation.

Upgrading your current home insulation needn’t cost the Earth, and it could save you a fortune on heating bills over the long run.

Place a home insulation Bark now to get quotes from local insulation professionals fast and free.

Clear your guttering of leaves and debris

Gutters have one job – to guide rainwater off your roof and straight down the drain. But, despite their importance, it can be all too easy to forget about them until something goes badly wrong.

Allowing your gutters to become clogged can cause serious structural damage to your house, and lead to health issues for you and your family from the damp.

That’s why it’s important to hire someone to check your guttering thoroughly at least once a year to keep everything working properly.

Autumn has barely begun and already there’s a chill in the air. Soon, it will be time to fire up the boiler and bed in for the cold months ahead.

Keeping your boiler in top working order is essential if you want to avoid unpleasant outages later in the year. It’s also a great way to ensure your central heating is running efficiently, and could save you up to 25% on your heating bills.

Here’s why you should book your boiler in now for its annual checkup to help make sure your home stays lovely and warm this winter.

Why do boilers break in winter?

Your boiler is the main system responsible for heating your home, and it does this by boiling water to generate steam. That steam then heats the air in a forced air system, such as your central heating or underfloor heating.

If your boiler doubles as your hot water heater, it will work all year round. But, as the temperature starts to cool, it will need to work much harder to boil its water.

This can put extra strain on your boiler, especially if it’s poorly maintained – and as a result, your boiler is more likely to break in winter.

How can you tell if your boiler is broken?

Boiler failure can present itself in a variety of ways – the most obvious being if it stops working entirely and your house becomes freezing cold. If your boiler also supplies your house with hot water, a broken boiler will also leave your home without hot water.

Worst of all, poorly maintained boilers can start leaking highly dangerous carbon monoxide gas. Over 4,000 people are admitted to A&E with boiler related carbon monoxide poisoning in the UK each year – so it’s important to get yours serviced regularly.

What does a boiler technician do?

During a service checkup, your boiler technician will check for oil or gas leaks, and maximise the efficiency of your boiler . An experienced boiler technician will also be able to listen for any strange noises that might indicate damage.

Should your boiler need replacing, they may also conduct a heating system flush to remove any waste or sludge that’s built up in your heating system.

How much could you save?

Having a boiler engineer optimise your boiler’s efficiency has the potential to substantially reduce your heating bills. For example, while some people view them as being generally less reliable, modern boilers are significantly more efficient than their older counterparts.

According to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, boilers more than 15 years old are likely to have less than 70% efficient. By contrast, modern boilers are typically more than 90% efficient.

That means replacing your old boiler with a new one has the potential to knock 25% off your heating bills.

Where can you find a reliable boiler technician?

With Bark, finding a reliable boiler technician is easy. We’ll do all the legwork to find you recommended local pros, so you can simply choose the one that’s right for you.

When selecting a boiler technician, it’s important to keep their level of experience in mind. If your boiler runs on gas, you should also ask if they’re a member of the UK Gas Safe Register, as all UK gas engineers are required to register with this body by law.

Place a Bark today to prepare your boiler for winter, and get quotes from recommended boiler technicians in your area fast and free.

Tag: Boiler Repair or Maintenance

5 essential checks to keep your home cosy and warm this winter