So far this September, we have enjoyed a sunny ‘indian summer’! Colder weather, later this week, however, is forecast. This means many of us may well, look to turn our boilers on this week. To ensure that your boiler is ready for the change in weather, here are our recommendations for boiler checks that you can carry out yourself:
Firstly, and most importantly make sure that you have had your boiler serviced this year, with a qualified, gas safe engineer. A registered gas engineer will check all the boiler components are operating smoothly. They will clean your system, and repair or replace where necessary. The priority is to ensure that the boiler is operating safely.
If you have a newly installed boiler, you will need to have it serviced every year to maintain the guarantee. Don’t risk invalidating your guarantee by missing a service.
The next steps are simple steps that anyone can take:
Check the pilot light is blue in colour. One of the first signs that your boiler is not working properly is that the flame is not blue. An orange or yellow flame is a sign that the boiler is not burning fuel properly. This can be a sign your boiler is leaking Carbon Monoxide. Carbon Monoxide is a real risk to your health, so it’s very important that you call a professional engineer out immediately.
In order to operate, your boiler needs the right amount of pressure to fire up. If the pressure is too low then your boiler won’t start, if the pressure is too high then there will be a risk that you could damage the boiler. You should check the pressure gauge regularly to ensure that its between 1 and 1.5. If its below this, you will need to top up the pressure. You should check how to do this for your particular boiler type, by reading the manual your searching it on Google.
Ensure that your boiler and flue pipe is free from clutter, that there is no blockage and the area is well ventilated. An engineer will need to access the boiler and remove the front panel to service it or indeed to repair it, so please consider access before choosing to box a boiler in.
These simple boiler checks can help to ensure the smooth running of your boiler. If, however, you have any concerns or would like to book a boiler service, please call us today on 0208 3958060.
