5 Tips for Winter Boiler Maintenance You May Not Have Thought Of
Boiler maintenance becomes ever more crucial in the winter, and that is not just because you happen to be using it. On the contrary, this is the time were pipes become damaged and the whole system can be broken down in a matter of days. There are ways you can prevent your system from going down.
Here are some useful tips for making sure you do not have to order a plumber in Glasgow to fix your boiler in the dead of winter.
1. Bleeding the Radiators
Many plumbers in Glasgow find themselves being called out to people’s homes for boiler problems when the only real problem is the fact they have not bled the radiators. If you can feel a cold patch on the radiator, trapped air has blocked the system. Anyone can bleed a radiator and it does not need the help of a professional.
Only if you bleed the radiator and the cold patches remain do you need to call someone in. This could be an indication that you require a chemical flush to remove any sludge that has blocked up the pipes.
2. Insulate the Condensate Pipe
If you have a condensate pipe that carries away the condensation, there is a good chance the winter months are going to lead to problems. The problem is the cold weather can freeze the condensation inside, which can lead to blockages. It can lead to holes and cracking within the pipes.
It does not take much to solve this problem. Wrap the pipes in lagging. This can be picked up at most DIY stores. Simply wrap it around the pipe and you have some homemade insulation.
3. Thaw the Condensate Pipe
If insulating the condensate pipe is beyond you, you now need to consider whether to thaw the pipe yourself or call in plumbing services in Glasgow. Although the process is relatively simple, if you get it wrong it can cause a lot of damage, which may require the complete replacement of the condensate pipe.
You can place a hot water bottle on the pipe or pour some relatively warm water over the pipe slowly. However you thaw the pipe, it is a matter of simply gradually increasing the temperature until the ice melts.
4. Consider a Replacement
Older boilers are most at risk during the winter months. The majority of boilers have a lifespan of between twelve and fifteen years. If your boiler is in this age range, consider whether it is worth keeping. Sometimes, spending the money now to replace your boiler saves you money on costly repairs later on.
5. Know When to Call in the Professionals
Most of us will try to solve boiler problems ourselves before we start to look towards professionals. This is a mistake because our own repairs can make the issues more expensive to resolve. Another consideration is your insurance policy. If you try to tamper with the boiler in certain ways, it can completely invalidate your policy.
Know when to call in the professionals. If a problem is beyond your field of expertise, call in an emergency plumber to get the heat back on.
