Preparing Your Boiler for Winter: A Pre-Season Checklist

Book your annual service early

Do not wait until November when every plumber is busy. Book your annual boiler service in September or October. This gives you time to fix any issues before the cold weather hits. The engineer will check the boiler is running safely and efficiently.

Check the boiler pressure

Turn the heating on for the first time and check the pressure gauge. It should read between 1 and 1.5 bar. If it is low, repressurise it using the filling loop. If you are topping up the pressure regularly, there may be a slow leak that needs finding before winter.

Bleed your radiators

After months of not running, air builds up in the radiators. Bleed each radiator to release trapped air and make sure they heat up fully. Start with the radiators furthest from the boiler.

Lag the condensate pipe

If your condensate pipe runs outside and is not insulated, wrap it in foam pipe lagging. This is the single most common cause of boiler breakdowns in freezing weather, and it costs about £5 to prevent.

Test the thermostat and timer

Check that the thermostat is reading the temperature correctly and the timer/programmer is set to the schedule you want. Replace batteries in wireless thermostats. If you have a smart thermostat, check the app is connected and the schedule is up to date.

Check carbon monoxide alarms

Test your carbon monoxide alarms by pressing the test button. Replace any that are older than 5-7 years. If you do not have one, fit one in the same room as the boiler before winter.

Consider a magnetic filter

If you do not have a magnetic boiler filter fitted, autumn is a good time to add one. It protects the boiler from sludge damage during the months when the heating runs hardest.

Run the heating before you need it

Turn the heating on for 30 minutes during a mild day to check everything works. It is much better to find a problem in October than on the coldest night in January. If anything seems off - strange noises, cold radiators, error codes - call us and we will sort it before winter arrives.