As the weather gets warmer and the nights longer, we can finally start looking forward to summer. During summer, many of us turn our central heating off and don’t think about it until the cold weather sets in again – but in reality, the spring and summer is the perfect time to get your boiler serviced and carry out any repairs that need completing. During the cold winter months, we all tend to crank our heating systems up to keep us warm, and therefore it can be difficult to find the time for servicing and repairs. However, summer is actually the perfect time to give our boilers some TLC and ensure they’re in top condition.
Below, our experts have put together some top tips for looking after your central heating this summer.
Run your heating every so often
Generally, you shouldn’t neglect your heating system during the summer months. The last thing you want is a rusty system after a long summer of not being used! Instead, we recommend running your radiators regularly. You don’t need to do it for long or too often, but simply running the heating occasionally for however long it takes your radiators to get warm can make all of the difference and will help to ensure that your system stays in good working condition.
Inactivity is a huge cause of heating system failures and often, it’s not until people turn their heating back on after months of neglect that they realise there are actually lots of problems to deal with. Regularly running your heating for just 10 minutes can eliminate any issues and ensure your system stays active. If you don’t want the heating to come on while you’re in (we understand it can get too hot!), you can set a timer to come on while you’re out.
Bleed your radiators
Bleeding your radiators is an easy way to keep your heating system in check and ensure that your radiators are ready when you need to use them again. There are lots of signs to look out for that indicate there’s trapped air inside your radiators, from strange gurgling noises to radiators that take a long time to heat up. Whether you’ve noticed these problems or not, it’s a good idea to bleed your radiators to ensure that they’re working as efficiently as possible. This way, as soon as you need your radiators and heating system, you can rest assured that you’ll have powerful and efficient radiators that heat up your property in no time at all.
Check the pressure of your boiler
As a general rule of thumb, you should check your boiler pressure regularly. There are lots of issues that can occur from boiler pressure that’s either too low or too high. While you should check the pressure gauge every few months, now is the perfect time to do so if you haven’t for a while.
If the pressure is too low, your system may need topping up. If you’re not sure how to do this, you should contact a reliable heating engineer to do it for you. They’ll also be able to offer you advice on how to look after your system and what to do if the pressure drops again.
Generally, high pressure can be fixed by bleeding your radiators. This releases trapped air from your system, helping to regulate the pressure. Check the pressure afterwards; it should be back to normal – if it’s not, we recommend getting in touch with a Gas Safe Registered heating engineer to help you get to the root of the issue.
Book in a boiler service
As we mentioned earlier, the spring and summer months are the perfect time to book in a boiler service. There are lots of benefits to booking a boiler service; an experienced and professional heating engineer can detect any small issues within your system before they become bigger problems and carry out the necessary checks to ensure your boiler is in top working condition.
Your boiler should be serviced annually to rule out any issues and ensure that your system is working as efficiently as possible. Failing to service your boiler can lead to a range of problems, from system faults that put you and your family at risk to high and costly energy bills. Boiler servicing is an important part of boiler maintenance and should never be overlooked, so make sure you get in touch with a reliable heating engineer as soon as possible if your boiler hasn’t been serviced this year.
Consider installing smart heating controls
While summer is a great time to keep on top of boiler maintenance and ensure that your heating system is in top working condition for the rest of the year, it’s also a good time to consider installing smart heating controls. Smart heating controls allow you to control the temperature of each room in your home from your mobile or tablet via an app.
Often, we require different temperatures in different rooms of our home. For example, you may want your living room to be warm and cosy but your bedroom cool for when you go to sleep. Installing smart heating controls makes controlling the temperature of your home easier than ever, and it’s a great investment all year round. Whether you’re returning home in the evening and need to warm a room up in your house or you simply want to keep on top of the temperature of your property, smart heating controls are a great option to consider.
Should I turn my boiler off during summer?
At West London Gas, we often get asked whether people should turn their boilers off completely during the warm summer months. If you are able to turn your boiler off, it can be a great way to save money during the months when you don’t need heating. However, you may need your boiler for hot showers, washing machines and washing the dishes. In this case, you’ll need to keep your boiler on – but you’ll be using your heating much less, so you’ll be saving more money anyway.
West London Gas: Your Reliable Gas Heating and Plumbing Engineers
Whether you need a new boiler installed in your West London home or your central heating needs servicing, you needn’t look further than West London Gas for all of your heating needs. We provide only the best installations and repairs and we pride ourselves on our excellent customer service and competitive prices. Our qualified team of gas and heating engineers have got a wealth of experience, and always go above and beyond to meet the needs of our customers and ensure that your boiler is in top condition all year round.
Our services are available from Kensington to Greenford, Richmond, and Wembley, and everywhere in between. When you choose us, you’ll never have to worry about finding reliable gas services again – because we’ve got you covered whenever you need us!
To learn more about our heating and plumbing services, simply visit our website or get in touch with us today.