Your boiler is the hardworking heart of your home, keeping you and your family warm and cosy.
However, all that hard work and the high cost of replacing or fixing a clapped-out boiler means that yours deserves some TLC every now and again.
These simple boiler maintenance tips can help you keep your boiler running better and could also help you to avoid an unexpected bill for an unexpected breakdown.
7 simple boiler maintenance tips
- Keep vents and flues clear - make sure nothing is covering or blocking the air vents inside or the flues outside.
- Stop your condensate pipe from freezing - if you have a condensing boiler and the weather is cold there's a chance that your condensate pipe could freeze. To stop this, keep your heating on low all the time or install some insulation around the pipe. If the pipe does freeze you can thaw it by placing a hot water bottle on the pipe, or pouring warm water on it and then resetting your thermostat.
- Get your boiler serviced - make sure you have an annual boiler service. The engineer will be able to pick up any potential problems and make sure that it's running efficiently.
- Turn on your heating regularly - even in the summer you should try to turn the heating on at least once a month, to keep the system ticking over (a bit like you would with a car).
- Never, ever open the boiler cover - everything beneath the cover of the boiler is best left to an expert, Gas Safe registered engineer. If you try to tinker with it yourself you'll do more harm than good.
- Look at the flame - if you have a gas boiler with a pilot light or gas flame keep an eye on it. The flames should be blue. If they are yellow or orange, call in an engineer to find out what's causing the problem.
- Watch the pressure - regularly look at the pressure gauge on your boiler. If the pressure in your boiler is too low, you can top it up by using the filling loop, which is a little tap (usually located on or near your boiler) which you turn to top-up the system with enough extra water to bring the pressure back up. If you're not sure of what you're doing or if the pressure is falling regularly, call a Gas Safe registered engineer for help.