The clocks going back marks the point most households switch their heating on properly for the first time since spring. Before you do, a few checks take fifteen minutes and can save a much longer call-out later.
Bleed Every Radiator
Air collects in radiators over months of not being used, and a radiator with trapped air heats unevenly or not at all at the top. Bleeding each one takes a couple of minutes with a radiator key and is the single most effective free fix available before winter starts.
Check the Boiler Pressure
Most boilers display pressure on a small gauge, and it should typically sit between 1 and 1.5 bar when the system is cold. If it’s noticeably low, the system may have a slow leak or simply needs topping up. If it’s high, that’s worth a look too rather than ignoring.
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Test Everything Before You Need It
Turn the heating on properly, not just for five minutes, and let it run through a full cycle. This is when you’ll hear a new noise, notice a room that isn’t heating, or find a radiator that stayed cold. Finding these issues on a mild October weekend is very different from finding them on the coldest night in December.
Check the Boiler Flue Outside
A quick look at the external flue for blockages, birds’ nests are more common than people expect, or visible damage takes a minute and rules out a genuinely dangerous fault before the boiler is running constantly.
If anything on this list turns up a problem, or if you’re not comfortable checking it yourself, get in touch and we’ll take a look before the cold really sets in.
