10 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR HEATING RUNNING PERFECTLY

Top Tips from Fix First Heating to ensure a safe, warm and efficient home

Your heating is the unsung hero in your home.  It keeps you and your family warm and comfortable all year round, prevents damp and provides you with ample hot water.

While your boiler, radiators and cylinder are quietly doing their jobs, it’s easy to forget about them. It’s when things start to go wrong that you realise how important regular maintenance of your heating system is.
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With this in mind, here are our top 10 ways to make sure your heating runs perfectly all year round.

​1. Book an Annual Boiler Service

​An annual boiler service is essential for the health of your heating system. A qualified engineer will check for any potential problems, test vital components, and ensure the the appliance is burning correctly. Regular servicing can extend the lifespan of your boiler and help you avoid the most common breakdowns. We see many avoidable issues with boilers that have been neglected for years.

​2. Use Up-to-Date Heating Controls

Modern heating controls, such as programmable or smart thermostats, allow you to heat your home precisely when you need. You can even monitor the temperature of your house while you’re out and about. Upgrading your controls can help you save energy and keep your home at the perfect temperature.

​3. Add Inhibitor to Your System

Heating system inhibitor is a chemical solution that helps prevent the build-up of sludge, rust, and scale inside your radiators and pipes. Adding inhibitor protects your system from internal corrosion, which can cause blockages and reduce efficiency. Whenever water is drained from your boiler or radiators, it’s crucial that the inhibitor is replenished.

​4. Convert Your System to Pressurised

If you still have an open-vented heating system, meaning the water is fed into the system from a small header tank in your loft, consider converting it to a sealed, pressurised system. Pressurised systems are less prone to air locks, leaks, and contamination, and they typically provide more consistent heating performance.

​5. Check Your System for Leaks

Even a small leak can lead to significant problems over time, such as low pressure, water damage, and reduced efficiency. Regularly check around your boiler, radiators, and pipework for any signs of dampness or scale build-up and address issues promptly.

​6. Bleed Your Radiators

If your radiators have cold spots or take a long time to heat up, they may contain trapped air. Bleeding your radiators releases this air, ensuring they heat evenly and efficiently throughout your home.
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You’ll know a radiator needs bleeding if it’s cold at the top and hot only at the bottom.

​7. Balance Your Radiators

Balancing your radiators helps ensure that each room in your home receives the right amount of heat. If some radiators are hotter than others, adjusting the valves can help distribute heat more evenly, improving comfort and efficiency.

​8. Insulate Your Pipework

Insulating exposed pipes, especially in lofts or garages, prevents heat loss and reduces the risk of pipes freezing in cold weather. Pipe insulation is inexpensive, easy to fit, and can make a noticeable difference to your heating system’s performance.

​9. Fit a Magnetic System Filter

Magnetic filters, capture rust particles that float around your system. Sludge that builds up in your system can block radiators or pipework, damage your pump or clog up the boiler’s heat exchanger, making the heating problematic and inefficient.
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As the sludge is your system is magnetic, a filter containing a powerful magnet fitted into the return pipe prevents the damaging substance entering your boiler. This gets cleaned out every year as part of a thorough boiler service.

​10. Monitor Your Boiler Pressure

Your boiler should operate at the recommended pressure level, usually between 1 and 1.5 bar when cold (check your boiler manual for specifics). Low pressure can cause heating problems, while high pressure can put stress on your system. If the pressure drops or rises unexpectedly, consult a heating engineer.
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Watch our video How to increase pressure on a Vaillant Combi boiler

​Conclusion

By following these ten tips, you’ll keep your heating running perfectly, save money on energy bills, and avoid the inconvenience of unexpected breakdowns. If you need professional help, don’t hesitate to contact Fix First Heating. We’re always happy to help keep your home warm and comfortable.

Stay warm and worry-free!