How to look after your boiler in the summer

At last - the long summer days are warm and the evenings are balmy. Thoughts of chilly nights snuggled in winter woollies in front of the TV are replaced by those of days in the garden, barbeques with friends and, perhaps, a visit to the local hostelry for a cold beer or glass of wine.

At last, we aren’t depending on our boiler to keep us warm and comfortable! And we’re sure that, if our boilers could, they would be heaving a great sigh of relief too! They’ve had to work even harder than usual after this last year, especially if we’ve been working from home more!

And just like you would check your car’s oil, brake pads and spark plugs to make sure it’s running safely and efficiently, it’s the perfect time to get your boiler checked over too.

Here are our top tips for your boiler’s summer maintenance:

1. Arrange an annual service

While you are enjoying the lovely weather, your boiler will appreciate some R&R of its own! An annual service will keep it running safely, efficiently and reliably. And if it is still in warranty, an annual service is required to keep the warranty valid. During the service your heating engineer will carry out:

• A thorough safety check
• Inspection and testing of components
• Check for leaks and corrosion
• Completion of Benchmark service record
  
  

Find out how to book your service here.

2. Turn down the heat

Rather than turning off the central heating altogether, turn the room thermostat down so that the heating won’t come on. You can also turn down the hot water temperature on a combi boiler. Rather than adding more cold water to cool down your daily shower, it makes sense to turn the hot water down. This will save wear and tear on the boiler, and also save you money on your fuel bills. You can also turn off the thermostatic radiator valves on radiators in individual rooms, if you have them.

3. Radiators need your attention too! 

Although your radiators aren’t part of your boiler, they are part of the overall heating system in your home. The summer is a great time to check them over for leaks and replace or move them if you need to. Summer is a great time to fit reflective insulated panel boards on the wall behind your radiators, especially if the radiator is mounted on an outside wall. Rigid reflective radiator panels are an ideal solution if you don’t want to take your radiators off the walls. This can make quite a difference when it’s time to turn the heating back on, both in warming the room quicker and then keeping it warm.

4. Switch it on

Whether you’ve turned your boiler off completely or switched to hot water only, it’s a good idea to run your central heating for a few minutes each month, to keep the system in working order. Just turn on the boiler, turn up the thermostat until your radiators begin to get warm, and then turn it back to either off or how water only. Doing this occasionally throughout the summer will stop the pump and diverter valve inside the boiler from seizing up through lack of use. And your heating will come on again when you need it in the autumn!

5. Repair or replace

The summer is a great time to get your boiler repaired or replaced because there is less demand for heating engineers during the warmer summer months and it’s easier to manage without the heating while the work is being done! See advice on how long does a boiler last for more info on when a boiler needs replacing.