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We come across a lot of DIY plumbers - usually when it has all gone terribly wrong and there’s water pouring through the ceiling - BUT you don’t have to be an expert to put a few simple practices in place that will ensure greater heating efficiency and safety in the home!
NEVER touch gas - heating installations, servicing and repairs should always be left to a Gas Safe qualified engineer, or if you have an oil fed system an Oftec Engineer.
Fit C02 monitors in your home, these will only set you back around £20 and are easy to fit, but if you don’t feel confident your local heating engineer will be able to supply and install these for you. By having these installed in your home you can have peace of mind that if you do have a carbon monoxide leak it will be detected before it’s too late.
If you’re boiler is more than 15-20 years old then we strongly recommend you consider changing it - even if it’s still working - you will be using a lot more fuel than if you have a modern condensing boiler fitted, which is a lot more energy efficient.
Aim to have your boiler serviced at least once a year. Just like getting a vehicle serviced this will help to prolong the shelf life of the boiler, ensure it’s running as efficiently as possible and will identify any potential problems!
Make sure you know where your stop tap is - it’s surprising how many homes we go to where the homeowner has no clue how to switch off the water supply! This is your first port of call in the event of a leak as this will switch off the mains water supply to your home.
If your home is well insulated, and certainly if you are living in a new build property, the most efficient way to heat your home is to set your thermostat at a constant 18-22 degrees, rather than have your heating set on a timer. The reason for this is if your heating is set on a timer and off for more than several hours at a time then every time it does come on the boiler has to work extremely hard to get the home up to temperature again and this actually uses more fuel. In the summer time if your home is naturally reaching 18-22 degrees then the boiler won’t fire up anyway.
If you have oil central heating then we highly recommend having a Watchman installed as this will tell you when your oil level is running low - rather than you just running out - which can be pretty inconvenient in the winter and often means you need to contact a heating engineer to bleed your heating system to get it up and running again!
FINALLY - If you are local to the South Cheshire/ Shropshire/ Staffordshire borders keep Scott’s number pinned up on your notice board in case of emergency!
If you would like to get in touch regarding any of the top tips listed, or any other heating and plumbing queries you may have, please contact us on info@scottjamesplumbingandheating.co.uk 07809133173