Preparing Your Heating for Winter

Every year we receive dozens of emergency calls from homeowners whose boilers have failed on the coldest week of the year. Most of these breakdowns are preventable with a simple autumn check.

The September/October boiler checklist

1. Turn the heating on — run it for an hour to check everything works before cold weather arrives. If something's wrong, it's easier and cheaper to fix now than in a January emergency.
2. Check boiler pressure — should read 1–1.5 bar on a cold system. Top up if needed.
3. Bleed radiators — especially if you've turned the heating off all summer. Air can accumulate and cause cold spots.
4. Check your thermostat — replace batteries if needed. A dead thermostat battery is a surprisingly common cause of a "broken" heating system.
5. Check your condensate pipe — modern condensing boilers produce a condensate waste pipe that usually exits through an outside wall. Note where it is — if it freezes in winter, your boiler will lock out.
6. Book your annual service — if you haven't had one this year, book it now before the engineers fill up with winter emergency calls.

What to do if your boiler breaks down in winter

Call us on an emergency basis — we carry the most common spare parts for all major brands. For overnight emergencies, we can usually attend within 2–4 hours in the Corby area. Get our contact details.