A boiler breakdown is a complete nightmare, even if you are still under warranty. You will need to call your local boiler repair expert as a matter of emergency and hope that they have some availability in the near future.
In the winter months, the chance of getting a same day boiler repair service is extremely slim, and you may well find yourself shivering for several days in freezing temperatures whilst you wait for them to arrive. Sound fun? No, we didn’t think so.
You want to avoid breakdowns at all costs for both convenience and safety reasons, and whilst it may be impossible to completely eliminate the risk of it happening, there are certainly things that you can do to reduce the risk to an absolute minimum.
Here are a few of the best possible preventative measures that you can take, with the assistance of a gas safe engineer to reduce the risk of a boiler breakdown and emergency boiler repair Glasgow being required.
Have your boiler serviced on an annual basis
The importance of an annual boiler service really can’t be overstated. It will not only ensure that your boiler is in good working order and that there are no minor issues that might escalate into major problems in the future but will also involve a number of safety checks to ensure that there are no dangerous leaks that could put your family in danger.
Spotting any boiler repairs that need to be carried out during a service is far better than just waiting for the big breakdown as you will avoid the added expense of an emergency call-out and as boiler servicing is not normally carried out at peak times, you will be able to have the repairs sorted much sooner than would otherwise be possible.
Having your boiler serviced both prevents boiler repair being needed at all, and makes sure you don’t need to pay through the nose for it if it is. Many boiler installers offer a warranty of around 5-10 years on their boilers but this will almost always be subject to an annual service and failing to arrange one will put the cost of boiler repair firmly at your door.
Turn on the heating in the Summer
Sound ridiculous? Well turning on your heating periodically throughout the summer is actually the best way to prevent nasty surprises when the colder temperatures do arrive and you require your heating on a regular basis.
As well as keeping the system ticking over, the process will ensure that any issues are identified during months where your heating is not an essential. This will reduce the impact of boiler repairs on your life, and it will also probably be cheaper to have your system repaired at this time, with many engineers offering discounted rates to fill their schedule during periods of low demand.
Bleed the radiators in your home
Bleeding your radiators will help to reduce the pressure in your hot water system and protect against a wide variety of different boiler problems.
If you are unsure on the best way to do this, ask someone in your family to help you, or look online, it is a pretty simple process and there are plenty of tutorials available. Given the potentially high sky-high costs of boiler repair or breakdown there really is no excuse for failing to carry out basic boiler maintenance such as this.
Insulate pipework
Frozen pipes are one of the biggest issues leading to boiler repair, especially in Scotland and the North of England where temperatures during the winter months regularly drop below freezing.
Simply covering and insulating your pipework at home will ensure that this doesn’t occur and keep your water flowing freely all winter long. If you are going away for a time during the winter months, perhaps to visit the family over the festive season, try to have a trusted neighbour to pop in or programme your heating system so that it is not left stagnant for a long period.
Do a DIY boiler check
Examining your boiler in detail for any faults should only ever be done by a gas safe engineer but you can do your part by keeping the area around the boiler clutter free, ensuring that suitable ventilation can reach the boiler, and that debris is not allowed to build up in air vents and flumes.
You should also keep an eye on the pressure gauge located on your boiler and contact a gas safe engineer the moment that you see an issue if the adjustment tools on the system do not resolve the issue. Finally, install a carbon monoxide detector in close proximity to the boiler to ensure that any leaks are detected as soon as they occur, keeping your loved ones safe at all times.