The possibility of snow has been on everyone’s mind recently, so we thought it would be useful to have some tips on getting the best out of your central heating system.

If you haven’t done so already this year, get your boiler checked and/or serviced, to ensure you aren’t left without hot water or heating when you need it most.  All ODM staff are Gas Safe registered plumbers, so you can trust us to work safely too..


Keep the central heating on

There’s great debate on the best way to keep your house warm in winter without sending your bills rocketing!  Our experience tells us that it’s best to keep the heating on at a low temperature.  Set the central heating to a minimum of 15 degrees Celsius (59 F) throughout the winter.  This helps prevent frozen pipes and frost damage whilst keeping the house at a steady temperature.  It takes less energy to keep the house warm than to heat it up from cold if you’ve had the heating off for a long period of time.  By fitting a smart device such as Hive to your heating you can increase the temperature just before getting home to ensure everything is toasty when you arrive.


Give your radiators some attention

Bleeding radiators is a quick and easy job you can do yourself.  If they’re cold at the top and hot at the bottom, check out this video for easy to follow instructions on how to bleed your radiators.  Not only will it increase the heat efficiency of your radiators, but it will save you money on your bills as well.


Keep your pipes warm

Apply lagging to any pipes and water tanks in exposed areas such as lofts, garages and utility rooms, to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting in the cold weather.

 

Locate your stop cock

Do you know where your stopcock is?  It’s rare, but sometimes, despite all your best efforts the weather will win out and your pipes can freeze up.  In this instance, you’ll want to prevent a build-up of pressure forming behind the blockage and leading to a burst pipe.  Familiarise yourself with the whereabouts of your stopcock — a little tap or lever on your copper pipes, often located under a sink — and make sure that you can access it easily in order to turn it off if needed.


Happy to help.

If you would like us to check or service your boiler, or have any questions about how to get the best from your central heating, get in touch using the contact form and someone will call you back to see what we can do for you, or simply call us on 01474 630036.