Rejus is primarily a company that provides facilities management (among many other services) to commercial and industrial clients. However, in order to support the wider community, we’re going to use the knowledge collected over decades of experience to provide weekly advice for either cleaning or building maintenance.
Read on!
10th December: Facilities Management #2
With the coldest of the winter months still ahead of us, we thought it best to share some straightforward tips to keep you warm over the winter. Having provided over two decades of expert boiler maintenance to commercial clients, we have some tips to help domestic properties to stay safe and prepared over what’s shaping up to be challenging winter.
A faulty boiler doesn’t just mean cold water and no heating over the winter, it can be dangerous for your household. Here’s some tips to keep you safe:
Annual Boiler Service
Starting off simple. If you’re not already, you need to be using a trusted professional to do a routine maintenance check every year, checking that all of the boiler’s components are functioning correctly.
In the world of commercial properties, annual boiler servicing is part of remaining compliant, keeping your property strictly within the statutory rules designed to keep building’s safe.
The works should be carried out by a Gas Safe Engineer. This professional will increase the boiler’s lifespan by keeping the machine running smoothly and helping to prevent unforeseen damage.
Read the Manual
When you move into a new house or get a new boiler, as dull as it sounds, you do need to set the time to familiarise yourself with the machine. Familiarise yourself with how the boiler operates, and it’ll help you understand what is and isn’t normal. This will help you identify when the equipment or the pipes need repairs.
That being said…
Do Not Repair the Boiler Yourself!
If your boiler is faulty or in need of repair, it’s best to contact your trusted Gas Safe Engineer.
Not only is it matter of looking after yourself, your household, and the boiler, it’s only Gas Safe engineers that are legally allowed to work with boilers.
Don’t take unnecessary risks, look around for a trusty engineer to use in case of emergencies.
Prevent freezing pipes
Your first step is to lag your pipes, essentially insulating them before the freezing temperatures of winter of winter.
During the winter you can then use your heating system to keep the pipes warm enough throughout the night and day. When you’re at home this is of course killing two birds with one stone, heating yourself and the pipes.
When you’re not home however it’s still valuable to turn your heating on for a short while. Not only does this keep the house itself warmer for when you return, it’s all great to get heat moving through your pipes.
Extra gas cost is the last thing people want to worry about now, so check the price of repairing or replacing frozen pipes in your area and weigh up the decision.
Looking After Radiators
The whole heating systems needs to be taken care of to have the best impact on your boiler.
When your radiator is warm at the bottom and cold at the top it means air has become trapped. When this happens, the radiator is in need of radiator bleeding.
Assuming the valve on the radiator hasn’t become too stiff, this is a straightforward process to release trapped air. Turn the valve until it starts hissing, then turn it off when it stops. Remember to protect your carpet from the excess water that will leak as the radiator bleeds.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the further away a radiator is from the boiler, the cooler it will be. Balancing the radiator is done to keep heat spreading evenly throughout your pipes, and in turn, your house. This is trickier than radiator bleeding, so will need consultation with a professional. It’s just something important to keep in mind.
Make sure the Flame is Blue
The flame of a gas boiler should always be blue.
If the flame of your boiler is yellow or red, call a Gas Safe Engineer immediately.
A blue flame tells you that the boiler is properly burning it’s fuel. Any other colour is a sign that something gone wrong with this process, and you may be at risk of a carbon monoxide leak.
Bonus Tip: Keep an eye on the pressure gauge. Too high of a pressure will cause leakages.
To learn more about our Facilities Management services click here.