Avoiding Common Boiler Maintenance Mistakes

Regular maintenance is key to owning an efficient boiler. However, even with regular checks, some common maintenance mistakes are made, even by professionals.

Before diving into common mistakes, let’s first highlight essential boiler maintenance habits.

Key Boiler Maintenance Habits To Adopt

Your boiler is one of your home’s most essential appliances. Here are some key habits to keep your boiler operating at its best.

Doing Routine Maintenance

Ignoring regular or scheduled inspections will eventually catch up with you as a homeowner. A task put off to another day, such as a boiler issue, will only become more challenging to solve.

Failing to stick to your maintenance routine will mean:

• Undetected leaks
• Corrosion
• Or wear and tear that may compromise the boiler’s performance and safety

When booking your annual service with a Gas Safe registered engineer, you want to ensure that you have someone to let them into your property.

Also, when booking a date, pencil it into your calendar as a day to take off work or to work from home.

Always keep a record of the maintenance work completed and inspection. A service history is handy if there are unforeseen issues with the work.

Do Visual Checks For Leaks

It’s a simple task, but inspecting your heating system’s piping can help prevent a problem from developing.

Leaks are a fairly common issue with boilers and heating systems as they can form:

• Along piping
• At valves
• Joins and bends
• In an old radiator
• Or in the boiler itself.

If you find any evidence of a leak, it is always a good idea to get it seen as soon as possible.

Do Simple Boiler DIY Tasks On A Scheduled Day

Two simple DIY boiler tasks most homeowners can perform are bleeding radiators and repressurising them.

If you are unsure you can complete these tasks, call in a professional to help.

But let’s focus on the first task.

Bleeding Radiators

When you bleed your radiators, you release trapped air into the system. These air pockets will reduce heating efficiency and result in uneven heating across the home.

Signs that you need to bleed your radiators include:

• Cold spots at the top of the radiator while it is still warm at the bottom
• Gurgling or bubbling noises indicate there are air pockets trapped inside
• Your radiators are taking longer to heat up compared to the usual time
• Uneven heating is distributed around the home
• And a lower boiler pressure

To bleed a radiator, you’ll need the following:

• Radiator key or a flat-head screwdriver
• Towel or cloth to protect your floor from potential spills
• And a small container to catch any water that escapes

Repressurising A Boiler

Your home’s boiler can lose pressure from general use. A low-pressure boiler will operate inefficiently and pose a safety risk. Many modern boilers will activate a lock-out mode if the pressure is dangerously low and needs to be repressurised.

Before repressing your boiler, reading through the manual is a good idea. Here are the general steps to repressurise a boiler:

1. Turn off the boiler and allow it to cool.
2. Locate the filling loop, usually a flexible silver or black hose with a valve on each end.
3. Open both valves slowly to allow water to enter the system.
4. Watch the pressure gauge and close the valves when it reaches the recommended pressure (usually between 1.0 and 1.5 bar).
5. Turn the boiler back on and check if it operates correctly.
6. Remove the filling loop if it’s detachable, ensuring valves are closed tightly to prevent leaks.

Don’t Ignore Strange Noises

Most UK homeowners know the sounds their boiler makes. Whether it’s the roaring sound of the pilot flame warming up water or its gentle hum while maintaining your home’s temperature, you know the sound of a healthy boiler.

However, your home’s boiler can start making unusual noises. These strange sounds include:

• Kettling (like a stove kettle boiling)
• Gurgling
• Clicking or tapping
• Vibrating
• Buzzing or whining
• Whooshing
• Banging

Many of these strange noises have typical causes, but if you can, call in a Gas Safe registered engineer to investigate the issue.

Doing DIY Work Beyond Your Expertise

Some homeowners can sometimes believe in themselves to a fault, especially regarding their DIY ability.

We strongly recommend that you never attempt to work on a project that should be left to a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Now that we’ve covered key boiler maintenance habits, let’s focus on avoiding common mistakes.

Common Boiler Maintenance Mistakes Everyone Makes

While it’s unlikely that a Gas Safe registered engineer will make a maintenance mistake, checking their work is always in your best interest.

Forgetting To Check Water Quality

The UK is known for having some of the hardest water in the world. A high concentration of minerals like calcium and magnesium causes hard water.

Hard water can cause homeowners a headache if it is allowed to deposit calcium on the lining of the heating system, or what is usually called limescale build-up.

A build-up of hard water, excess minerals, and contaminants can damage internal components and reduce heat transfer efficiency.

Adding a solution of inhibitors to your heating system can mean the difference between a clean or blocked system.

Conduct regular water quality tests or install a magnetic filter.

Skipping Safety Device Testing

Modern boilers have many safety devices, such as pressure relief valves and low-water cutoffs, that must function correctly to prevent problems from happening.

Failure to have these safety devices tested regularly could result in catastrophic failures.

• Conduct routine testing of all safety devices.
• Replace faulty safety components immediately.

Improper Pressure Settings

We’ve mentioned that most homeowners can repressurise their boilers. However, sometimes property owners forget to check the boiler pressure the manufacturer has recommended.

If the pressure is lower than recommended, it can reduce the heat output, while high pressure could lead to a system failure or the activation of a safety device.

Cleaning The Boiler, Flue, And Ventilation

Ensuring the area around your home’s boiler is clean and clear is essential for visual inspections and getting access.

Blocked or inefficient boiler flue systems can lead to carbon monoxide buildup and reduced efficiency.

Always make sure that:

• External vents are clear of debris, snow, or obstructions.
• Clean ventilation grilles and flues to prevent blockages.
• Install a carbon monoxide detector and test it regularly.

In cold weather, condensate pipes (waste chute) can freeze, causing the boiler to shut down.

To prevent this, you will want to insulate the condensate pipe. Also, when doing a routine check, you’ll want to inspect for blockages and clear them if necessary.

Not Knowing How To Reset Your Boiler

Being unfamiliar with your boiler will mean you’re unsure how it works. Even routine tasks can become complicated.

Always read through the manufacturer’s manual to understand how to perform the most basic boiler functions.

However, if you’re stuck with a broken boiler and no matter how hard you Google, you cannot find the proper answer, what should you do?

Call In Gas Safe Registered Engineers

When you’ve exhausted all your research skills, it’s sometimes best to avoid common boiler maintenance mistakes by calling a professional who knows the answer.

Our repair team is available across the UK and can assist within 48 hours.

If you do have the strength for more research, you can contact one of our many professionals at the call centre at WarmZilla HQ.