Is your boiler ready for winter? A checklist for Leyland homes

Turn the heating on now, before you need it. That one step finds most winter boiler problems while you still have time to get them sorted without a cold house. A boiler that has done nothing but hot water since April is far more likely to complain the first time it is asked to heat the whole house, and in Leyland, Farington and Lostock Hall that tends to be the same week for everybody.

Eight checks you can do yourself

1. 1Put the heating on for an hour and walk round every room. Note any radiator that stays cold, or is cold at the top or the bottom.
2. 2Read the pressure gauge with the system cold. Most boilers want somewhere around one to one and a half bar. Check your manual for yours.
3. 3Bleed any radiator that is warm at the bottom and cold at the top. That is air, and a radiator key sorts it.
4. 4Find the condensate pipe, the plastic pipe running from the boiler to a drain. If it runs outside, check it is not cracked or blocked.
5. 5Change the batteries in a wireless thermostat. A flat battery looks exactly like a broken boiler.
6. 6Check the programmer clock is right. Power cuts and the clocks going back both knock timers out.
7. 7Test your carbon monoxide alarm, or fit one near the boiler if you do not have one.
8. 8Find the paperwork and check when the boiler was last serviced.

What the checks are telling you

A radiator cold at the bottom

That is not air, so bleeding it will not help. It is usually sludge sitting in the bottom of the radiator. I have written about why a radiator goes cold at the bottom and what each fix involves.

Pressure that keeps dropping

Topping up once after the summer is normal. Topping up every week is not. The water is going somewhere, and my guide to a boiler that keeps losing pressure explains how to work out where.

An outside condensate pipe

If yours runs a long way outside, or froze last winter, it is worth sorting before the first frost. A frozen condensate pipe is the most common reason a modern boiler stops on a cold morning, and the fix is a small job in October rather than a cold one in January.

When to book a boiler service

Once a year, and autumn is the best time for it. Most manufacturers ask for a yearly service to keep the warranty valid, so check what yours says. A service is also when worn parts get spotted before they fail, and when I check the boiler is burning safely, which matters more in a house that is shut up for the winter.

If your last service was more than a year ago, or you cannot find the paperwork, book a boiler service in Leyland now rather than waiting for something to go wrong. October and early November are easier to book than the first cold snap, when everybody rings at once.

Landlords in Leyland

If you let a property, the gas safety check is a legal requirement every twelve months, and it is a separate thing from a service. Most landlords have both done in the same visit so the tenant only has to let someone in once. My page on gas safety certificates covers what is involved.

I am based in Preston and Leyland is a short run down the A582, so I cover Leyland, Farington, Moss Side and Lostock Hall for servicing, repairs and everyday plumbing. If you want me to take a look, my page for a plumber in Leyland has everything I do, or just ring 07949 353536.