Autumn Heating Checklist: 6 Things to Check Before Winter

Most heating systems sit unused all summer, so the first cold snap is exactly when small, ignorable faults turn into no-heat emergencies. None of the six checks below take long, and catching a problem now — while it's still an easy fix — beats discovering it on the coldest night of the year.

1. Book your annual service now, not in December

An annual boiler service is the single most effective way to catch a developing fault before it becomes a breakdown, and early autumn is the right time to book it — before demand for engineers picks up with the first cold snap. It's also the point most manufacturer warranties require to stay valid.

2. Check for leaks around the system

Take a few minutes to look over visible pipework, radiators, and the area around the boiler itself for damp patches, staining, or corrosion. A slow leak is far easier to deal with now than after weeks of continuous heating use makes it worse.

3. Bleed the radiators

Run the heating for an hour and check that every radiator is heating evenly. A radiator that's cold at the top but warm at the bottom has trapped air inside — bleeding it with a radiator key usually takes a couple of minutes and restores full heat output.

4. Check the boiler pressure

With the heating off and the system cold, most domestic boilers should read between 1 and 2 bar on the pressure gauge. Low pressure is one of the most common causes of a system that won't heat properly, and it's a simple check that takes seconds.

5. Test the carbon monoxide alarm

Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless, so a working alarm is the only reliable early warning if a gas appliance develops a combustion fault. Test it the same way you'd test a smoke alarm, and replace the battery if it's due.

6. Insulate exposed pipework

Pipes running through a loft, garage, or other unheated space are the most common place for a freeze to happen once temperatures drop — and a frozen condensate pipe is one of the most common reasons a boiler stops firing in cold weather. Foam pipe lagging is inexpensive and straightforward to fit before the cold arrives.

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If any of these checks turn up something that needs a second opinion, or your boiler's overdue a proper service, see our Annual Boiler Service or Emergency Boiler Repair pages, or call 07472 251465.