5 Tips To Help Get Your Home Winter Ready

In this blog we’re going to give you some simple tips and expert advice on how to prepare your property for a testing British winter.

iHeat’s top tips

Test Your Heating

With the hectic winter period in full swing, you may not have had the time or energy to fully assess your home’s heating status and identify any potential weak spots.

Being proactive in these checks can however, make a world of difference when the temperatures outside begin to plummet.

Remember a thorough test includes:

• Boiler

• Radiators (all)

• Electric heaters

• Heat pump (if applicable)

Service Your Boiler

An often overlooked aspect of responsible home heating management, arranging a boiler service, can prove prudent in terms of ensuring your boiler is operating 100% as it should and keeping energy bills as low as possible!

Some basic to-do's such as pilot light checks can be carried out by a homeowner; however, it’s always best to arrange for a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer to carry out a full and detailed boiler inspection of the property’s heating instruments.

An annual boiler service gives you the peace of mind that your boiler is functioning as it should while also protecting you from the very serious danger of carbon monoxide leaks.

Check Windows And Doors

It may sound obvious, but being diligent around the home for any windows or doors left slightly open via latches to allow fresh air into the property in the warmer months, can also bolster home heating once they are identified and fully closed.

Door seals and window gaps should also be closely inspected in case they need to be resealed to reduce draughts in the cold season.

Draught excluders in key positions such as behind large access doors may also be a help in terms of reducing the chills while being less frivolous with the heat your boiler produces.

Insulate Pipes

By insulating your property’s pipework, known as ‘lagging’, you can reduce the loss of heat as water circulates around them. This practice can also help to prevent pipes from freezing or bursting.

A frozen condensate pipe can be extremely detrimental to your home’s heating by stopping your boiler working all together, lagging could prevent this!

Locate Your Stopcock

In case of emergencies (including burst pipes and subsequent property flooding) it is extremely relevant to know the location of your stopcock.

A stopcock is the control tap for your home’s mains water supply, turning this off will cut the cold water system connection helping to limit further damage in the event of a serious leak.

A stopcock is usually located under a kitchen sink and looks like a small tap/valve.