Now that summer’s here and we rarely have to reach for our thermostats, we could be excused for forgetting all about our boilers — right? In fact, there are plenty of good reasons for keeping an eye on our central heating, even during the hottest months of the year.
We’re not just talking about the infamously unreliable British weather. Staying on top of maintenance and safeguarding now will often save you time and money further down the road. That’s why we’ve put together this FAQ to help keep your boiler in tip-top condition.
Let’s grab our favourite sunglasses and a tall, cool drink to explore how to maintain a healthy central heating system all year round.
Should You Turn Off Your Boiler During Summer?
With temperatures soaring, you may be thinking to yourself, can I turn my boiler off? But if you want to keep your boiler in great condition, it’s not recommended that you switch the whole thing off for the summer. This is because even though it might be really warm outside, there’s a good chance you’re putting your boiler at risk by not keeping it in use.
Boiler breakdowns actually become more likely as a result of them being inactive for long periods. It may seem like a good way to save money on your energy bills, but the price you pay could be much worse. In fact, even turning your boiler off overnight could cost you money.
Using Your Boiler in the Summer
In order to keep your boiler running smoothly in the hot summer months, don’t turn the thermostat off — instead, turn it to the minimum level that you might need for chillier mornings. We all know those days are going to come in the UK, even during summer!
If you want to go the extra mile to avoid encountering problems at a later date, try turning on your thermostat at a low level for around a quarter of an hour each day. Your boiler thrives when it’s used consistently, so this is a great way to keep it healthy.
Should a Boiler be Serviced Every Year?
We always recommend that you should have your boiler serviced annually. A service involves vital safety checks for gas and carbon monoxide leaks, making sure your boiler is running at peak efficiency.
This might sound surprising, but summer is actually a great time to get your annual service done.
Here are three good reasons why:
- It’s best to get any potential problems nipped in the bud now, rather than finding out that major work needs to be done when temperatures have dropped. If a service does find a significant fault that needs repairing, it’s safe to say we’d all miss our heating much more in December than during the middle of August!
- When you book a service in the summertime, it’s likely you’ll find it much easier to get the job done quickly because of reduced demand. Waiting until winter, when breakdowns and callouts are much more common, you could find it tougher to get your service sorted when you need it most.
- Finally, getting your annual boiler service completed on time helps protect your warranty, which could mean avoiding big pay-outs further down the line. It’s always best to stay on top of boiler maintenance, secure in the knowledge that you’re keeping your home safe.
Reputable manufacturers, like our here team at Ideal Boilers, will always drop you a line when your boiler is due to be serviced — it’s never been easier to simply book a boiler service online.
Is Summer a Good Time to Replace Your Boiler?
For many of the same reasons that summer’s a smart time to get your boiler serviced, it’s also a good time to get your boiler replaced. It will probably be easier to schedule the necessary work with an engineer because of the time of year, and you’re far better off replacing a boiler now rather than waiting a while and risking it breaking down in winter.
By choosing to find a new boiler before it gets to the point of becoming a priority, you’ll have more time to pick out the perfect model for you, whether you’re looking for a combi boiler or heat only solution. You’ll also have a brand new boiler ready for winter, so you’ll be much less at risk of having to deal with central heating problems in the colder months.
My Boiler is Acting Up — Should I Wait?
No matter what time of year it is, we always advise that you should act quickly if you are concerned about your boiler. Small problems can quickly get worse, so it’s not worth the risk of waiting around and hoping things will clear up by themselves
Taking care of your boiler will help keep it working safely and efficiently, which in turn means cheaper energy bills and less worries for you. If you take great care of your central heating system, you can count on it to return the favour.
You’ll find further advice on central heating, servicing and boiler care in our FAQs, as well as more in-depth guides on our blog.
