Your Central heating is not completely static, and it needs a decent bit of maintenance for it to run at it's optimum efficiency. When you are installing central heating it is wise to as the technician the best ways to look after the equipment. Of course it might be too late now so here a couple of tips to see if your central heating is up to scratch.
- Bleed Your Radiators
This sounds a lot more harsh thanit really is, the simple fact is that from time to time air gets into the central heating system, and when it gets to the radiator it cannot naturally get out. Feel your radiators and if they are warmer at the bottom than the top then this has happened. If so, then turn off your central heating, find the bleed valve (a square valve at the top on one or either side), place a cloth beneath the radiator (to stop spillage) and with a radiator key (or bleed screw) (this should come with the central heating system, if not they are easily available in all good DIY stores) carfully open the valve counter-clockwise until the air begins to escape, when water begins to escape the air has been fully bled therefore close the valve in a clockwise direction. Job Done
- Check the Thermostat
Strange as it sounds sometimes people find it a bit chilly because they have either changed the thermostat settings or the thermostat is malfunctioning, what you can do is alter the settings on your central heating to check if the temperature changes. If there is no change then the thermostat and not the central heating may be at fault, in this case you may have to call out an engineer.
- Check your system for Leakage
Have a thorough look around your whole central heating system, look for any damp patches on or about the lagging on your pipes, check the sides of your radiators, check the boiler itself, and best of all, take your tools with you just to make sure that all the valves are nice and tight throughout the network.
Of course for most of the complicated tasks a trained professional will have to be called in, but if you do your best to help them, then your anual check up, and any maintenance will no doubt be much cheaper.
