How to prepare your boiler for winter

As one of the hardest-working appliances in any home, it’s inevitable things could go wrong with your boiler.

Here are a few boiler tips for winter to help prevent it from packing in when you need it most.

How to maintain your boiler

Bleed your radiators

Bleeding your radiators releases air and allows your boiler to work better. It’s an easy enough job, and we recommend doing it before winter arrives.

We’ve covered how to bleed your radiator previously.

Test your boiler

Test your boiler by running it for 10 to 15 minutes in the warmer months to prevent issues when colder weather strikes.

Get regular servicing

Every boiler manufacturer recommends annual servicing to prevent problems. It also helps you conserve energy, save money and improve longevity.

Consider getting boiler or home emergency cover

You can’t always predict boiler problems, but you can get cover. Check your home insurance policy as you may have boiler cover included. Although many insurers offer it as an optional extra.

If you’re an Admiral Home Insurance customer, here’s what you get as standard:

• Admiral tier – no cover, but you can add Home Emergency cover to get boiler cover
• Gold tier – Boiler Emergency cover
• Platinum tier – Home Emergency cover

Our Boiler and Home Emergency cover protects your boiler, heating system or hot water if it suffers total failure.

What to do if your boiler stops working

We spoke to claims expert Sedgwick who advised us on what to do if your boiler stops working.

Check the thermostat

Boilers won’t switch on if the thermostat is lower than 21°C.

Confirm your power is on

Power cuts can reset boiler timers, so check everything is working after one.

Top up the meter

Unpaid bills and forgetting to top up your meter can make your boiler appear like it doesn’t work.

Look for leaks and signs of frost

Check your radiators for leaks and the boiler’s condenser pipe for frost.  You can fix a leaky radiator by tightening the nut.

To defreeze the condenser pipe, pour hot water over it.

Remember: you may have trace and access cover to help source and fix the leak.

Reset or repressurise

Pilot lights are a common issue in older boilers, so resetting the boiler can help relight it.

Pressure is another frequent issue, and you should follow manufacturer guidance on repressurising one.

What temperature should I set my boiler in winter?

Keeping your boiler warm prevents the pipes from freezing. Experts recommend an internal boiler temperature of at least 65°C or a little more.

Don’t set it lower than that, as lower temperatures can increase the rate of bacteria growth, including threatening ones like Legionella.

Setting your boiler temperature very high also carries risk and we don’t recommend it. It can overwork your boiler, making it less efficient and more likely to break down.

For room temperature, most recommend somewhere between 18°C and 21°C. You may want your bedroom a little cooler than that, though, as sleep experts recommend a temperature between 15.6°C to 19.4°C.

It’s important to turn your heating on and keep your boiler running in the colder months to prevent issues like damp and mould too.

How to make a boiler emergency claim

To make a claim, call us within 48 hours of discovering the emergency and have your:

• policyholder name and address
• policy number
• boiler details

For emergencies, contact our 24/7 helpline on 0345 609 4375.