The festive season may be our favourite time of the year, but there is one aspect that we’d rather not face: the cold.
While you cannot necessarily do much more than wrap up in extra layers when outside, you can at least keep the home warm throughout the colder months. Use the following checklist for guidance, and your property will remain toasty at all times. Let the festivities begin!
Check the boiler:
None of the additional steps will work to their full potential if the boiler isn’t in good health. If yours has been showing signs of faults throughout the summer months, they’ll only get worse during the colder season. Upgrading to a newer model will ensure that everything is running smoothly for the festive period and beyond. Alternatively, a simple repair job may work wonders for less significant damage.
Insulate hot water pipes:
It’s likely that you already have a jacket for your water tank. However, you can take things to the next level by using pipe lagging. The foam tubes fit around the water pipes to keep the water hot for longer. This will significantly increase the efficiency, which is excellent news for the environment as well as your bank balance. Most importantly, you’ll enjoy a better temperature and won’t need to wait as long for water to heat up.
Reflect the heat:
If radiators are your primary source of heating in the home, you need to ensure that they’ll actually serve their function. It might not be the most attractive interior design move, but placing a sheet of tin foil (wrapped around card) on the wall behind the radiator will help the hot air circulate through the room. Remember to leave the radiators unobstructed by furniture too or else you’ll find that the back of the sofa is warmer than you!
Bleed the radiators:
Staying with the radiators, it’s imperative that you bleed them ahead of the festive period. Now that you are using the heaters once again after months of inactivity, you need to check that the heat spreads to the top of the unit. Use a bleed key to let the hot air escape, and the water will be able to rise unobstructed once more. Repeat the process with every radiator throughout the home, and the temperature you set will be the temperature you receive.
Stop wasting heat:
We’re all guilty of letting heat leave the home too easily or trapping it in areas where we don’t get to feel the benefits. Adding a rug, especially over hard flooring, can have a telling impact. Likewise, shutting doors can keep the heat in. Conversely, though, keeping the oven door open after cooking can have a hugely positive influence in heating the kitchen. Stop letting hot air go to waste, and you will notice a massive difference around the home.
A warm home is a happy home, especially during the festive period. However, it’s a lot easier to get those plans in place now rather than make adjustments once the cold weather has arrived. So, whether it’s fixing the boiler or attending to pipes and radiators, now is the time to start!