As we brace ourselves for another heatwave over the coming weeks, homeowners might be unknowingly making their homes even hotter and stuffier.
According to Ryan Willdig, heating expert at Heatforce, many people are making simple boiler mistakes in summer that can lead to stuffy homes, higher energy bills and unnecessary wear and tear on their heating systems.
Even though you’re not using your heating in summer, your boiler is still active behind the scenes. If your boiler isn’t set up properly for summer months, then you could be contributing to a stuffy home, and paying more than you need to towards your energy bills.
Ryan discusses five common boiler mistakes that you can easily avoid in the summer months, and urges everyone to do these as soon as possible:
1. Leaving the Hot Water Temperature Too High
Most combi boilers allow you to set the water temperature separately from your heating temperatures.
Keeping everything at full blast will mean scalding water from the taps and also extra heating radiating into your home. You want to aim for around 50 degrees in summer and nothing more.
2. Running the Boiler 24/7 for Hot Water
Many households keep their system as it is to be able to access boiling water constantly, even when they’re out for the day or they’re on holiday.
By using timers and schedules to match your actual household usage, you’ll be avoiding overheating the house when it isn’t needed”
3. Turning the Boiler Off Completely
Switching your boiler off at the main power socket in summer might be sensible, but it can cause parts to seize up.
Instead, switch it to ‘summer mode’ if that’s an option, or ‘hot only water’ to stop you from overheating the house and to ensure you still have a boiler to use for your heating in winter.
4. Blocking Ventilation Areas
Boilers and hot water cylinders are often housed in cupboards that need airflow.
If you’ve stacked towels or closed vents to tidy the house up and stop the room from being so uncluttered, then you might need to think again, as you could be trapping in the heat.
5. Skipping the Summer Service
At Heatforce, we see a spike in emergency callouts during autumn. This is typically due to boilers that haven’t been serviced over the summer.
The summer months are typically the best time to get your boilers serviced as this is when most engineers have more time and you’re not reliant on the heating, even in the UK weather!
