How to check your heating before winter

Test it before you need it

The worst time to discover a heating fault is the first cold night, when everyone else is discovering theirs. Pick a mild day in early autumn and run the heating for an hour or two.

Walk round the home while it warms up. Every radiator should heat evenly, the boiler should start without a struggle, and the hot water should still behave as usual.

Checks you can do yourself

Bleed the radiators

A radiator that is warm at the bottom and cold at the top usually has air trapped inside. With the heating off and the radiators cool, open the bleed valve with a radiator key and a cloth underneath. Close it as soon as water comes out.

Check the pressure

Most boilers have a pressure gauge on the front, and the manual shows the normal range. Bleeding radiators lowers the pressure, so look again afterwards. If it keeps dropping on its own, there may be a leak somewhere, and that is a job for a technician.

Test the thermostat

Turn the thermostat up and check the boiler responds, then down and check it stops. Replace the batteries in a wireless thermostat now rather than in January.

Clear the space

Keep furniture and long curtains away from radiators, and make sure nothing blocks the boiler's vents or flue.

Signs that need a professional

Call a heating technician if you notice any of these:

• banging, whistling or gurgling that bleeding does not cure
• water under the boiler or around a radiator valve
• a pilot light or flame that looks yellow instead of blue
• the boiler cutting out or showing an error code
• a smell of gas or fumes

If you smell gas, do not touch any electrical switch, open the windows, leave the home and call the emergency services on 112 from outside.

Book the service early

A boiler needs regular servicing to stay safe and efficient. Your manual says how often, and your insurer may expect proof of it. A service is also the moment to ask about anything that has been bothering you.

Book in September or early October. From the first cold week, technicians spend their days on breakdowns, and routine visits get pushed back. If you live in a building with shared heating, ask your syndic when the system is checked and who to tell about a cold radiator.

Keep a record

Keep the service reports, the boiler's model and the manual in one place, with a photo of the label on the boiler. When something goes wrong, those details let a technician come with the right parts the first time.