How to make your boiler more efficient

With heating bills rising and temperatures dropping, it’s important to get the most out of your boilers in the winter months. There are several things you can do to make your boiler more efficient, so you get the most bang for your buck. And we’ve put together this handy guide to help.

The benefits of a more efficient boiler

There are many benefits to increasing your boiler’s efficiency. The one advantage you might notice the most is the cost reduction. With a more efficient boiler, the heat it produces will be better utilised across your home, with less of it going to waste. This means you’re not paying for energy that’s being lost.

With less heat being lost, your home will get warmer faster, without costing you anything extra. And as a bonus, when you’re saving energy, you’re also lowering your carbon footprint in the process.

Insulate your pipes

Your boiler may be working at its best, but if your pipes are losing heat when your central heating is on, it could all be for nothing. Properly insulating your pipes will reduce heat loss and keep your water hotter throughout the house. To do this, all you need is foam tubes or lagging around your pipes, but always make sure you opt for ones that are safe to use around heat.

Schedule regular maintenance

It’s always a good idea to arrange for a professional to carry out yearly maintenance on your boiler so that it’s always working at its best, especially when you need it the most. Check-ups like this mean that any faults can be caught before they become an issue, keeping your boiler in peak condition for longer. Here’s what you should keep on top of:

Schedule an expert to come and clean out the boiler system every so often as this will get rid of debris, rust, and sludge that has built up inside, blocking the flow of water. They will also refill the boiler with clean water and chemicals that prevent corrosion.

There’s maintenance that you can carry out yourself too, such as bleeding your radiators. This releases trapped air from your heating system so that it’s easier for water to circulate properly and warm up your home quickly.

Adjust the settings

Many homeowners make the mistake of setting their boiler’s flow settings too high which results in wasted energy. Combi boilers are designed to run at a flow temperature of 70°C to 80°C, but they often work best running at just 60°C. Turning this setting down means you’re not wasting energy when heating your boiler more than it needs to heat your home.

A smart thermostat can tweak your heating settings to best fit in with your lifestyle. This gives you the option to set schedules and even heat singular rooms so that you’re never heating the entire house when it’s not needed.

Switch it on over summer

Switching your boiler on over the summer might seem counterintuitive, but sometimes boilers can suffer in the winter when they’ve been left dormant for too long. All you need to do is turn it on for 15 minutes each week to prevent it from seizing up when you need it the most. Then you’re less likely to have a breakdown later in the year.

Did you find this article helpful? Don’t forget, we have plenty of other energy saving advice on our website.