If your heating is on but it still feels cold, then one of two things must be true: either the heat isn’t flowing properly throughout the systems or; you are losing more than you can generate. Follow these seven steps before you jump to the conclusion that your boiler is busted.
1) Confirm the thermostat settings
Obviously, but just double check that the thermostat is set higher than room temp and in heating mode (not hot water only).
Also check placement. If the thermostat is in a warm location (next to sunshine or radiator), it will think your house is warmer.
There are several things you can check at your end:
2) Check your boiler pressure
A decrease in heating could be a gradual decline due to low pressure. Most combi boilers are designed to work at around 1.0, 5 bar when cold (check your manual).
If it is low, you may have to recharge the system with water using the filling loop. If pressure starts to fall and falls running, that means there is a leak or potentially a fault which would require an engineer. For Evesham Boilers, visit combi-man.com/boiler-finance/boiler-finance-evesham/
3) If radiators are cold at the top then bleed them
If you have a radiator that is warm at the bottom and cold on top, chances are it will be air in there. The bleeding allows the heat to flow through.
Cold patches on the middle or bottom of radiators are a sign that sludge might be building up. If a few rooms bake in the sun while others keep it nippy, your system may be off balance.
Have a word with your heating engineer to determine whether or not a powerflush would help, and ask them for some options on what filter may work in this circumstance.
4) Ensure radiator valves open and functional
Look at the two ends of each radiator:
Turn your TRV (thermostatic valve) up
The lockshield valve (normally beneath a cap) should not be closed off fully.
5) Boiler flow temperature
The boiler is given a target flow temperature but if its simply not high enough then your radiators will never get warm however correctly you set the thermostat that controls them. A number of systems must use a higher flow temp in winter than most weather.
If you’re not sure how to set this up, ask an engineer as poor settings can mean a waste of energy.
6) Consider draughts and insulation
There are times when the heat that makes it through can’t penetrate is being kept out.
Quick wins include:
Draught excluders for doors
Thick curtains
Loft insulation top-up
Sealing gaps around windows.
