How Does Winter Affect Your Boiler?

As the cold weather begins to take a hold of the UK, we will all be quite keen to put the heating on and be as warm as possible in our homes. But a warm cosy night indoors can turn into a frozen nightmare should your boiler stop working.

Despite it being their main job, not all boilers are cut out for the winter! Even if you have been regularly servicing your boiler – a drop in temperature can still affect it.

Here are a few reasons why your boiler could break during the winter months, and how you can limit the chances of disrupting a cosy winter night in.

Frozen Condensate Pipe

Strange noises coming from your boiler could mean that part of the condensate pipework is frozen. One tell-tale sign is a gurgling noise, additionally, if your boiler has a digital display, you may see an error message appear.

The condensate pipe is a white plastic pipe, in most cases, that is connected to an exterior drain. To get things working again, pour warm (not boiling) water on the frozen pipe. Once defrosted, reset your boiler.

To help reduce the risk of the condensate pipe freezing, you can insulate the exterior pipework.

Frozen Pipes

If condensate pipes can freeze, that means regular water pipes can freeze too. This could leave your boiler with no water and no way to heat your home.

If you notice there are frozen pipes, you can turn off the water supply using the mains stop cock, then turn on all the cold taps. With a hairdryer on a low setting, blow warm air onto the pipework. Once the pipes are thawed, water will flow out of the taps. Finally, make sure there are no cracks or obvious signs of a potential leak before turning the water back on.

Boiler Light is Out

Boiler lights have a much higher chance of going out in winter, especially if you are running your boiler at a high temperature all the time. This is normally caused by a blockage or the ignition system failing.

Sometimes, pilot lights can go out when there is a build-up of gas in your boiler. Call for a gas safe registered engineer if you do smell gas.

Escape of water? Call Aspray

Frozen pipework is susceptible to cracking, creating a leak, and causing damage to your property. Should the situation develop into something more worrying, and you think you need the help of your insurer, call Aspray.

We know all about the trouble that an escape of water can cause, and we know that dealing with a property damage insurance claim is the last thing anyone needs!

Aspray can manage your insurance claim from start to finish. That includes negotiating with your insurer to get the settlement you are entitled to and instructing vetted contractors to carry out the repairs to your property.

It really is as simple as giving us a call.