The common consensus is that during the summer months, you can just keep your boiler turned off until winter arrives. But you’d be wrong.
Just like your car, if you are planning on turning off your boiler for an extended period, you should turn it on every so often in order to prevent the internal workings from seizing through lack of use.
This is only needed in short bursts every few weeks, but this could potentially save you hundreds by keeping your boiler in top condition and avoiding the need to get it repaired or replaced. You don’t want your boiler breaking right before autumn or winter.
If your boiler contains a pilot light, you can turn it off completely as the pilot light will continue to burn gas if left on, causing your bills to rise without your knowledge. Newer, more efficient boilers tend to use barely any energy when put on ‘standby’ so these don’t need to be fully turned off.
Remember that with the boiler off, you’ll be without hot water (Unless your boiler comes with a “Hot water only” mode. If you own a Combi Boiler, it may have a summer/winter mode, enabling you to change the energy usage with a flick of a button. If you have a dishwasher however, they typically heat water internally so you could turn the boiler off if only using the hot water for cleaning dishes. You’d have to see which way is more cost-effective for you.
What about servicing?
We believe that summer (particularly August to September) is the best time of year to have your boiler serviced and make sure it’s ready for those cold months ahead. This timeframe is suggested because typically, heating engineers get the most bookings during the autumn and winter, so getting it checked beforehand keeps you ahead of the rest and allows you to sit back and relax.
It is often a condition of your boiler manufacturers guarantee that you are required to have an annual service to maintain its validity, keeping you covered should you encounter any problems during colder spells.
Summer is also the best time for boiler installations and boiler replacements for the same reason of beating the winter rush. Browse our full range here and if you are ready to make the change or would like to book a boiler engineer to carry out any servicing, get in touch with us on 01752 69505 or contact us here.
