Preparing for the Annual Central Heating Switch-On

As the excitement of summer fades away, it’s time to start preparing for what may well be another extremely harsh British winter. When the temperatures start to plummet we inevitably look to our central heating systems to maintain a comfortable working environment. Yet with business gas prices remaining high, it’s more important than ever to make sure you are getting the most of out your heating. With boilers, pipes and radiators lying dormant for months, your system may not immediately work at 100% efficiency, or may even fail to work at all. Insulate yourself from high business electricity and gas bills this winter by following a few simple steps ahead of the annual central heating switch-on.

Take Your Heating Under Control

Fine-tuning your heating Cv storing controls is an easy way to keep your individual office areas at a comfortable temperature without wasting any energy, which could save you an average of 15% on your heating bill.
Check your thermostat is between 18°C and 21°C, lowering it on warmer days; running your central heating system at just 1°C lower could save you around £40 over a year. Use a programmer to control when the heating and hot water (if you have office bathroom facilities) are activated, planning around your office schedule to ensure you’re only using energy when actually needed. Thermostatic radiator valves are also an intelligent way to save energy. They monitor the air temperature around them to regulate the flow of hot water entering the radiator to help maintain a constant office temperature.

Bleed Radiators

One of the easiest ways to improve the efficiency of your central heating system is to bleed your radiators. If your radiators are cool, or cold at the top and warm at the bottom, you need to release trapped air to let hot water flow easily. All radiators should come with a small tool called a bleed tool, which can be used to open the small valve to the side of the radiator. Try asking each member of staff to bleed the radiator nearest to them, helping you to cover the entire office quickly. Check your manual to see if you have a sealed central heating system, in which case you’ll also need to reduce the overall pressure of the entire system then top up afterwards from the main cold water feed.

Book a Service

All company boilers and gas appliances should be serviced at least once a year to ensure they’re working correctly and not leaking any poisonous carbon monoxide gas in the office. If you wait for a system to break down your company could be left in the cold, as engineers become extremely busy during the winter period.

A simple way to protect yourself from unexpected repair bills and waiting times is to purchase business boiler cover. Most comprehensive policies will include an annual central heating service, during which the engineer should also be any test for any carbon monoxide leakage to keep your employees safe.