Maintaining your home: Switch the heating back on

Every year, it is recommended to check up your heating installation before the arrival of winter.

This preventive maintenance is especially recommended at the beginning of the autumn to be able to act recover, in case of detected problems.

Here are some actions we recommend to be done in order to go through the winter with a maximum of comfort.

1. Bleed radiators, not an obligation but a useful action:

It is recommended to bleed all your radiators/heaters, once a year, at the beginning of the autumn before restarting the boiler.

Why is important to bleed radiators?

To get a maximum of comfort before winter, check up your radiators to improve the quality of heating and to avoid any heat loss.
Bleeding radiators extracts the air contained into the heating circuit. Indeed, the presence of air in the circuit prevents the circulation of the water in the elements of your radiators.
From an economic point of view, to bleed its radiators will help you to reduce your energy consumption.

How to bleed the radiators ?

You can bleed your radiators by yourself. To do it, take a container and a key with piece squared (or screwdriver with flat head).
Then:

• Stop the boiler or cut off the power supply of the circulator.
• Wait 3 minutes to not mix the water and the air.
• Place your container under the trap.
• With a key with piece (or the screwdriver), open the buzzard of purge (counter-clockwise).
• You may hear whistlings corresponding to the air which escapes
• When that you perceive drops of water out, close the trap

2. Realize a complete check-up of your boiler

The maintenance of your boiler is compulsory once a year in France.
The maintenance of a boiler consists in verifying and cleaning the device itself and evacuate the atmospheric pollutants. Do not neglect the boiler maintenance. The lack of maintenance can cause risks of poisoning with the carbon monoxide.
The maintenance of your boiler must be done by a qualified professional. At the end of the visit, the professional has to establish a certificate of maintenance within 15 days following the visit.

3. Verify the water level of your boiler before starting it

Did you know it that the water of your boiler tends to decrease every year. This reduction of water can cause a reduction in pressure, decreasing the power of your boiler and eventually a complete stop. To verify the pressure of your boiler, you just have to open your boiler and to look at the pressure indicated on the manometer.
For information, the pressure of a boiler is generally contained between 1 and 1.5 bars.

The check of the water level of the boiler is important if you bleed your radiators. Indeed, when you bleed your radiators, some drops of water can escape from it.
These few drops of water are enough to lower the pressure of your boiler. To Put back some water in the boiler. In case of pressure of insufficient water, open the faucet placed under the boiler (see note of the manufacturer), by watching the needle of the manometer. When this one returns between 1 and 1.5 bars, close the faucet.

4. Check your room thermostat batteries

If your thermostat works with batteries, change them systematically once a year. If you don’t have a room thermostat, we recommend you to install one. It allows to do makes energy savings.
One additional degree in heating means 7% of additional consumption.

5. To check the pump

Then, check your pump. It may be blocked.
To unblocked it:

• Stop the boiler
• Unscrew the screw at the center of the pump and with a screwdriver (flat head)
• Turn the axis located behind the screw. Be careful, some water will drop out of the pump !
• Put the screw back and switch the boiler on.

It's better to take a rag some water goes out of the circulator. Start up the boiler in position heating and verify that the circulator works normally, some circulators are equipped with an automatic drain to verify that the valve is slightly unscrewed.

Don’t hesitate to visit our category heating to find sweeping products you need