All central heating systems that are pressurised systems will need to be repressurised at some point so that they continue to work as efficiently as possible. This generally requires manually topping up the amount of water within the system and although this sounds like a daunting task, anyone can do it as long as they have a good set of instructions and the handbook to their boiler.

Why does this have to be done?
Everyone knows that heating water over and over makes some of it evaporate and this is exactly what happens in your central heating system. Every time you turn your boiler on and heat the water in the system, a small amount of it evaporates and eventually the water pressure begins to fall. If left, the pressure can fall so far that your boiler will stop working and so you need to repressurise the system as soon as you notice a fall. There are other reasons for a fall in pressure, such as leaks in the system, but these will require the help of a professional and shouldn’t be tackled alone.

How do you know your system needs repressurising?
All boilers that are part of a pressurised system will have a very obvious and easy to read pressure gauge which monitors the water pressure within the heating system. This gauge needs to be checked on a monthly basis to see that the pressure is within the recommended levels – these will be noted in the boiler’s handbook. If the pressure has dropped then it’s time to repressurise.

How do you repressurise a boiler system?
Firstly you need to locate your filling loop. This will be located close to the boiler and looks like a stop tap with one end attached to the cold water mains pipe and the other end attached to the central heating system pipe work. Occasionally, the filling loop may not be permanently attached to the heating system and so you will need to attach it first before turning the tap! In some cases the filling loop may be integrated within the boiler itself and you will need the boiler handbook for further instructions.

Once the filling loop is attached to the system you can open the tap but it is best to do this slowly as you don’t want to flood the system. When the tap is opened, cold water is injected into the central heating system and the pressure gauge on the boiler should begin to rise. Make sure you or someone else can see the gauge as you don’t want to over pressurise. If you do slightly over pressurise the system the safety valve will kick in an release the excess pressure but this only works to a certain degree so keep a close eye on the gauge.

When this is done you simply disconnect from the system if need be and check the gauge over the next couple of days to see there are no problems. Most systems only need repressurising every three or four months and then it isn’t by much however it might be worth checking a bit more frequently over the winter months when the boiler is on much more often.

Guest Article by Clare Lynock

Unfortunately it’s a fact of life that technical things, such as boilers, break down from time to time and it’s normally when you need it most. In the wrong hands, a boiler can be a very dangerous piece of equipment and so it is vital that, should you boiler decide to die a death, you contact a registered CORGI heating engineer to fix the problem and not try to patch it together with a DIY job.

Your local Yellow Pages will have a long list of gas and heating engineers however some may charge more than others for the same work and you aren’t going to know which is which. An alternative is to visit the CORGI website where the list of engineers only contains reputable companies and individuals. It may take ten extra minutes to find what you’re looking for but it could save you hundreds of pounds in additional work that isn’t strictly necessary should you choose the wrong company.

Another option that will help should your boiler develop a fault is a Homecare plan from British Gas. Other companies may offer similar services and it might be worth looking around for the cheapest option that provides the maintenance cover you need but the British Gas plan is probably the best known one to date. You simply pay a monthly fee to British Gas and they fix your boiler should it break down. The plan has a number of levels though and some of the basic levels might leave you having to pay for some parts if not labour. My plan paid for the call out, the first hour of labour and one part; anything after that incurred an additional charge so if you have an old or a temperamental boiler that breaks down quite regularly then it might be worth spending the extra each month and signing up for the full Homecare plan.

Really old boilers and those that tend to go on the blink quite often may be better off in the scrapyard. Today you can buy a new combination boiler for an average sized three bedroom house from around £2500 fitted and tested (British Gas will charge more however). This may sound like a lot of money however you won’t need a Homecare plan for the first year as the manufacturer’s warranty will cover it and you can use the money you save towards the new boiler. You will also see an increase in heating efficiency which will then save you money on your heating bills and before you know it you will have recouped the price of the boiler plus more.

So should your boiler go on the blink then you can try the various options above. If these are too costly however then I suggest a good sleeping bag and a thick duvet in preference to having a go at fixing it yourself, after all you may still be cold but at least you’ll be alive.

Guest Article by Clare Lynock