Video guide to fixing boilers and heating systems for older people
A lot of the time your boiler and heating system can seem pretty daunting, especially to those of us who aren’t particularly ‘boiler-savvy’, especially the elderly. But these easy to follow, step-by-step videos are here to help you overcome any minor concern you may have, so that you can efficiently heat your home and avoid any unexpected costs that may occur from having to call out an engineer.
According to some, this winter is going to be the coldest on record for a century, and we are all well-aware that Christmas is the most expensive time of the year, however it’s not all doom and gloom. SSE has produced a few money and energy saving video tutorials that will help you pocket a few extra pounds this winter.
In the videos, an SSE Engineer shows homeowners how to deal with certain heating malfunctions that commonly occur in any home. Typically, these not only cost the bill payer money but are also some of the biggest causes of energy waste, but by checking certain things in your home heating system, it is possible to efficiently heat your home and save money throughout the festive period and beyond.
These short videos are real-life tutorials that show regular heating and boiler problems such as ‘How to relight your pilot light‘ and ‘How to repressurise your boiler‘.
How to bleed a radiator
One of the most effective ways to heat your home and save money is regularly bleeding your radiators – if air is trapped in the radiator it can stop it from working properly and therefore reduces the even distribution of heat flow throughout your home.
The video below shows that this can be done easily in four simple steps:
1. Locate the valve at the end of the radiator. This is typically a small round valve with a square screw groove in it.
2. Using a radiator key, turn the valve carefully until you hear a hiss of air being released.
3. Once this begins to fade away close the valve, ensuring that it is tight.
4. Finally, always check the water pressure of the boiler after bleeding the radiator.
How to check your boiler’s water pressure
Low pressure is a common problem for both analogue and digital boilers, but it’s quite confusing to do if you are unsure of how to fix it. One of the most useful things about these videos is that they show you how to fix the problem yourself, although remember to always consult a professional if anything goes wrong or you have questions.
How to relight the pilot light on your boiler
The video explains that there are two standard types of boiler – an older style and a newer electronic boiler. In the video, the engineer shows the homeowner how to reset the boiler and reminds us that, if after three attempts the boiler light does not come on again, then we should call a professional.
How to deal with frozen pipes
Frozen condensate pipes will become more prevalent as the weather drops closer to the point of freezing, and is probably the easiest to solve alone, especially with a video tutorial to hand:
These videos provide useful tips and tricks to fixing several of the most common issues that occur in the home heating systems and explain things clearly so that any novice can understand them. Why not try the videos out for yourself; save money and energy all year round
