There is nothing worse than being in the depths of winter, only for the heating system to malfunction leaving you cold and frustrated
With winter on the doorstep, now is the time to check over your property, making sure it is fit to weather the worst of the winter weather.
An important aspect of getting your home winter-ready is making sure that the heating system is in tip-top condition.
The truth is that with a few simple checks, malfunctions with the heating system could have been avoided. Although underfloor heating is one of the most reliable heating systems you can invest in, it too can benefit from an annual check.
Here are 8 simple step to an annual underfloor heating system check that you can perform. If you are unsure, you can always book an annual check with the installer of your system (if you had it professionally installed!).
#1 Check the system pressure
This depends on your boiler and system but you will note on the system pressure dial there is a small red area around 0 to 1 bar, then green bars from 1 to 2.5 bars and then red bars from this point until 4 bars or beyond.
The pressure of your system should read between 1 and 2 bars. If the needle of the gauge is in the first red area, there is not enough pressure in the system and over 2.5 bars, there is too much pressure. If you see this, or it keeps happening despite you correcting it, consult with a professional.
#2 Check the pumps work
You can do this by switching the system on and creating a demand for heat. Check the underfloor heating mixer pump is working by simply touching it. Also, check that the manifold flow gauges are showing flow.
#3 Check the system interlock
With the power on and the system time clock set to on, turn the thermostat in each room right down so that there is no demand for heat. The pump should go off.
Neither should the boiler be firing – unless there is demand for hot water or from the radiators. If this is the case, turn these off too. There should be no flow on any of the manifold flow gauges.
#4 Check each individual zone switches on
Go to each thermostat in each room and turn it on to its highest setting or until you hear it click on.
Each time you do this, go back to the manifold. The mixer pump should start running, the boiler should fire and after a minute or so, the flow gauge should show a flow. This means that the zone or room works.
Next, go back to the thermostat and turn it right down so that there is no heat demand in that room. Go back to the manifold. All the action you saw previously should either be stopping or have stopped i.e. boiler off, no flow on the gauges and so on.
It may seem a nuisance, but repeat this for every zone or room.
#5 Check the control are set up correctly
Let’s be honest – everyone messes with the heat controls in the home. The kids are cold so turn up the heat, the spouse comes in from work and whacks up the heat by a degree or two. Controlling the temperature in your system means you control the amount of money you spend on your heating bills.
Check the system controls that they are not too high to cause over-heating and stuffiness in a property. If you haven’t already done so, why not install a more sophisticated thermostat that you can control via your smart phone?
#6 Check for leaks
It is unusual for an underfloor heating system to spring a leak but it could happen. This usually happens when there is a demand for heat and the pressure of the system suddenly increases.
Check this by turning on the whole system and letting it run for a while. Check all visible components for leaks or for anything that doesn’t look right.
#7 Bleed the system
If you are unsure how to do this, always contact your installer. They may have shown you the Underfloor heating controls at the time of installation. Most systems will have a manual or automatic bleed point at the manifold. In a mixed system – underfloor heating and radiators, you will need to go to a high point, such as a radiator in a bedroom.
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#8 Re-check the system pressure
Now you have done all this, re-check the pressure gauge.
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