With the warmer weather in summer, it may be tempting to turn your boiler off altogether in an attempt to save energy. Whether this is a reasonable step to take or not depends upon your preferences and the sort of boiler you have.
What if you have a combi boiler?
Combi boilers are so named because they provide both heating and hot water as and when it’s needed, so it doesn’t need a hot water cylinder to store hot water. It therefore follows that as soon as you turn it off, you will no longer get hot water from the taps. That means washing up with cold water, taking cold showers and likely not having a bath.
If you have an electric shower, don’t take baths anyway, and use the kettle to heat water for washing up, you might manage without the boiler on. It will probably not save you money, though, because per kWh, electricity is considerably more expensive than gas.
What if there’s a pilot light in your boiler?
When you look through the small window on the front of an old non-condensing boiler, you should see a small blue flame burning away constantly. This is the pilot light, and while it’s burning away, it is of course consuming a small amount of gas, so turning off the boiler will save you money by not paying to keep this light going. Remember, however, that you’ll need to follow the correct procedure to relight the pilot light when you turn it back on.
That said, it’s highly recommended to replace such a boiler with an efficient modern condensing boiler instead. All gas boilers installed since April 2005 have needed to be condensing boilers by law, so any non-condensing boiler is likely to be around 20 years older or more, and is likely ready for replacement anyway.
Modern condensing boilers are much more efficient, so they achieve the same level of heating while using less gas, saving you money on your energy bills, which can help offset the cost of a new boiler. They also don’t have a pilot light constantly burning gas, because they use electric ignition to light the flame when needed.
If you already have a modern condensing boiler, there’s little point in turning it off because it probably uses very little energy when it’s on standby. Some even have a button to toggle them between winter and summer mode instead.
What if you go on holiday?
Before you go off on your summer holiday, you may want to turn off your boiler, seeing as it won’t be needed while you’re away. Note that you shouldn’t do this for a winter holiday, however, because sub-zero temperatures could cause pipes to freeze or damage your boiler.
What if you do decide to turn off your boiler?
If you do decide to turn off your boiler for whatever reason, it’s important to remember to turn it on now and then to get parts moving and ensure it’s still working, otherwise you may get an unpleasant surprise when you come to need it in the autumn. The valves and pumps in boilers can seize up when left unused for long periods, so turning the boiler on every few weeks for a short while will help prevent this.
Fortunately, the UK can have cold, miserable days even in the summer, and these provide the perfect excuse to turn the heating on for a short period.
What else should you do in summer?
They say it’s always best to fix the roof when the sun is shining, and the same principle applies to boilers. The last thing you want is for a gas boiler to break down in the depths of winter when you need it the most. Moreover, gas engineers can be extremely busy attending breakdowns in winter, so you may struggle to find one that can come quickly. It’s therefore a good idea to get your boiler serviced in summer, because this can head off potential faults and ensure it’s working efficiently for the winter.
Xgas can provide a range of care plans that include an annual boiler service in Chester, Wrexham and other places in the region, as well as discounted parts and priority service if your boiler still breaks down. The team can also provide a modern condensing boiler installation in nearby places like Oswestry. Get it touch to learn about this and the financing options available to spread the cost.
