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Although meteorological winter officially begins on December 1st, heating typically starts much earlier. The heating season commences when the temperature drops below 13°C for at least two consecutive days and ends on May 31st. Preparing for the heating season should involve a thorough inspection and maintenance of the heating system. Discover what to focus on to achieve optimal heating performance with minimal costs.
The inspection and maintenance of boilers should be exclusively handled by professionals. If you have a gas boiler or a solid fuel boiler, regular inspections are mandatory for you. Solid fuel boilers must be inspected at least once every 2 years, while gas boilers have a 3-year interval, but only for business entities. Inspections are not mandatory for gas boilers used personally and for electric boilers. However, we recommend regular inspections for everyone, as maintenance reduces energy consumption, increases safety, and extends their lifespan.
A trained technician will adjust and clean the boiler during the inspection, check the tightness of joints, burner, and ignition, verify gas pressure, and measure emissions. After the inspection and maintenance, you will receive a report, which you should keep – you will need it for official inspections or in the event of an insurance claim.
Additionally, it is necessary to regularly inspect and clean the flue paths, once a year for gas boilers and three times a year for solid fuel boilers. Before the heating season begins, don't forget to check the functionality of safety features, especially the emergency thermostat and CO detector.
Maintaining heat pumps and electric boilers is simpler, as they do not involve combustion, and the law does not impose any mandatory inspections on owners. Therefore, you can handle their inspection before the heating season yourself.
In the case of a heat pump, it is necessary to clean the fins of the outdoor unit and check the fan and condensate drainage. In the indoor unit, clean the filters and check the insulation and system pressure. Clean the electric boiler, check the tightness of joints and electrical connections.
Pipes and radiators also require inspection. Look for signs of leaks, damaged insulation, or corrosion. Repair damaged insulation, replace seals or tighten joints in case of water leaks, and address corrosion with an anti-corrosion coating. Clean both pipes and radiators.
An important step in preparing for the heating season is thoroughly bleeding all heating elements. Only then will the heating work efficiently and economically. You can bleed the system yourself using bleed valves. Start with the highest radiator and work your way down. After bleeding, check the system pressure and add water if necessary.
Radiators also require maintenance
Thermostatic valves, heads, and thermostats require inspection. The most important check for thermostatic valves is their mobility. If you left the heads closed after the previous winter, the valves might get stuck in the closed position – in that case, almost no heating water would flow into the radiators. Try to move the stuck valve with pliers or by pressing. If that doesn't help, replace the valves.
For thermostatic heads and thermostats, check their functionality and battery status, and set them to winter mode – i.e., update time and zone programs for programmable thermostats and thermostatic heads. Also, check if the temperature sensors and remote communication are functional. If you have a thermostat and radiators with thermostatic heads in one room, make sure the heads are fully open – only then can the thermostat regulate the temperature.
After inspecting and maintaining individual components, a system check is next. Pay particular attention to system pressure and heating water quality. Typically, the pH, water hardness, inhibitor content, and amount of mechanical impurities are measured in heating water. If the measurements reveal unsatisfactory values, it is advisable to clean and treat the water to prevent damage to the heating system.
Corrosion inhibitors maintain optimal pH in the heating water to prevent rusting. If the water is contaminated with sludge or calcium deposits, it is advisable to soften the water and install a mechanical filter.
To ensure your heating operates truly efficiently and economically throughout the heating season, continuously monitor the thermal comfort in individual rooms and consumption, and adjust zone and time programs if necessary. When programming, consider the thermal inertia of the heating, i.e., the time your heating needs to heat up and cool down. Don't forget to set setback modes, such as night mode, weekend mode, or vacation mode. If you have smart thermostats, familiarize yourself with their features for optimizing energy consumption and use them. Also, consider connecting the thermostat with weather compensation control, which adjusts heating output based on outdoor temperatures.
Proper thermostat setting is key to savings
You can save on heating in other ways as well:
Heating failures are not uncommon, but they can cause significant property damage. Check the heating water pressure at least once a month, as even a minor system leak will immediately affect the pressure. We also recommend installing a water leak detector, which will immediately shut off the main water supply in case of a leak, preventing further major damage.
If you have a gas or solid fuel boiler, ensure it has adequate air supply – this can be limited, especially after renovations and replacing windows with plastic ones. A carbon monoxide detector should be an integral part of households with a boiler.
Keep detailed records of maintenance performed and archive inspection reports. Lastly, have the contact for a quality 24/7 service ready to resolve unexpected heating issues.
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