Many households have external condensate pipes that are vulnerable to freezing in the winter. A frozen boiler condensate pipe can prevent your boiler from functioning properly, leaving you without heating and hot water. There is also a risk of frozen pipes bursting and causing flooding, so we recommend turning your water off if you are away from home for more than 24 hours during freezing cold weather (see how to locate your stopcock/stoptap below).

Providing you have safe access to your condensate pipe, you should be able to unfreeze it with hot water.

To do this:

• Heat water in your kettle or microwave (make sure the water isn’t boiling as you could accidentally burn yourself or crack a frozen pipe)
• Transfer the water to a watering can or jug for easy pouring
• Slowly pour the water over the frozen section of the condensate pipe
• Pay attention to any flat surfaces or elbows where ice is more likely to form

If pouring hot water on your boiler condensate pipe doesn’t work, you could try using a hot water bottle instead. Leave it on the frozen section for a longer period. When you see water leaving the pipe or hear a trickling sound, you’ll know that the blockage has cleared.

If you’re having issues with your boiler taking it’s time to heat water, or not at all, you may need to top up your boiler pressure:

• Check the front of your boiler for pressure gauge (may be a digital or an actual gauge)
• If this is at 0 then you need to top up the pressure
• This needs to be done when the boiler and radiators are cold
• Please check your radiators and pipework for any signs of water leaks before doing anything else
• If leaks are found, please book a repair immediately
• If not, find your filling loop - it is a silver metal hose connected to two pipes
• Open the valves one at a time. You will hear a whooshing sound as the fresh water enters your heating system and boiler
• Keep an eye on the pressure gauge and stop when it reaches 1.2 bar, then shut off the filling loop.

If the drop in pressure was not due to an ongoing component fault, the pressure should remain at the normal level. If the pressure continues to drop, then the system may have a leak somewhere and needs to be inspected by an engineer.

Resetting your boiler can be relatively simple, and may kickstart your boiler back into shape. In order to reset your boiler, please refer to your boiler’s manual (by finding your hardcopy of the manual, or a quick search online) to find the reset button.

Usually, you will have to hold the reset button for 10 seconds. After a few minutes, the boiler should start working again. If it doesn’t work the first time, you can attempt the reset for a second time. However, please refer to the manual before you do this.

If a radiator is not getting hot when the central heating is active, this may be a tell tale sign that your radiators need bleeding.

Due to the simplicity of bleeding a radiator, you only need a selection of household items before starting the process, such as a dry cloth and a large bowl. The only specialist kit that is required is a radiator key - a small and cheap tool available on Amazon or at most DIY stores. To bleed your radiator correctly, you just need to follow a few simple steps:

• If your radiator is hot at the bottom, and cold at the top, then it is most likely filled with air and needs bleeding.
• You can easily bleed the radiator yourself but will need the few basic items mentioned above
• Before doing this make sure your radiators and boiler are cold as hot water expands and will leave more air in the system
• The bleed valve will be at the top of the radiator, as air will rise to the top of the radiator
• Hold your cloth under the valve and insert your key into the square point
• Turn anti-clockwise and you will hear a hiss as the air is forced out by the water pressure
• Once water starts coming out, you can close the bleed valve.

After you complete these steps, we recommend that you check the pressure gauge on your boiler, as the process of bleeding radiators can cause pressure to drop. If this is the case, you can ‘top up’ the pressure (see above).

If your home feels too hot or too cold, there may be a problem with your thermostat. Take a look at the most common problems and their solutions below, to see if they help.

First, we recommend making sure your thermostat is sufficiently powered. If it’s battery-operated, you may find that the batteries need changing. You can usually tell if the battery is low as the LED screen will have faded and some of the info on the screen may be missing. Changing the batteries in your thermostat is very straightforward (depending on the model of your thermostat). In most cases, you will only need to remove the front cover and swap the old batteries for new.

Cracks, gaps and cold winter snaps do not mix well. In fact, a house can lose 25% of its warmth through draughty doors and windows. Draught excluders are widely available for under £10 and can be attached to the bottom of doors, windows, letterboxes and chimneys.

What you'll need

• Draft excluder
• Scissors.

How to fit a draught excluder

Self-adhesive foam strips of draught excluder are ideal for using on casement (has one or more hinges) windows and interior doors.

• Use a damp cloth to clean all dirt and any loose paint from the surface you’re sticking to
• Once dry, peel off the backing paper and press it onto the frame, where the opening will press against it when the window or door is closed
• You should aim to cut the ends of each length at a 45-degree angle, to form a neat joint at each corner
• Close the window and press the strip firmly in place. Some draught excluders require drilling in place, but please request consent from Eastlight before drilling into a door or window as you may cause damage. You can request consent here.
• Do not block ventilation designed to remove damp from your home.

You can prevent heat loss through exterior walls by using heat reflective foil. Attach it behind any radiator to reflect heat back into your home.

This low-cost and easy-to-install solution will help your radiators to heat to their maximum potential.

What you’ll need

• Radiator foil (also known as radiator
  reflector)
• Scissors
• Tape measure.

How to fit radiator foil

This job can be made easier by purchasing the correct size for your radiator. However, the sheet you buy can also be cut to size.

Radiators fixed to exterior walls (where heat can escape) should be priority. Measure between the brackets fixing the radiator to the wall, apply self-adhesive tape (normally supplied) and ensure the silver side is pointing into the room.

Radiator foil is not suitable for element or flame heaters.

Pipes need to be protected in winter to prevent freezing and bursting. The most cost-effective way of achieving this is a foam lagging/cover.

What you’ll need

• Pipe insulation (also known
  as lagging)
• Scissors or a stanley knife
• Tape measure.

How to fit pipe lagging

• Buying the correct size of insulation is important, so measure your pipe’s width and the length you need to cover
• Simply use the pre-slit opening to slide it around the pipe. If your pipe has a bend, cut the insulation to ensure a close, tight join.

Don’t forget unheated areas like the garage or boiler room, where covering the pipes will keep hot water flowing properly throughout winter. Lagging costs around £10 but will save you more, and requires no expert fitting.

Open or unused chimneys are ready-made escape routes for heat to flow out of your house. Snow or ice can crack and crumble mortar inside a chimney, leaving more space for air to leak out.

You could fit a cap over the chimney pot on the roof. However, this should be done by a professional. A chimney balloon, which blocks the airway, can be bought from any DIY store for around £15 and is easy to install yourself.

What you'll need

• Chimney balloon (also known as
  a chimney draft excluder)
• Tape measure.

How to fit a chimney balloon

• An inflatable chimney balloon will fit a range of sizes, but, as chimneys vary so much, you need to purchase an appropriate size system, so measure first
• The chimney balloon should fit snugly and be somewhere you can easily reach with the pump or mouth inflation tube
• Make sure the tap is open, and pump some air into the balloon so that it starts to inflate. Once it is partially inflated, put it in position to inflate it fully
• If you have a cast iron fire surround, make sure you can push it through the small gap before positioning it in the chimney to fully inflate.

You can use your thermostat and timer to save energy.

Keep the heating on a low constant temperature while you’re out of the house; we recommend 17-19°C. Once you’re home, 19 22°C is recommended.

If you have a routine, setting your timer will do the work for you and save both money and energy.

Ensure you know where your stop tap/ stopcock is, in case of emergencies. We recommend turning your water off if you are away from home for more than 24 hours during freezing cold weather, in case a pipe freezes and bursts, causing flooding.

If your central heating is damaged by poor weather, you need to turn off the water mains to stop potential flooding, if you are able. To do this, you need to find the stopcock or stop tap (a valve that looks like a tap without a spout), which is normally found under the sink.

If that isn’t the case, check the cupboard under the stairs or any utility rooms. 

Turn the tap clockwise to shut off water. It’s a good idea to turn the tap regularly to stop it from sticking.

If you can do so safely and feel comfortable doing so, clear your gutters of leaves and debris to ensure water can flow freely. Otherwise, the water may build up and freeze, risking moisture and damp creeping through cracks and damaging the roof or walls.