10 things to check in your student house before turning the heating on
The first cold week of October is when every boiler in Fallowfield gets switched on at once. Ten minutes now saves a cold weekend later.
- Find the thermostat and the timer. Set the heating to come on for an hour in the morning and the evening rather than running all day; it costs less and the house warms up just as well.
- Check the boiler pressure. Most boilers show a gauge; it should sit around 1 to 1.5 bar when cold. If it is near zero, report it rather than topping it up yourself, unless the manual shows you how.
- Turn every radiator valve on. The numbered valve on each radiator should be open. Rooms that were empty over summer are often turned right down.
- Feel the top of each radiator once the heating has run. Cold at the top and warm at the bottom means air in the system. Tell us and we will bleed it.
- Press the test button on the smoke alarms. Every storey should have one that sounds.
- Test the carbon monoxide alarm. There should be one in any room with a boiler or gas fire. If it chirps or shows a fault light, report it the same day.
- Look under and around the boiler. Any sign of water, rust marks or a dripping pipe gets reported before the boiler starts working hard.
- Move things away from radiators. Clothes drying on a radiator or a bed pushed against one stops the room warming and can trap damp.
- Close doors and check window seals. A rolled towel at a draughty door and keeping doors closed makes more difference than another degree on the thermostat.
- Save the emergency numbers. If anyone is in danger, call 999. If you smell gas, call the National Gas emergency line on 0800 111 999 and open the windows. For no heating or hot water in cold weather, report it as urgent: urgent reports are dealt with first in office hours.
Something not working? Report it online in two minutes, with a photo, and keep the reference.
