All things boilers

Do I need a Magnetic System Filter?

Do I need a Magnetic System Filter?

We at Abbey Boilers are often asked if a magnetic system filter is a necessary addition to a heating system. The answer will always be a Yes.

We believe you should never replace a boiler without fitting a sludge filter alongside it.

Biggest reason is now new Boiler manufacturers this will be a condition for their long warranties.

A lot of top boiler brands will insist two things for their warranty to be valid.

  • The heating system should be correctly dosed with inhibitor. This helps break the sludge in the system down.

  • The heating system should have a sludge filter installed. This ensures that any faulty components are faulty, and not just the victim of sludge.

Frozen Condensate Pipe ?

Frozen Condensate Pipe ?

Boiler not working in freezing temperatures?

If your boiler has stopped working in freezing temperatures, then there is a good chance that your condensate pipe has frozen. Luckily, this isn't a big problem and it can be easily resolved yourself without the need for an engineer. This page will provide you with all the information needed to help you defrost your condensate pipe

How do I know if the condensate pipe is frozen?

If part of your condensate pipework is outside and does freeze during a prolonged period of very cold weather, you might hear a gurgling noise coming from the boiler and if your boiler has a digital display, you may see an ‘EA’ error code too. There’s no need to worry if your condensate pipe freezes. You can usually thaw it safely without the need to call an installer or engineer.

Is your Boiler ready for Winter ???

Is your Boiler ready for Winter ???

Winter is here now and the temperatures have dropped, many homes across the UK have switched on their boilers back on.

At a time when energy bills have increased significantly along with the overall cost of living, the last thing you need is a problem with your gas boiler just as the colder months begins, which can eave you in the cold.

Carrying out a few checks can help ensure that your boiler works as expected, reduces the risk of an unexpected breakdown and ensures you have time to repair or replace the boiler if required.

Our latest Article post will takes you through our recommended checks to carry out on your boiler before you begin to use it regularly again.

Test the Boiler

Giving your boiler a few hours to run after being switched off for many months will allow you to check that it is working properly, giving you enough time to address any issues before the cold weather hits.

After winter ended last year, you likely switched off the thermostat as well as turning the boiler off at the control panel. To get your heating back on, simply switch the boiler on at the control panel before setting your thermostat on.

Some people also choose to switch their radiator valves off throughout the summer, so these will need to be opened again to ensure the heating works. If you have thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) this is as simple as turning the dial, but older valves may require a pair of pliers.

How often should your central heating system be serviced ?

How often should your central heating system be serviced ?

How vital are central heating systems to our homes? They are especially important during the colder winter months. Ensuring that your heating is maintained correctly will ensure it works efficiently and keeps you warm. When carried out by a qualified engineer, getting your boiler serviced is an excellent way of ensuring it's working as intended and putting your mind at ease.

In this article, we at Abbey Boilers answers some of the questions frequently asked about central heating services by our customers:


1. What do we mean by a service of your central heating system ?

We recommended that your central heating system is serviced once a year to make sure it is working safely and efficiently. It primarily ensures that the boiler is working every time you need it..

A fully qualified gas engineer should perform the central heating service by thoroughly checking your boiler system. This includes ensuring that there are no carbon monoxide leaks that can pose a serious risk life, which is why we alway recommend a carbon monoxide alarm in your homes.

A central heating service can even help you save money on your bills by ensuring that the entire system is working as efficiently as possible to heat up your home. Ultimately, a central heating service can help detect smaller issues before they become bigger more expensive problems.

2. How much does it cost to service your central heating system?

As service for central heating can vary depending on where you live, however, the average cost in the UK for one is under £100. When you consider how much new boilers can cost to install if your central heating system breaks down, service can be essential, also most new boilers warranty is only valid with an annual service.

3. When to get your central heating system serviced by Abbey Boilers.

The last thing any one wants in the middle of a cold winter is for their boiler to break down. Unfortunately, if your central heating system is going to break down, you can’t control the time of the year, and most likely it will break when you are using it the most. Therefore it's always a good idea to get an annual central heating serviced to ensure that it is in best working order 12 months of the year.

It can help avoid any unwanted call-outs or issues during winter when you need it most and not wait for engineer to turn up to fix your system on the coldest day of the year.

Does your heating system need a service or replacement?

Does your heating system need a service or replacement?

If your boiler suddenly decides to shut down when you need it most, maybe it's time to get serviced?
It may even be time for an upgrade to a new system,
Winter is here and the last thing anyone needs is central heating that will not work on a chilly morning or evening.


Here are some common problems and some quick fixes and checks. But the best option is to call tAbbey boiler engineers so you can relax while we solve your problem for you.

How would it feel to have your heating break down this winter?

How would it feel to have your heating break down this winter?

We have all felt the cold this week with the white snow parts of Kent and Sussex. As the weather is starting to get frosty, it is very important to take the time and prepare your home. That involves making sure your boiler is serviced and working in its peak condition, with minus temperatures we are facing your pipes can freeze and burst.

It is very important to check the pipes of your house. If they are not insulated, you are increasing the risk of letting them freeze or burst during cold temperatures like we are experiencing.

The boiler is even bigger issue than a frozen pipe. As it’s a safety issue and if it breaks down, you are risking yourself of having costly repairs and not having heating or hot water in the coldest days of the year.

Here is a simple guide to prevent such a scenario from Abbey Boilers:

Have your heating system and boiler serviced by a qualified engineer. Just in case you forgot to have your heating system or boiler checked this year, the best time to have it checked is when winter is still on its way. Having it serviced means our heating experts from Abbey Boilers can take a look at your equipment and check if it is working properly. If any defects or malfunctions are detected, we can repair it as soon as possible. It is better to find out minor problems and solve them as soon as possible rather than wait for the problems to get worse then have the issues fixed.

You don’t want any issues from your boiler and heating system in the dead of winter. Just imagine yourself not having heating or hot water in your home with the weather we have been having this week. Apart from the fact that putting up with heating problems during winter is very inconvenient, finding a heating engineer to attend to you might be difficult because they are extremely busy during cold periods like this with all the other lockdown issues we are all experiencing.

Business as usual at Abbey Boilers!

Business as usual at Abbey Boilers!

Our engineers are highly skilled, ready for any eventuality and have completed thousands of Covid-safe jobs to date in our service area , so you know you can rely on us to keep your home warm and cosy.

Abbey Boilers always puts the safety of our customers first and now all our engineers are fully PPE ready when they come to your home, they are ready to give you extra peace of mind that they can carry out their work safely and respectfully.

  • Personal Mask -

  • Gloves for each job-

  • Personal Hand sanitiser -

  • Shoe coverings -

  • Daily Heat sensor tested -

WHETHER YOU NEED :

  • Boiler Service

  • Boiler install

  • Leaking Tab

  • Oil Tank

We hope things will start to turn back to normal, but in the mean time our amazing engineers are here and ready as they have been for the last year under these trying times. All our engineers are fully qualified and have many years of experience under Abbey Boilers.

Get up to 12 year guarantee with your new Worcester Bosch boiler

Get up to 12 year guarantee with your new Worcester Bosch boiler

As We discussed last month in our blog, boilers need work done to keep them running as efficient as they can be, but there will come a time when they need to be replaced.

When buying a Worcester Bosch product through Abbey Boilers , your product will also come with a guarantee as standard. However, you can get different length guarantees depending on your product and accessories.

  • Lifestyle Boilers

Our Lifestyle boilers now come with a 12 year guarantee for customers who choose accredited installer like us at Abbey Boilers to install your new boiler along, with a Worcester Bosch Greenstar system water filter.

  • Greenstar Gas Boilers

    The guarantee on Greenstar gas boilers starts from 5 years. However, we offer an exclusive 10 year guarantee to our customers who also install their boiler along with a Worcester Bosch Greenstar system filter.

  • Oil Boilers

    The guarantee on oil boilers start at 2 years. However, as an accredited installers we offer up to a 8 year guarantee on Worcester Bosch oil boilers when you choose to opt for a system filter and a new Worcester Bosch cylinder.

Seven ways to help your boiler be more efficient!

Seven ways to help your boiler be more efficient!

The Winter is coming, and we might be indoors more than we thought, so now is the time to sort out your boilers efficiency. If your boiler is inefficient it will cost you more money and is bad for the enviromenent.

By following the following steps you can increase your boilers and radiators lifespan.

1. Bleed out your radiators.

Instruction:

If your radiator takes a while to warm up or has patches of cold spots, then you should bleed it. You get a brass radiator key from any hardware store and let the air out of the vent valve. Retighten it as soon as water comes out.

Purpose:

This low-key maintenance task gives your radiators a heat efficiency boost and should mean cheaper bills too!

2. Run your heating system on a regular timescale.

Instruction:

No matter what the season, make sure you pop the heating on for about 10-20 minutes at least once a month.

Purpose:

It might feel strange to fire up the heating in the summer, but it keeps the system active and prevents it from seizing up. This hugely prevents problems occurring in winter, when you need it most.

3. Insulate your pipes.

Instruction:

Get some foam tubes from a DIY store and lag your central heating pipes with them. Make sure that they’re the correct size for your pipes!

Purpose:

Insulating your pipes reduces heat loss and stops your boiler from working too hard and provides a simple way to protect it and save money.

4. Get a Powerflush by a professional.

Instruction:

If you’ve bled your radiators and they still fail to heat up properly, it might time for a powerflush. This pumps water through your central heating system and can be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Purpose:

Rust or debris builds up and clogs the central heating system over time making it hard for a boiler to operate efficiently. A powerflush clears the sludge, which can corrode the system if it is not cleared, and is a much bigger and costly problem to fix.

5. Top up the pressure of your system.

Instruction:

Check the gauge on your boiler. If it’s between 1 and 2 bars of pressure – ideally 1.5 - then it’s healthy. If not, then you’ll need top up by opening the filling loop valve beneath the boiler until the pressure hits 1.5.

Purpose:

High pressure can prevent your boiler from working properly, while low pressure means higher energy bills and poor boiler efficiency.

6. Get an annual service for your boiler.

Instruction:

Call a Gas Safe registered engineer once a year and arrange a service.

Purpose:

Boilers are like cars: they need a regular service to ensure peak performance. Arranging this annually will optimise its safety and efficiency and prevent more costly problems later on.

7. Upgrade to a new boiler.

Instruction:

Replace your boiler with a high-efficiency option if all of the above did not help.

Purpose:

Ensuring you boiler is regularly serviced and maintained will help maintain its efficiency, but there will come a time when it’s time to replace it.

For advice or help with any of the above points, if you live in our SERVICE area, feel free to get in touch with us.

Smart Heating in your Home

Smart Heating in your Home

2020 has been an interesting year but when it comes to technology the future is here. With smart heating systems you control your heating via your smartphone or tablet from the comfort of your bed or office desk ay work, with the added benefit of cost saving on your bills.

The convenience of leaving your house and remembering you left your heating on full blast, and switching it off with touch of a button or driving home on a cold winter and getting your heating to your desired temperature.

Some are even more advanced and can help you set different temperatures for each room or have motion sensors so they detect if your home or not. Here at Abbey Boilers, we offer a range of intelligent heating systems that allow you to control your heating system.

Here are a few examples of system we have installed:

  • The Nest by google

With Energy UK finding that turning down your heating by one degree can cut your heating bills by 10% and save you around £85 a year, using your thermostat properly is pretty essential if you want to save money.

Even though programming a thermostat has been made simpler over the years, it’s still a task that many of us can do without. On top of entering every start and stop time you need throughout the week, you need to decide on the right temperature and plan for when you’re not going to be home.

This is where the Nest can help. This is a learning thermostat that, once installed, just needs to be set manually for a week – turn it on or off, or up or down, at certain times of the day and then it begins to program itself.

The artificial intelligence inside will learn your ideal timings and preferences, and start to apply them automatically.

No two homes are exactly the same, but the Nest will learn about your home when programming how quickly it heats and cools, and how it’s affected by outside weather conditions and adjust accordingly. It also turns itself down when you’re out by using sensors and your phone’s location.

This smart technology can save energy, and improve the efficiency of your home’s central heating and you’ll hardly need to do anything yourself.

If you already have the nest app for your smart door bell or CCTV it is the same app and hey all connect to each other.

  • The Wave by Worcester Bosch

A smart, Internet-connected control for your home’s central heating and hot water, the Wave has a corresponding app that allows you to monitor and control usage remotely via a phone or tablet connected to the internet.

  • InTouch by intergas

You can turn your phone into your thermostat by connecting your smartphone to your boiler, thanks to the InTouch app, which turns your house into a smart home.

By connecting your boiler to the internet, you can control your home’s heating from anywhere in the world via the InTouch app. The app also provides an easy-to-use, visual control system for those that struggle to program boiler panels, making it a simple way to monitor your heating.

But best of all, the InTouch app can boost the efficiency of your heating system. By staying connected with your boiler and monitoring usage, the app can respond to varying demand and use more or less energy as needed.