In typical Ireland fashion, our summer is over before it ever technically began. Not to worry though – it might be coming into the colder season but we know just how to keep things toasty. There’s nothing nicer than coming home to a cosy home when the weather is miserable outside, but unless you have performed a few simple tasks first you might struggle to achieve this. Here are 5 home heating tasks you need to do right now to plan ahead for the worsening weather, as we say ‘So long!’ to summer.
- Order home heating oil
Yes, the first task is very simple – you simply need to get a quote from us and order home heating oil to top your tank up. Before the worse weather starts to creep in, it’s best to be prepared now and order enough to see you through the next few months at least. Home heating oil doesn’t deteriorate in your tank, so if you can order enough to fill your tank you’ll enjoy a lower cost per unit and have a steady supply on hand for heating and hot water. It’s no shock that when the weather gets worse demand for heating oil increases, so order today to ensure you get a speedy delivery date on a day that suits you.
- Bleed your radiators
If your radiators have been turned off over the summer, you might find that they have become blocked or aren’t working as efficiently as they were before. Bleeding your radiators will release any trapped air in them (which is why you get cold patches on your radiators even when your heating is turned on). It’s simple to do – all you need is a radiator key and an old towel or basin to catch any drips of water that come out as you release the air. And after, voila! Hot radiators and a cosy home.
- Adjust your thermostat
Check your thermostat settings now and make sure you have adjusted them for winter, rather than keeping them on a lower summer setting. Otherwise you’ll never feel warm enough! Make sure you don’t set them too high though – this just wastes home heating oil and money, not to mention having the temperature too high can lead to all sorts of health problems.
- Reset your timer
Waking up to a cold house is never pleasant, so make sure you use your central heating controls for your heating to come on before you get up in the morning, and before you get home from work. Most modern timers are digital, meaning you can be very specific about the days and times you want your heating to be on. Older, manual models will require you to push little pins around a dial when you want your heating to be on – this can be a little bit fiddly, but you’ll get the same effect.
- Check for draughts
There’s no point in having your heating turned on if it’s just going to go out the window. Time to draught-proof your home, by checking windows and doors for gaps or cracks around the mouldings, checking that seals are still intact, making sure that under the sills are in good condition too. After you’ve done all this, you can sit back and relax in your warm home and forget about the horrible weather outside.