Skint Dad

Where Every Penny Counts

  • Home
  • Save money
    • Frugal living tips
    • How to save money on groceries
    • Save money on energy bills
    • Latest supermarket offers
    • 1p Saving Challenge
    • Sun holiday codes
  • Make money
    • Make money online
    • Best paid surveys
    • Best side hustle ideas
    • Free money
    • Genuine work from home jobs
    • TopCashback Easter Treats
    • Rare 50p coins
    • Rare coins (UK)
  • Manage money
    • Best budgeting apps
    • WhatsApp scams
    • Pay day loan claims
  • Our Book
  • News
  • Deals
    • Sainsbury’s toys sale dates
    • TU 25% off sale dates
    • When is the Next sale
    • 25% off Wine
    • Blue Light Card discounts list
    • Domino’s NHS discount
  • Community
    • Newsletter
  • About
You are here: Home / Save Money / Solving Simple Heating and Boiler Problems Yourself

Skint Dad is reader supported. Purchases through links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission. Learn more

Make Every Penny Count: Budgeting tips and tricks to keep more money in your pocket, by Ricky and Naomi Willis

Solving Simple Heating and Boiler Problems Yourself

By Ricky Willis | last updated 12th April 2019

With the cold weather here to stay, our heating and boiler systems work overtime. This can cause problems and breakdowns, which can be costly. But there are some problems that you can sort out yourself.

This post was written in collaboration with SSE. 

Solving Simple Heating and Boiler Problems Yourself | The Skint Dad Blog

£10 BONUS OFFER: Earn easy cash by watching videos, playing games, and entering surveys.

Get a £10 sign up bonus when you join today.

Join Swagbucks here >>

So you’ve lined your curtains, draft-proofed your house and stocked up on a multitude of hot water bottles. With the rising energy costs in recent times and with winter well and truly here, keeping warm without breaking the bank is most probably at the forefront of your mind.

“PS did you know you can use finance to pay for your new boiler? Allowing you to spread the costs, so you don’t have to be worried about the major upfront costs involved.”

Even if you have done all the simple things mentioned above, if something goes wrong with your boiler and/or heating system, calling out an engineer could really hit you where it hurts – the pocket!

Of course, if the problem is serious, then you won’t have a choice but with a fifth of households experiencing heating system problems and the hourly rate of a heating engineer coming in at around £80, dealing with issues could really present financial problems, especially if you’re on a tight budget.

Don’t worry, though, as it’s not all doom and gloom.

There are some problems which may have you reaching for the yellow pages but can actually be sorted out ourselves.

SSE has created four videos that will enable you to solve simple boiler and heating problems throughout the winter months – saving you stress, time and money!

Bleeding a radiator

A reoccurring problem with the central heating system can be trapped air in the radiators. If this has happened, it will cause the radiator to not fully heat up and run at maximum efficiency.

Bleeding a radiator luckily is a straightforward job and one you can easily do yourself, whatever your skill level.

Check out the following video for step-by-step instructions.

Checking your boiler’s water pressure

There are two types of boilers, analogue and digital, and both are prone to low pressure. To put it simply, if your boiler does have low pressure, it can cause the central heating not to work correctly.

Again, this might seem complicated to rectify, but it really isn’t, and with a little guidance, you can save time and money by fixing it yourself.

Watch the following video for instructions.

Relighting the pilot light on your boiler

When your boiler’s pilot light goes out, don’t panic. It will need to be relit by resetting the boiler, and with guidance, this is something you can do yourself.

The following video takes you through the process and explains at what point you may need the help of an engineer.

Dealing with a frozen condensate pipe

One of the problems that can arise in freezing conditions is frozen condensate pipes. If this happens, it can cause a blockage which in turn will allow the condensate to back up into your boiler and shut it down.

Luckily clearing a frozen condensate pipe is one of the easiest jobs you can do. There are no special tools needed, and if you know what you’re doing, you’ll have it unblocked in no time.

Check out the following video for a simple-to-follow guide.

Sometimes when problems occur, it’s easy to shout for help and spend a fortune putting things right. Hopefully, this post has shown there are some problems that CAN be fixed yourself without being out of pocket!

Read next: Warm home discount: how to get £150 energy credit

  • About
  • Latest Posts
Ricky Willis
Ricky Willis
A little bit of everything at Skint Dad
Ricky Willis is the original Skint Dad. A money-making enthusiast, father, and husband to Naomi. He is always looking for unique ways to earn a little extra.
Ricky Willis
Latest posts by Ricky Willis (see all)
  • How to make luxury gift hampers (on a budget) - 30th November 2023
  • Latest WhatsApp scams to avoid in 2023 - 1st August 2023
  • Save up to 20% with Tesco gift card offers – 2023 - 5th June 2023

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Ricky and Naomi Willis from Skint Dad

Ricky and Naomi Willis, founders and editors of the Skint Dad website.

We know every penny counts, so we’re sharing resources, tips, tricks, and deals that will keep more money in your pocket.

Read more about us here.

Make Every Penny Count by Ricky and Naomi Willis
Skint Dad in the media

Find out how to

Save money

Make money

Manage money

Buy our book

Start a blog

Eat cheap

Join the community

Information

About Skint Dad

Contact us

Awards, Media and Press

Jobs at Skint Dad

Privacy Policy

Cookie Policy

Terms & Conditions

Sitemap

SKINT DAD®

8b Lonsdale Gardens
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN1 1NU

Skint Media Limited
is a registered company
in England & Wales.

Company reg no: 09991508
VAT No: 318 7349 80

Check out our sister site Skint Chef

Copyright © 2023 · Skint Media Limited · All rights reserved · Registered in England and Wales with company number 09991508

Skint Dad
  • Home
  • Save money
    • Frugal living tips
    • How to save money on groceries
    • Save money on energy bills
    • Latest supermarket offers
    • 1p Saving Challenge
    • Sun holiday codes
  • Make money
    • Make money online
    • Best paid surveys
    • Best side hustle ideas
    • Free money
    • Genuine work from home jobs
    • TopCashback Easter Treats
    • Rare 50p coins
    • Rare coins (UK)
  • Manage money
    • Best budgeting apps
    • WhatsApp scams
    • Pay day loan claims
  • Our Book
  • News
  • Deals
    • Sainsbury’s toys sale dates
    • TU 25% off sale dates
    • When is the Next sale
    • 25% off Wine
    • Blue Light Card discounts list
    • Domino’s NHS discount
  • Community
    • Newsletter
  • About