Follow these tips to maintain your central heating system in top condition and make the most out of it!

1. How to Make the Most of Central
Heating
By HSS Sales

2. Introduction
• There are many ways to keep our house warm
during the winter; most of us have central heating
installed in our homes, others count mostly on
their fireplace(s) or solar panels and many
amongst us opt for additional heating
solutions, like ceramic, halogen or gas heaters
when it gets really cold.
• In this presentation we are going to explain how
you can maintain the central heating in your place
in top condition, since central heating can keep
your family cozy all winter long, if you maintain it
and take good care of it. This kind of heating
system isn’t difficult to maintain, but it does
require some attention and care.

3. Understand Your
System’s Functions
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To be able to take good care of your central heating, you
need to understand how it works. Each system has some
unique features, but in general most central heating systems
have the same basic functions.
The boiler heats both the hot water tank and provides heat for
your home. The system includes a programmer that allows
the heater to turn on and off. When the programmer tells the
system to turn on, the hot water thermostat and the room
thermostat turn the boiler on and off as needed.
Your central heating unit also has a diverter valve that directs
the water to move from the boiler to either the water cylinder
or the radiators, or both, as needed.
Each of these parts is important to how your central heating
system works and if something isn’t working correctly chances
are there is a problem with one of these parts.

4. Year Around
Maintenance
To keep your central heating system in
excellent shape, you need to perform some
basic maintenance throughout the year.
Some major maintenance procedures will
need to be done by a professional, and if
your system is damaged or isn’t working
properly, you should have it repaired right
away.

5. Replace Filters
Regularly
• Your central heating system has a filter that stops
things like dust, small particles, dirt and even
mould from entering your home. These things all
get caught in the filter, so it needs to be replaced
often. If you don’t replace it regularly, it won’t
work as effectively as it should.
• To do this, find the filter and remove it from your
system. If it is a reusable filter, clean it as
instructed by the manufacturer and replace it. If it
isn’t reusable, replace it with an entirely new filter.

6. Check the Pilot Light
• Central heating systems that are powered with
natural gas have a pilot light that should be blue.
Check the light often and if it isn’t blue, but is
orange or yellow, it could mean there is a
problem with the unit and you should contact a
professional.
• If your system isn’t providing warm air, it could
mean the pilot light has gone out. This should be
the first thing you check if you aren’t getting any
warm air.

7. Flush the System
• Periodically, you need to flush your central
heating system with a central heating flusher.
These products are designed to remove oxide
deposits which can lead to radiator cold spots
and blockages. The flusher will also protect the
boiler and pumps, which will keep your system
working the way it should be.
• Flushing the central heating unit helps to improve
circulation throughout the system and helps
increase heating efficiency.

8. Check for Leaks
Visually check your central heating unit for leaks. If
you find water on the floor or notice the walls or
pipes are damp, you need to repair the leak right
away. Catching a leak before it gets out of hand can
save you money and can help you prevent water
damage. A professional can repair the leak quickly
to avoid further damage.

9. Have Your Boiler
Serviced Annually
While there are some maintenance tasks you can
perform yourself, and some problems you will be
able to identify on your own, a professional needs to
service your boiler every year. He will perform
extensive maintenance and will check to make sure
the unit is working smoothly. A professional has
experience maintaining systems and can spot
problems you may not notice.

10. For more information or to browse HSS
Sales’ wide collection of heaters for
sale, please visit HSS Sales’ website.