Get Your Heating System Winter-Ready: A Simple Guide to Staying Warm and Saving Mone

Get Your Heating System Winter-Ready: A Simple Guide to Staying Warm and Saving Mone

As the colder months approach, now is the perfect time to give your heating system a little care and attention. A few simple checks and adjustments can make a big difference to how efficiently your home heats up, saving you money and keeping you comfortable through winter.

At ThermaFY, we’ve helped thousands of homeowners reduce their energy bills by understanding how their heating systems really perform. Here’s our step-by-step guide to make sure your system is ready for the months ahead.

1. Check Your Boiler Pressure

One of the most common reasons boilers stop working properly is low pressure.

Look for the pressure gauge on the front of your boiler, when the heating is on, the needle should sit around 1.0 to 1.5 bar.

  • If it’s below this, you’ll need to top it up using the filling loop.

  • The filling loop is a small silver hose or lever underneath your boiler. Open both ends gently until you hear water entering the system.

  • Watch the gauge, once it reaches around 1.3 bar, close both valves tightly.

Too high a pressure can also cause problems, so don’t overfill. Once topped up, reset the boiler if needed and check it fires up correctly.

2. Set the Boiler Flow Temperature Correctly

Your boiler flow temperature controls how hot the water is that travels around your radiators.

  • Many boilers are set far too high often 70–80°C which wastes energy.

  • For most homes, 50–60°C is ideal.

If your boiler has an eco symbol, set it just above the 50°C mark this ensures good efficiency while still providing enough warmth.

Tip: When it’s especially cold outside, you can temporarily turn the flow temperature up to help the home warm up faster but remember, lower settings are more efficient day to day.

3. Check Your Room Thermostat

Your room thermostat tells your boiler when to switch on and off.

  • If it’s located in a hallway, keep doors open so it can sense the true temperature of your home.

  • If it’s moveable (wireless), place it in the room you spend the most time in usually the living room.

Set it to around 19–21°C for a balance of comfort and savings. Every degree lower can save up to 10% on heating costs.

4. Adjust Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs)

Thermostatic Radiator Valves (the small numbered dials on your radiators) are an easy way to control the temperature in each room.

  • Don’t leave them fully open this stops them from regulating properly.

  • Set them between 4 and 5 (around 20°C).

  • When the room reaches that temperature, the TRV will automatically reduce the flow of hot water, helping the rest of your radiators heat more evenly.

You can also turn TRVs down in rooms you rarely use to save extra energy.

5. Feel and Compare Your Radiators

Once your heating has been on for about 20–30 minutes, go around your home and check each radiator:

  • Are they all warming up evenly?

  • Are any cool at the top? (This means they need bleeding to release trapped air.)

  • Are some cool at the bottom? (This can mean sludge build-up, which may need a power flush.)

Ideally, every radiator should be hot across its surface. If you notice differences, your system might need balancing adjusting how water flows so every radiator gets an equal share of heat.

6. Keep Your Boiler on Eco Mode

Most modern boilers have an eco mode. When switched on, the boiler doesn’t preheat water continuously, saving energy and gas.
Your radiators may take a few minutes longer to get hot, but you’ll be using far less energy overall.

7. Bleed Your Radiators

If a radiator feels cold at the top and warm at the bottom, there’s likely air trapped inside.
To fix this:

  1. Turn off the heating and let the radiators cool.

  2. Use a radiator key to slowly open the valve at the top corner.

  3. You’ll hear air hiss when water starts to drip, close it again.

  4. Check the boiler pressure and top up if needed.

Doing this once or twice a year keeps your system running efficiently.

8. Book a Professional Heating Health Check

Even with all the right settings, hidden issues like scaling, blockages or poor circulation can reduce efficiency.

This is where ThermaFY’s smart thermal survey comes in.
Our advanced software captures detailed thermal images of every radiator in your home, identifying exactly where heat is being lost or blocked. We can show you which radiators need bleeding, balancing, or flushing  helping your whole system perform at its best.

Many of our customers see improved comfort and lower bills within weeks of making these small changes.

👉 Book your home heating survey today and get expert advice on how to make your heating system ready for winter.

Final Thoughts

Keeping your heating system efficient doesn’t have to be complicated.
By taking these small, practical steps checking pressure, setting temperatures correctly, and maintaining your radiators you can keep your home warm, save money, and avoid mid-winter breakdowns.

At ThermaFY, we believe in using data and technology to help homeowners make smarter energy choices. As winter sets in, we’re here to make sure your home stays cosy, efficient, and ready for whatever the weather brings.

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