It is almost impossible to truly predict the weather, but the intensity of a winter period can make a huge difference to not only gas and energy bills but also how easily your boiler will weather the conditions.
For the most part, boilers are naturally designed to function at very low temperatures, often having an operating range as low as -20 degrees Celsius, a temperature never recorded in Greater London.
However, if a boiler is older or has developed a fault, this reliability can be tested by the winter frost, and outside of a relatively mild winter, there is a chance that it can catch out the unprepared.
The best way to avoid this problem in the first place is to keep your boiler well-serviced and having undergone timely repairs with the help of a Gas Safe engineer. As well as this, checking your insulation around boiler pipes can keep them from freezing, as can keeping your heating on at a low level.
However, if the boiler has stopped working due to something within it seizing up, it will often require an emergency callout to fix, but there are some measures you can take in the meantime to try and solve the issue yourself safely.
Check The Condensate Pipe
The most common problem frozen weather can cause your boiler is if the condensate pipe freezes. This is especially true if you have an older boiler that has the pipe installed outside.
The condensate pipe is a vital part of any boiler installed after 2005 (which in practice is almost all of them at this point), as it carries water from the boiler to your outside drains.
As of 2021, boiler installations keep the pipes within the home for efficiency and to fix this exact issue, unless it is not possible to do so otherwise.
If the condensate pipe freezes, it is typically accompanied by a gurgling noise from the boiler unit, a sudden shutdown of your hot water and central heating, and an EA error code, which can be cross-referenced with the manual for your particular boiler model.
If this is the case, then it is often possible to thaw the pipe out using a hairdryer, warm blankets or pouring warm water onto the pipe.
Do not use hot water to do this, as this can run the risk of damaging the pipework. Condensate pipes are made from PVC, which generally struggle with temperatures above 60 degrees Celsius, and could potentially be warmed, melted and distorted by boiling hot water at 100 degrees.
Once the ice has melted, which can take a bit of time depending on how cold the temperatures are, reset the boiler as per your manufacturing instructions and it should work normally.
Alternatively, you can shut off the boiler and disconnect the piece of pipe directly, allowing the cold water to drip into a bucket, but if you are uncertain which pipe to disconnect and how to do so, do not do anything except contact a boiler engineer.
Low Boiler Pressure
Another effect the temperature can have on boilers is that it can lead to a loss of water pressure, which is important to ensure that the boiler works effectively.
Water pressure loss can happen for a number of reasons, and in a lot of cases, it is both relatively innocuous and easy to fix.
Most boilers have a loop system that allows you to fill the boiler, either by pulling on a tap or by turning a stopcock depending on your boiler system.
The sweet spot when it comes to boiler pressure is between 1.0 and 1.5 bar, which is typically indicated on your boiler as the green zone.
Avoid overfilling it, as too much pressure in the boiler can cause it to shut down or break, but this issue, often indicated by an error message on the boiler itself, is also one that can be fixed by yourself. If the pressure is too high, you can bleed your radiators to relieve the pressure as well.
Bleeding your radiators can help if they have patches of cold as well.
However, if increasing the water pressure does not seem to help, you have to keep refilling the boiler or you do not feel confident about doing so, do not hesitate to contact a boiler engineer who can help fix any issues, give your boiler a check to make sure there are no hidden issues and help ensure your boiler keeps you warm this winter.