Winter is coming: Getting your home ready before the nights draw in
Do a run-through of your heating system from the boiler/pump end right through to the distributors (radiators/real flame/UFH). This is not an alternative to a full professional check by a heating engineer. Picture: iStock
COLDER and darker, it’s time to take a look at some issues that might hit you just a bit harder over the winter months. If there’s a wobble in the paving by the back door, or the building cover on the insurance is clearly outstripped by the realities of the construction sector there’s still time to wrap yourself up in some meaningful peace of mind.
Whether you have an ASHP, a biomass boiler or use fossil fuel central heating, it’s time to fire up the system to a typical working temperature, for several hours, to check it from the boiler/pump end right through to the radiators and UFH. This doesn’t negate the need for a full annual or bi-annual, professional service appropriate to your fuel and system type. All flues and chimneys should be swept and examined before relying on Old Smokey for the long haul. In our homeowner check, we’re looking out for anomalies, staining, stinks, odd noises, anything we cannot put right like a simple radiator bleed. How is the pressure levels on any hot water gauge?
Are all TRVs on the radiators working?
Check the screws/pins are closely finessing set temperatures. The pin may just need to be given a confident tap with a screwdriver head. Smart controls (thermostats, and app-controlled radiators) should be put through their paces now. Is any monthly fee for Cloud-based access to your heating app in place? A bit baffled by your own tech? Download the PDF guide for your smart servants if you don’t have one. Order in home heating oil or LPG now – prices perk up as the Celsius goes down.
Sealed up in the house from October to April, we tend to forget just how stale the indoor air can actually be. Going from the dangerous end of the spectrum, ensure your CO alarm and smoke alarm have fresh batteries. Go through the protocol with a press-check. You may have old trickle vents on windows or passive wall or floor vents in your rooms. Ensure they are open indoors. Then go outside and ensure that their outlets are clean and not blocked by climbing plants or gathered leaves. To improve every breath you take and diminish allergens and irritating particulate matter – don’t smoke indoors, use your cooker hood to clear the air fully and change the filters. Keep the door shut on your stove, burning only seasoned or kiln-dried wood (20% moisture content).
Introduce air purifying devices if necessary and finally, damp dust and use a vacuum regularly with HEPA filtration. If you have managed ventilation (MVHR), it should be running year-round with the windows usually closed. Ensure you carry out scheduled filter changes. The kitchen and family bathroom extraction filter may need changing more often as these positions simply work harder. Normally filters need to be changed every three-six months. Every old, tech-starved home has rapid-ventilation in place. While you’re swatting, sucking and slathering through a weekly clean put on a hoodie and open the windows wide to create a cross-breeze.
Even if you are emotionally enfeebled by the threat of a charge to break out of that annual deal, now is the time to hassle your energy provider (electricity and gas). First of all, shop around with a price comparison site like Bonkers. All you need is your Meter Point Registration Number (MPRN) and your Gas Point Registration Number (GPRN). These can be found on your current bill. Find out how much energy you use and how much you are currently paying per annum before PSO/standing charges and the pesky VAT, again, all on your invoices.
After a year, your introductory savings on power and gas generally revert to the standard tariffs. According to the CRU, 50% of switchers are back-sliding. Be ready with current meter readings to seal the deal with DD/paperless billing. Keep an eye out for new time-of-use tariffs packages and boiler-cover protection plans. 365 day cover from chilling disaster - most energy suppliers in Ireland offer this insurance at a small addition to your energy bill every month.
Price-walking is the latest bogey practice (happily under attack) in the insurance industry. It involves charging loyal customers of two years or more for staying with the insurer and simply renewing their policy year by year. A recent report by the Central Bank of Ireland, covering 3.2m customers over three years, found that loyal customers could be paying as much as 32% more for the same policy and risk profile as a new customer. This dual-pricing is exacted in various ways and while the suits sort it out, it’s another reason to shop around for the best deal. Not all insurers are represented on switching sites – try contacting them directly (ccpc.ie)
If you haven’t taken a look at your building's cover and contents insurance and are automatically renewing – you could be not only wasting money, but might be in for a major shock if and when you make a large claim. Read the policy thoroughly and note any exemptions and limitations. You can sometimes get a discount if you have an alarm or high-security locks fitted to your property. Do you know the difference between value and replacement costs? What’s the excess payable by you on a claim? If a tree hits the house this December, but that hoary old oak has clearly been a danger for years – would the insurance pay out? Maintaining your home to a safe standard is implied throughout the small print jargon most of us skip through. The company may pay out following a flood, but does the policy cover emergency accommodation or is that an extra worth paying for?
From taking an inventory of our possession, to understanding how to document an event, and when and when not to claim (that claims history will kick up your policy renewal cost) – ensure you have a more than a contract in mind. Have a personal plan. Tenants should also have an insurance policy to protect their personal possession first and foremost, but that includes personal liability too.
Doors and windows are a major cause of draughts, so start there with dedicated checks and upgrades here. The leanest standard for attic/roof insulation to your home will be 300mm of blanket insulation taken right over the attic floor and hatch (cut to fit as a ‘cap’).
It’s a God awful job even for the nimble - prickling, hot, bruising, dusty work under a swinging light-bulb. A full professional job to a standard semi, including mineral wool and all materials to an attic floor could be as much as €10 per m2 (not spray or bats for rafters). There’s €400 of grant aid on offer from the SEAI with extra help for those on certain social welfare benefits (see their grant aid pages, seai.ie).
Some energy suppliers, including Energia, will handle an SEAI aided upgrade to homes built before 2006, adding addition savings and even managing the obligatory BER rating process for you. If you can use scissors to cut builder’s tape, split side foam lengths, and foil insulation, you can insulate the associated pipework in and around your hot cistern, boiler and water storage tank yourself. Follow an online primer and always wear protective goggles, a mask (not again she cried) and protective gloves where needed.
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