In the summer months, it may be tempting to switch off the heating as the weather warms up. Of course, you certainly won’t need it as much but should you turn your boiler off completely until the winter season?
There is potential for the internal workings to completely seize up if the boiler hasn’t been used for many months. The chances are very slim but if you have not been servicing your boiler regularly, there is still a chance.
Type of Boiler
Older boilers that have a pilot light (the blue flame you can see) and it will burn gas over time and it may be worth completely switching of the boiler to save money. More modern boilers will use very little energy and unless its poorly insulated, there is no actual point of turning it off completely.
Many combi boiler have a “summer mode” that can keep your boiler is good running condition through the summer whilst using very little energy.
Servicing Your Boiler in the Summer
Rather than completely forgetting about your boiler during the summer, it is the perfect time to get it serviced. Most find during the latter of the summer best because you are most likely to have issues when you first use the boiler in the winter.
Servicing in the summer is the least busiest time for boiler engineers and you will have peace of mind that your boiler is going to work in the winter. Landlords can also save the hassle of hundreds of phone calls from tenants by sorting their gas safe certificate in the summer too.
Conclusion
Turning your boiler off for long periods has the potential to cause damage but as mentioned, its very unlikely for a well maintained boiler. To be on the safe side, we always recommend that you turn it on occasionally during the summer to be on the safe side.
A boiler that has seized valves can be an expensive repair and not ideal when the weather suddenly turn cold.
