You’re using your boiler all wrong in the cold weather – it costs just £1 to fix

MANY households may be making a simple boiler mistake that could be disastrous in the cold weather.

When the temperature drops the last thing you need is your boiler breaking down, but a simple £1 fix can help prevent this.

A cold snap has recently swept across the UK this week and many Brits have cranked up the thermostat in a bid to keep warm.

Despite forcing people to think of other ways to try and keep warm at home, when it gets really cold sometimes you have to give in and put the heating on.

It is times like this when you need to have the confidence that your boiler is working at its optimum level.

Extremely cold temperatures can cause boilers to stop working properly if the pipes are not insulated correctly.

Sometimes this can lead pipes to freeze up and become blocked meaning that you are left with no hot water or heating.

As well as being inconvenient it could also end up landing you with a hefty bill that you hadn't budgeted for.

Heating expert Danielle Robinson from Toolstation has some advice to help homeowners from making expensive boiler mistakes.

During really cold periods it is common for a boiler's condensate pipe to become frozen and blocked.

This will cause the boiler to shut off as a safety precaution, but it can be very daunting for some homeowners.

If this unfortunately does happen it is worth being prepared and Danielle has shared a three-step guide to fix this issue.

The boiler expert also recommends a £1 hack that will stop it from happening again.

Here is Danielle's three-step guide on how to defrost a condensate pipe.

1. Locate the pipe outside - Danielle says that the condensate pip will be located directly behind the boiler, sticking out of the exterior wall of the house. If there are several pipes a clue to picking out which is the correct one is that it empties into an exterior drain.
2. Thaw the pipe with warm water - Danielle suggests pouring some warm water at the top of where the pipe exits the wall and working down. However, she does warn not to use boiling water as this could crack the pipe and cause injury.
3. Reset the boiler - The next step is to locate the boiler reset button and press it down for no more than 10 seconds. She suggests waiting for a few minutes before checking if the boiler is back up and running with hot water.

To prevent the issue from happening again Danielle recommends homeowners insulate their condensate pipe against the cold temperatures.

She said: "Flexible pipe insulation can be purchased for less than £1, with a metre length of our most affordable insulation wrap costing just 99p.

Danielle adds that before purchasing homeowners should check the bore size (width) of the condensate pipe.

She adds: "The thick foam reduces heat loss, therefore protecting exterior pipes against frost and from freezing.

"All you need to do is wrap some insulation around the pipe to cover as much of the exposed surface as possible.

"You may find it beneficial to use cable ties to ensure it’s fastened on tightly with no gaps.”

Meanwhile, a plumber shares a "two push trick" on your boiler that can save you up to £100s on energy bills without making your home colder.

A mum has also shared a clever, yet simple boiler hack that could wipe off hundreds of pounds from your energy bills.

We also have a full list of cold weather payments worth up to £1,500 that you can get now.

More tips to save on energy bills

If you are looking for ways to be more savvy with your energy bills there are a few things you can do.

Experts at Checkatrade have shared some home heat-proofing hacks that could improve your home's heating efficiency.

Draught proofing can save the average household £45 a year, the team said.

You can do this by using rugs, draught excluders or thicker curtains to prevent heat from escaping under doors and between floorboards.

Also, don't forget to bleed your radiators, as this prevents energy waste by removing exess air and distributing heat more evenly.

By increasing the jacket thickness on your hot water cylinder you can save around £35 a year.

This is because it keeps your hot water at temperature for longer, without the need to use more energy.

You can also make simple changes to your daily habits that you can make, if you are not doing so already.

Always ensure that when you put the heating on the curtains are closed and so are any windows.

This will make sure that all of the precious heat stays in the home and does not escape right out of the window.

Also you can try just turning your thermostat down by one degree, just this one change could save you up to £100 a year on your energy bill.