After the Storm: Looking After Your Heating in Cornwall

It’s been a rough few days across Cornwall. Storm Austen swept through on Friday, bringing down trees, closing roads and leaving more than 9,000 homes without power at its peak. Storm Boelo followed on Saturday with heavy rain and flood alerts along the coast. And while things are starting to settle, the Met Office has issued another yellow wind warning for the whole of Cornwall, running from 6pm tonight until 3am on Tuesday, with gusts of up to 65mph possible along the coast.

If you’re one of the many households now tidying up the garden and checking for damage, it’s worth giving your heating system a once-over too. Storms can affect boilers, flues, oil tanks and outdoor units in ways that aren’t always obvious straight away, and with the colder months ahead, you’ll want to know everything is working as it should.

Here’s what to look out for, and what to do if something doesn’t seem right.

If you lost power, check your boiler has restarted

Most modern boilers need electricity to run, even gas ones, so a power cut will usually switch your heating and hot water off. When the power comes back, most boilers restart on their own, but not all of them do.

Once your power is back on:

• Check the boiler display for any error codes or a flashing light
• Try the reset button, following the instructions in your boiler manual (once or twice is fine, but don’t keep pressing it)
• Check your thermostat and timer, as some lose their settings during a power cut and may need resetting
• Check the pressure gauge. It should usually sit between 1 and 1.5 bar when the system is cold

If the boiler still won’t fire up, or the same fault keeps coming back, give us a call rather than trying to fix it yourself.

If your power is still off, you can report it or get an update by calling 105, which is free and open 24 hours.

Look for damage to your flue

Your boiler flue is the pipe that carries waste gases safely out of your home, usually through an outside wall or the roof. High winds and flying debris can knock it out of place, loosen joints or damage the terminal on the end.

From the ground, have a look for anything bent, cracked, loose or blocked by leaves or debris. Please don’t climb up to check a roof flue, especially while the wind is still strong.

A damaged flue can let carbon monoxide escape into your home, so if you spot anything that doesn’t look right, switch the boiler off and get it checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer before using it again. Now is also a good time to make sure your carbon monoxide alarm is working.

If you’ve had flooding, don’t switch anything back on

If water has reached your boiler, any other gas appliance, or your electrics, don’t turn them back on, even once everything looks dry. Water can damage controls, wiring and internal parts in ways you can’t see.

Turn off your gas supply at the meter if it’s safe to do so, and have the appliance inspected by a Gas Safe registered engineer before it’s used again. If you smell gas at any point, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

Oil heating? Check your tank

If you heat your home with oil, take a walk round your tank once the wind has dropped. Look for:

• Damage from fallen branches or fencing
• Cracks, splits or bulging in the tank
• Any oil smell, or staining on the ground nearby
• A loose or damaged lid or vent

If you think oil has leaked, don’t hose it away. Get in touch and we’ll arrange for someone to take a look.

Outdoor units and pipework

If you have air conditioning, the outdoor unit can collect leaves, twigs and other debris during a storm. Clear away anything around it by hand, with the system switched off, and check the unit is still sitting level and secure on its brackets or base.

It’s also worth checking your boiler’s condensate pipe, the small plastic pipe that usually runs outside to a drain. If it’s been knocked loose or blocked, your boiler may stop working.

A few safety reminders for tonight

With more strong winds on the way this evening:

• Bring in or tie down anything loose in the garden, including bins, furniture and trampolines
• Stay well away from the seafront and coastal paths
• Never use a generator, barbecue or outdoor heater inside your home or garage, as these produce carbon monoxide
• Check in on elderly neighbours or anyone who might be struggling without heating

We’re here to help

Our South West team is local, and we know how disruptive the last few days have been. If your boiler isn’t working properly after the storm, you’ve spotted damage to your flue or tank, or you just want peace of mind before winter properly sets in, we’re happy to help.

If you’re a Care Plan customer, repairs are covered up to £500, so get in touch and we’ll take it from there.

Call us on 0330 383 0000 or get in touch through our website.