Advice on boilers, radiators, central heating systems and keeping your home warm and energy efficient.
There’s never a convenient time for your air conditioning to break down. It always seems to happen on the hottest day of the year, when the house already feels stuffy and every room is just a bit too warm to be comfortable. Whether it’s a complete shutdown or something just isn’t working as it should, an AC problem can go from minor annoyance to urgent issue pretty quickly.
There was a time when Brits only encountered air conditioning on holiday or in shops. For a few warm days in summer didn’t seem to justify the cost or effort when fans could be used as a temporary fix. However, with hotter, longer heatwaves becoming more common, more homeowners are starting to consider whether air con may be worth the investment. So, are air conditioners actually worth it in the UK? The answer depends on your home, your lifestyle, and what you value most.
As temperatures drop, keeping your home warm becomes a top priority, not just for comfort, but for health and energy efficiency too. Whether you live in a period property or a modern build, a few smart changes can make a big difference. Here are some practical, cost-effective tips to help keep the cold out and the warmth in.
There is nothing like walking into a room and feeling gentle, even warmth rising from beneath your feet. Underfloor heating is one of the most comfortable and efficient ways to heat a home, but only when it’s installed and maintained by a skilled professional.
Keeping warm in winter isn’t just about turning up the thermostat, it’s about making your home as efficient as possible so the heat you’re paying for actually stays inside. If you want to cut costs, stay comfortable and reduce your home’s environmental impact, improving your insulation is one of the best places to start. Here’s how to make your home more energy-efficient this winter without spending a fortune.
Condensation is the result of water vapour in the air condensing when it comes into contact with a cold surface, which can become an issue. Read our advice.
If you want to save on heating, you could install or resurrect a fireplace. All wood burns, but not all offer the same heat. Here’s what you need to know.
If you are considering using your obsolete fireplace again, it is important that you prioritise safety. Here’s what you need to know.
If your boiler breaks down, you will want to find a boiler specialist - here’s what you need to know about getting the right Gas Safe engineer to do the job.
This week, we bust common heating myths, explaining why constant low heat, high thermostat settings and single sensors aren’t always efficient ways to warm your home.
An in-depth look into the pros and cons of a combi boiler and the system boiler to see which is most suitable for your home.
If you have noticed damp or mould starting to develop, TrustATrader gives you tips on how to deal with condensation
Condensation causes about 70% of damp problems in the UK. In this series, we explore what is condensation, what causes it, and how to avoid it.
Insulation will save you money in the long-term and will help to keep your home snug, whatever the weather. A look at how insulation works and where to insulate
Our trusted heating engineer can help, whatever the task at hand, offering reliable support and professional expertise.
Common heating and boiler questions, including servicing, breakdowns, maintenance and safety advice.
A combi heats water straight from the mains on demand - no cylinder needed, which makes it compact and ideal for smaller homes or flats. A system boiler works with a hot water cylinder, storing a ready supply that can serve multiple taps or showers at once without the pressure dropping - better for larger homes with more bathrooms. There's also the conventional boiler, which needs both a cylinder and a cold water tank in the loft - common in older properties. A heating engineer can help you figure out which suits your home best.
Heat pumps pull warmth from the outside air (even when it's cold) and use it to heat your home and hot water. They work best in well-insulated homes, ideally with underfloor heating or larger radiators that work well at lower temperatures. In draughty or poorly insulated properties, the benefits are more limited. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme currently offers a grant of up to £7,500 towards installation, so it's worth getting a professional assessment to see whether your home is a good fit before committing.
Once a year, by a Gas Safe registered engineer. It keeps the boiler running safely, catches small issues before they become expensive, and is usually a condition of the manufacturer's warranty. Some home insurance policies require proof of regular servicing too. If you're not sure when yours was last done, book one before winter - better to find out before you're sitting in a cold house!
This issue is almost always trapped air. Bleeding the radiator - using a radiator key to release the air - usually sorts it, and it's one of the few heating jobs you can safely do yourself. If bleeding it doesn't work, or if several radiators are having the same problem, it might be a pressure or pump issue. Worth getting a heating engineer in to have a look.
Keep an eye out for: frequent breakdowns, energy bills going up without using more heat, unusual noises (banging, kettling, or whistling), a flame that's yellow or orange instead of blue, and any visible leaks or rust around the unit. If your boiler is over fifteen years old and ticking any of those boxes, replacing it is usually the more economical choice - modern boilers are significantly more efficient.
For a new build or a big renovation, underfloor heating is often a great investment - it heats rooms more evenly than radiators and can be more efficient, especially alongside a heat pump. Retrofitting in an existing home is more of a job, and how worthwhile it is depends on your floor types and how much disruption you're happy to deal with. Either way - wet or electric - it has to be installed by a qualified professional.
Some pressure drop over time is normal, but if you're topping it up regularly there's usually a cause: a small leak in the system (which isn't always easy to spot), a pressure relief valve that's releasing water, or air in the system after bleeding radiators. Topping it up via the filling loop is fine as a short-term fix, but if you're doing it more than a couple of times a year, it's worth getting an engineer to look into why it keeps happening.
If you have a question in relation to TrustATrader specifically, please check out the TrustATrader FAQs, with separate lists tailored to consumers and tradespeople. Alternatively, get in touch with our team. We're happy to help!