When moving house, you go through the emotions of feeling excited and stressed, especially when things aren’t what they seem. To help reduce some of this stress and avoid some nasty surprises, you can do a few things before moving into your new home.
1. Arrange a viewing to check the hot water and heating
Before you complete on the property you’re interested in, make sure to check that the heating and hot water are working properly. You can easily do this by contacting the seller or estate agents and arranging another viewing. By checking these things, you can prevent any immediate issues. Don’t just rely on the surveyor to check your central heating. Always check it yourself!
When checking that the hot water works, you can also make sure that all your sinks work properly. Turn both the hot and cold tap on separately and make sure they reach the correct temperatures.
2. Check that the toilets flush
This may seem simple; however, if you don’t check the toilets before moving, you could end up with an issue that could have been simply avoided. When flushing the toilet, check that it flushes quickly, doesn’t clog, and fills up again without a long period of time. If there is an issue, don’t panic too much as most of the time it only requires an easy fix. Call us today if you’re experiencing a problem with the toilet not flushing properly.
3. Establish what type of heating system you’ll have
You can establish what type of heating system the property has by turning the hot water on. If your boiler fires up after this, you have a combi boiler (also known as a combination boiler). If you have a conventional boiler then you’ll need to locate the hot water cylinder, which can usually be found in the airing cupboard.
Struggling to get hot water or get your heating to work? Don’t worry as there are a few things you can do. With a combi boiler, you can check that the pressure is above 1.5bar. If the boiler pressure is lower than that, it simply just needs to be repressurized. With a conventional boiler, you’ll need to listen to see if the central heating pump is running. It’s also important to check the gas and electric supply as, in some vacant properties, they turn off the electrics at the switchboard.
4. Locate the stopcock
It’s always important to locate the stopcock for the water. This will then allow you to turn off the water supply if you ever run into a problem. Nobody wants a house that is flooded!
If you have any concerns or find any problems with your plumbing or heating, feel free to contact us. We are more than happy to help you.
