Cold weather tips: How to prepare your home for autumn and winter

As the weather starts to get colder, now is a good time to check your home is ready for the winter months.

Below are a few things you can do to make sure your home is safe and in suitable condition.

1. Check the radiators

When your radiators are warm at the bottom but cold at the top, or are not heating up properly, then it is time to bleed your radiator.

Bleeding your radiator is simple. First, turn off the heating. Once the radiators are cold you can begin bleeding them, starting with the one furthest from the boiler.

You will need a bleed key, a towel and a bowl to catch the water beneath the bleed valve. Insert the bleed key and turn it anticlockwise. You’ll hear a hissing sound before the water escapes. To tighten the valve, turn the key back clockwise.

Follow these steps for your other radiators. When you’re finished, turn the heating back on to check if the radiators are now heating up properly.

Find out more in the video below.

2. Maintain gardens

Fallen leaves and debris may blow into your gutters and block your drainpipes. If you get a build-up of leaves in your pipes, the water will go back into your guttering and could leak into the roof.

You can avoid this by pruning your trees at the start of autumn. This will also help you to avoid the risk of snow building up on the trees and breaking the branches, which can also cause damage to your home.

If your pipes are ever overflowing or blocked, please get in touch with Celtic Horizons who will be able to help. Let Celtic Horizons know if you live in a house or an apartment.

3. Know where the stopcock is

Your stopcock controls the flow of water, and it’s useful to know where it is in case your pipes burst. You may need to turn off your home’s cold water supply if this happens, and this will prevent things from getting any worse.

To turn off the cold water supply, turn your stopcock clockwise. A stopcock looks like a tap without a spout or a lever, and sometimes has a ‘W’ or a water symbol on it. In most homes, the stopcock can be found under the kitchen sink, but it can also be under the stairs, near the boiler, or even outside the home.

If you have turned off the cold water and issues continue, contact Celtic Horizons straight away.

4. Take steps to prevent damp and mould

With damp issues becoming more common in the winter months, it’s important to take steps to protect your home.

Improve airflow by opening windows in the morning. This will allow the fresh air to come in and help dry out any damp.

It’s also a good idea to avoid drying clothes indoors where possible to prevent a build-up of moisture and condensation.

See more tips to prevent damp and mould in the video below.

5. Report any issues

With the likelihood of issues such as leaks, burst pipes, and power cuts increasing during the winter, it’s important to contact Celtic Horizons as soon as you think a repair is needed.

Non-urgent repair requests can be made on your customer app, TED. Simply click here to login or register if you haven’t already. Find out more in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHalKQdrv0s

Residents can also call 0330 159 6080 and press 1, or email info@celtichorizons.co.uk. If you need an emergency repair outside normal office hours (between 5pm and 9am, on weekends or bank holidays) please call the out-of-hours service on 0330 159 6080 and press option 1.

The Celtic Horizons team can only attend a repair appointment if you or someone over 18 is at home.