Central heating advice for businesses

As the winter sets in, Britons may be only too glad to have the knowledge that their central heating is warming up their home to allow them to enjoy a cosy evening once they finish work.

Due to this, many people may be using the run-up to the festive season to ensure their central heating system is ready and in good working order to cope with the additional pressure which will be placed on it.

However, it is not only homeowners that should be taking these steps, with one group pointing out the importance of businesses also taking good care of their central heating.

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According to Aviva, it is important that commercial property owners or managers carry out a risk assessment of the premises in order to ensure they are well protected against any serious damage the elements could throw at it.

And one of the biggest risks facing office premises is the potential for water pipes bursting, which could see workforces returning to thousands of pounds worth of damage, which could even put their operations in jeopardy.

When the temperature drops, water in pipes can freeze and expand, causing the pipes to burst and leave an office or factory looking like it has been flooded.

With many members of staff looking forward to vacating their place of work over the Christmas period, the temperature of the space will drop, which can lead to the risk of burst pipes heightening.

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Indeed, the insurance provider warns that with as much as 300 gallons of water passing through the pipes every ten minutes, a leak could cause substantial damage.

Aviva reports the number of commercial claims for burst pipes increased by around 20 per cent between December and February, while claims costs increase to around 27 per cent more than average - standing at some £3,100 in January.

Paul Redington, property claims manager for Aviva, said: "Water damage claims tend to peak during the first two weeks of January and this could be as owners return to their premises following the festive break. However, losses don't just occur during the Christmas break.  Any long period of closure can mean water damage can escalate where the leak remains undetected whether it is during holiday periods or even during the night or at weekends. "

However, there are simple steps that people can take to reduce the risk of this damage.

The group advises that businesses start with their central heating systems. Leaving central heating to run on a temperature of at least ten degrees Celsius at regular periods throughout the day and night can help to maintain a temperature that will see water less likely to freeze in pipes. Heating controls could be a useful addition for monitoring this.

With this in mind, it is important that central heating is in a good working order to reduce the risk of it breaking down when it is most needed. This can mean that it is advisable to have a Gas Safe registered engineer give a boiler a full service. Such a plumber may be able to identify any risk a boiler could be posing, including whether it needs replacing.

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Businesses which decide to invest in a new boiler ahead of the Christmas period may wish to invest in a condensing or combination type, both of which are more energy efficient than other types of heating appliance, which could have the additional bonus of reducing company gas bills.

Meanwhile, a biomass boiler could also be a wise purchase as it relies on wood for fuel which can be purchased from a sustainable source, rather than needing to rely on finite resources.

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The Met Office has this week forecast that freezing temperatures and snow are on the way this week, which may mean now is a good time to ensure that central heating is in a good working order.

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£ 816.90 (ex vat)
£ 959.86 (inc vat)

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£ 1115.41 (ex vat)
£ 1310.61 (inc vat)

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£ 910.51 (inc vat)

VAILLANT ECOTEC PRO 28 NG CONDENSING COMBI BOILER

£ 654.73 (ex vat)
£ 769.31 (inc vat)