Revealed: Heating expert’s home checklist in prep for -10 cold snap

Toolstation spoke to a variety of tradespeople to discover their most common callouts during the colder months

• More than half of the tradespeople surveyed agree they seen an increase in callouts as winter sets in
• A quarter of electricians believe that roughly half (40%-50%) of the jobs they get called out for could have done by the homeowner
• The most common reasons for people not fixing issues in their home is not knowing who to trust to do the work, rising costs, and not being sure what issues need fixing 

Toolstation have surveyed UK trade experts specialising in electricity, plumbing and heating, and roofing and building, to find what they advise to check before and during winter so homeowners can be equipped with the ultimate checklist for essential winter jobs. 

85% of Plumbers and heating specialists see an increase in callouts in winter

With frozen pipes and failed heating, both plumbers and heating specialists are extremely busy during the winter, with 85% seeing an increase in call outs.

That said, 51% of plumbers and heating specialists said that some of their callouts (20-39%) could have been done by the homeowner.

When asked to provide their winter checklist, plumbing and heating specialists said that the following jobs should be performed both before and during winter:

Essential jobs before Christmas	% of Plumbing and heating thinks this is essential	Essential jobs during winter	% of Plumbing and heating specialists think this is essential
Get the boiler serviced	77.36%	Regularly check boiler pressure	64.15%
Make sure you are aware where the stop cock is in case of any flooding or issues	71.70%	Use a heating timer to ensure the heating system can run smoothly	52.83%
Make sure pipes are insulated	41.51%	Don’t put any food or household waste down the sink or any other pipes to stop any blockages	37.74%
Check the boiler pressure	30.19%	Regularly check the loft to make sure there are no leaks and the area remains insulated	33.96%
Check there are no potential faults or issues with appliances to reduce any risk of leaks	28.13%	Keep an eye on all pipes to make sure they are insulated	30.19%

67% of electricians agree they see an increase in callouts in Winter

Thanks to darker nights and stormy weather, the majority of electricians agree they see more calls as winter sets in.

A quarter (25%) of the electricians surveyed also believe that roughly half (40-50%) of the jobs they are called out for during this time could be completed by the homeowners themselves. 

When asked what essential jobs they think homeowners should do before and during winter, electricians revealed the following top five jobs:

Essential jobs before Winter	% of Electricians thinks this is essential	Essential jobs during winter	% of Electricians think this is essential
Invest in the items you would need during a power cut e.g. Torches, batteries, blankets	33.33%	Make sure electrical sockets are not overloaded	79.17%
Check all appliances to make sure there is no sign of any potential issues or faults	32.29%	Make sure heating appliances are not covered	69.79%
Check access to the central electrical panel and make sure everything is in working order	30.21%	Keep any unused appliances and electrical items unplugged	43.75%
Make sure all outdoor lighting is in working order	29.17%	Don’t leave large electrical appliances such as washing machines and tumble dryers on when no-one is home	42.71%
Read up on what to do and what not to do during a power cut to remain safe	28.13%	Keep an eye on all outdoor wiring to make sure no wires become exposed	37.50%

50% of Roofers and Builders see an increase in callouts during winter

With winter weather taking a big toll on the structure of the home, roofers and builders see an increase in callouts during the winter months with homeowners wanting to keep the wind and rain outside where it belongs.

However, 40% of roofers and builders think that roughly half (40-59%) of homeowners could have attempted the jobs they were called out for.

When asked to provide their ultimate winter checklist, roofers and builders suggest the following for before and during winter. 

Essential jobs before Christmas	% of Roofers and Builders thinks this is essential	Essential jobs during winter	% of Roofers and Builders think this is essential
Inspect and clear all guttering	80.00%	To fix a leaking roof	65.00%
Check for any loose or fallen tiles	75.00%	To fix a leaking gutter	40.00%
Inspect their loft/under roofing	20.00%	Renovation work in time for Christmas	30.00%
Inspect flashing	17.50%	To fix fallen roof tiles	22.50%
Check the exterior walls of their home	15.00%	Structural changes to the home in time for Christmas	17.50%

To view more information around the essential winter jobs according to trade experts, visit: https://www.toolstation.com/content/essential-winter-jobs

Credit to: https://www.toolstation.com/content/essential-winter-jobs