Home maintenance in October

A yearly service by a Gas Safe engineer keeps most boiler warranties valid and finds faults before the first cold snap, when engineers are busiest.

If you use an open fire or log burner, sweep it before the season starts: soot and nests cause chimney fires and carbon monoxide.

Slipped or missing tiles and tired flashing let water in during the first big storm. Look from the ground with binoculars, and get anything loose fixed now.

Cold at the top means air in the system. Bleeding takes a radiator key and ten minutes. If they stay cold at the bottom, the system may need a flush.

Draughts round doors, windows and letterboxes are cheap to fix and make rooms noticeably warmer.