Video guides

Your boiler, radiators and room thermostats form your heating system.

If you think you have an issue with your boiler, first check that the isolator switch is in the ‘on’ position or the boiler won’t work.

Then check the pressure gauge.

The pressure needs to be in the green area, a minimum of one bar.

If it’s below one bar, you need to top up the pressure by opening the filler loops, which is quite straightforward.

Generally, the two boiler filler loop switches are below the boiler and are blue, but the colour can vary.

You need to open them both by turning them so they're in line with the direction of the pipe until the pressure reaches 1.5 bar or is in the green area.

Then close them both to stop the pressure from rising further.

The information panel in the middle of the boiler shows a flame icon if the boiler is alight, and the temperature of the water in the system.

It will also show if your setting is for heat to the hot water taps, the radiators or both.

There’s a dial to turn the temperature up or down for the hot water at the taps, usually set at a maximum of 60 degrees to avoid scalding.

Another dial is to change the temperature of the water going to the radiators.

When the boiler is on the economy setting, the water temperature for the radiators is 69 degrees, but you can turn it up or down.

If you think you have a heating issue, make sure that the mode button on the boiler is on heating and hot water, or the radiators won’t work.

In the summer, you can turn it to hot water only.

If you still have a problem with a cold radiator, you may need to bleed it.

See our short video guide.

If your heating is on but a radiator is cold, or only hot at the bottom, you may need to bleed that particular radiator.

This releases trapped air, letting hot water fill the whole system so more heat goes into that room.

You will need a cloth and a radiator key, available from most DIY shops.

Place the key over the bleed valve, the small, square nut at the top of the radiator.

Gently turn it anticlockwise.

You may hear a hiss as air is released.

The air will be followed by water, so catch this with a cloth while you turn the key back clockwise to shut off the valve.

Don’t unscrew the valve completely.

Once you’ve bled the radiator, check the pressure on the boiler is still above one bar.

If not, repressurise the system as we’ve shown in our short video guide.

If that doesn't work, please call Sovereign if you’re a tenant, or contact a heating engineer if you’re a shared owner.

This is an example of a room thermostat, but there are various types.

They tend to be in your main living space and main bedroom.

Here you can see the night time setting.

There’s also a setting for when you’re out and you can adjust the temperature.

And there’s a setting for when you’re home.

Use the arrow buttons to change the temperature.

You can preset each mode too.

This thermostat can also be set to come on and go off at a certain time.

Please see the manual for advice about your own thermostat.

This is a typical radiator in a room which has a room thermostat.

There’s a stop check valve at either end near the bottom.

In rooms without a room stat, the temperature is controlled by a Thermostatic Rad Valve or TRV on the radiator, which you can adjust like this.

The room stat is effectively the lead control.

Other rooms can only get as hot as the room with the room stat.

If you do want other rooms warmer, remove the loose caps and adjust the radiator’s stop check valves in the room with the room stat.

It will warm up more slowly and other rooms can catch up to the desired temperature.

Just for reference, these Radiator Zone Valves are usually found under the stairs.

They're mainly for use by maintenance engineers, so you shouldn’t need to touch them.

This sort of switch in a kitchen lets you operate and isolated several appliances remotely.

If you have an issue with one appliance, such as the fridge, turn the switch off here to isolate the power to that appliance.

You’ll have space to plug in a washing machine with plumbing under the sink, plus room for a second appliance.

You’ll also have space to fit a cooker.

This blank plate is for an electric cooker to be hardwired into.

This must be done by a qualified electrician.

The small pipe to the right of the electric connection is the gas supply.

If you want to have a gas cooker, you’ll need a Gas Safe engineer to fit a bayonet to this point.

If you have a gas cooker, you may also need an ignition source, so you can plug it into the double socket below.

You’ll find various important parts of your home’s plumbing system in the cupboard under the kitchen sink.

This is the mains water stopcock to isolate the incoming mains water.

And this valve with the blue handle is a cold water feed, an isolation point for a washing machine or a dishwasher.

In an emergency, you can isolate the water to your appliance here.

These are the waste spigots for the washing machine or dishwasher.

Your appliance will usually have an expandable grey pipe, which will push onto the spigot.

It may require a jubilee clip, depending on the manufacturer.

These spigots may be capped in a new home because they haven’t been used.

If so, you may need to remove or cut the thinner end before you fix the appliance hose to it.

Also check there’s no internal cap you need to remove.

If you have a home with a garden tap, this is where you can isolate that.

Ideally, turn this off in the winter to stop the pipe from freezing.

Once you’ve isolated it, keep the garden tap open so any remaining water can expand.

The main isolation switches for your kitchen and bathroom fans are normally fitted above the door.

You should keep these in the ‘on’ position.

Some fans operate automatically but this kitchen fan is turned on manually by this switch.

You should use the fan when you’re cooking or doing anything which produces moisture in the air.

This will help to control any condensation.

This bathroom fan is very quiet and will either come on with the bathroom light or have a separate switch.

It may have an overrun feature which means it will keep working for 10 to 15 minutes after the light goes off, helping to clear the steam from a shower, for example.

If you don’t have a whole home ventilation system, you may have window trickle vents like this.

Always leave these open to provide important low-level ventilation, which doesn't cause draughts or reduce the air temperature too much.

Using extract fans, trickle vents, and keeping your home warm all remove moist air and allow dry air in to avoid any problems from condensation mould.

We fit window restrictors on all first floor windows and above for your safety and security.

This is in the restricted position, but they are easy to release quickly in an emergency if you need the window fully open.

They reset once you close the window.

These units are located around the home.

Some units detect carbon monoxide and smoke and some say on them individually what they detect.

You should test all the units at least every month by pressing the test button.

Some homes have thermostatic bath taps where the maximum temperature is set to 48 degrees to avoid scalding.

This can’t be changed.

Once you’re comfortable with the temperature from the tap, you can pull this lever and the water transfers to the shower head.

You’ll find a good number of electrical sockets around your home.

Some may have USB points built in to help charge a mobile phone, for example.

This is the main electrical consumer unit for your home.

If there’s a fault, one of the main Residual Current Devices (or RCDs) may be in the ‘off’ position.

It’s shown here with a blue button.

Turn off all the Miniature Circuit Breakers or MCBs relating to that RCD.

Reset the RCD by pushing the switch back to the ‘up’ position, then turn on each MCB, one at a time, until you find the one that trips the RCD again.

Leave that one in the ‘off’ position and reset all the others.

You’ve then identified and isolated the faulty circuit but can use the rest.

If the fault is a circuit with sockets, you can unplug all the items and then plug them back in, one at a time, to see if it’s a faulty appliance, like a kettle or lamp.

If the problem isn’t with an appliance please call Sovereign or your own electrician if you’re a shared owner to repair that circuit.

Some consumer units also have a scannable QR code for more information about the buttons and troubleshooting any problems.

Anything highlighted by hazard tape in this shot is an area where you shouldn't drill or penetrate the wall surface because there may be electrical cables underneath.

Usually, cable runs can be 150mm in either direction from corners or sockets.

If you drill into one of these areas and damage a cable, you’re responsible for the repair by a qualified engineer.

Gas and water pipes are also embedded into the walls, so we recommend you use a multi-detector to check before doing any work.

Again, if you cause any damage you’ll be responsible for getting this repaired by a qualified engineer.

In the understairs cupboard, you’ll usually find internet data points linked to similar points around your home to connect your devices using Local Area Network, LAN, cables.

The connection is provided by a company like Openreach or FNL, Fibre Network Limited.

Your home user guide will give you details.

You can choose your own broadband package provider.

Just check for suppliers in your area and sign up.

They will send you a router to give you Wi-Fi and you can have hardwired access around your home via LAN cables.

Your installer should test which data points go where.

We ask that you don’t store items in the loft, it isn’t boarded or designed for storage.

The loft can be accessed for maintenance and to install a TV aerial.

Installing an aerial should only be done by a competent person and there should be two coils of coaxial cable in the loft to enable them to do this, one for the bedroom and one for the living room.

On some sites we provide a water butt as part of the planning conditions.

If so, this will be fitted to the downpipe on your home or shed.

Exact specifications will vary.

We’ll usually gift a shed, water butt, composter or rotary clothes drier to the customer, and you’ll be responsible for maintaining these.

This is the box for your electric meter.

You should receive a meter box key for access.

It’s important that you take a meter reading when you move in and provide it to your electric supplier as soon as possible.

This is the box for your gas meter and you should be given a key for access.

Remember to take a reading and send it to your gas supplier when you move in.

This lever in the gas box is an emergency isolation point.

It’s shown here in the ‘on’ position.

Please follow the guidance on the attached label if you need to isolate the supply.

The larger label has instructions on who to call in an emergency.

This is the cover for your water meter, often found in your front path or in the landscaped area.

The meters are usually smart meters, read remotely by the water supplier.

You can also check your meter readings by lifting the lid, usually with a flat screwdriver.

You’ll see a piece of foam for frost protection, so replace this after you’ve taken a reading and before you refit the lid.

This is an example electric vehicle charging point.

Others only have a standard 13 amp outlet socket which you can use with an adaptor to suit the outlet for your vehicle.

On the consumer unit inside your home you’ll find a miniature circuit breaker marked ‘vehicle charger’.

It’s useful to turn the charger off if you’re not using it to avoid unauthorised charging.