The AA has launched The Big Boiler Handbook, a free guide to help householders understand their heating systems.

With the winter months drawing in, homeowners want to make sure their houses are warm and cosy, and the handbook provides them with a basic guide to their boiler and central heating systems.

It features pictures and bullet points to explain the different types of system a reader might have and any problems they may face, to make sure their radiators and shower stay hot all year round.

As well as offering homeowners advice on more simple matters, such as how to check boiler pressure or how to bleed a radiator, it also gives an idea of what to expect from their engineer, in the case that they require professional.

The Big Boiler Handbook is free to download, without the need to enter any details or register either.