“Are you experiencing problems with your boiler? During the cold season is when your boiler is put to the test, especially if the outside temperature is below freezing.”
Common Boiler Problems
Modern boilers are quite powerful and reliable. However, at the same time things can also go wrong. This can cause more stress as unexpected boiler failures are most common in colder months.
The boiler industry will see a big rise in boiler repair services in colder months when most boilers are switched back on after being off during the warmer summer months. It is due the fact when the weather drops below freezing temperatures, boilers are used to the biggest extent and for a very long period of time.
Your boiler is not working?
Without examining the boiler physically, it is difficult to determine the problem. However, identifying the symptoms would help to identify potential causes. Furthermore, if you have a modern boiler, you'll probably see an error message or an error code on the boiler display. You should note that code because the boiler repair engineer clearly understands this.
Common boiler faults are:
• Lack of hot water and heating.
• Power issues.
• Boiler shutting down.
• Strange or loud sounds.
• Leakages.
• The pilot lights gone out.
• Freezing.
• Radiators not getting hot.
What IS causing these common boiler faults?
Here are some possible causes to a boiler breakdown.
• No hot water
No heat or hot water could be caused by a number of reasons. These include: low pressure, airlocks, faulty thermostat, valves, broken diaphragm or any other component.
• Pressure Issues
We recommend checking the pressure first, as the boiler may switch off when the pressure gets too low. To increase the pressure, the valves can be opened either by means of tap handles or by flat headed screwdriver. Open both valves to allow cold water to enter the system. Constantly check on the pressure gauge until it hits 1.5bar, then close both valves, one after another.
• Noisy Boiler
Boilers that make loud noises can have a limescale build-up, particularly if the boiler is exposed to hard water. Limescale tends to cause the boiler to work even harder as the sludge develops in the heat exchanger, the water then gets too hot, causing it to boil or steam, known as the boiling effect. If the sound from the boiler is a banging sound, this is probably a pump issue.
• Leaks'
A boiler leakage may be another issue, and the source of the leak will help to identify the cause of the boiler leak. Defective components such as a pressure valve, pump seal, pipe or tank seem to be the most probable cause of leakage.
• Pilot Light
When the pilot light goes out, the causes could be a draught, a damaged thermocouple, or deposit build-up. It's good to check out that the issue is not with the main gas pipeline; check another gas appliance to see whether it works.
• Freezing up
We described that almost all boiler repairs take place in the winter time when most people use their boilers routinely. If the condensate pipe freezes, a fault may arise with the condensing boiler. The condensate pipe operates from the boiler to outside of the house so that it is surely more affected to freezing weather. If you have identified a pipe, you can take precautions to ensure that it does not freeze, but it is better to obtain expert advice before you do anything yourself. We also suggest that, if you are considering the installation of a condense boiler, the installation be undertaken by an experienced practitioner (like us) which will take these things into account before installation.
• Thermostat controls
Sometimes thermostat may also be the cause, but not because it is defective, but simply because it has been improperly installed. Before sending an engineer, we often try to evaluate over the phone, as in many cases the thermostat has not been properly set up or needs to be reset. Doing some checks first can save you from paying needless repair bills.
• Radiators
If you find that your radiators do not get hot or that parts of the radiators do not heat up, it can be caused by a build-up of sludge or air. Try bleeding and balancing the radiators and check whether the problem is fixed. If your heating system is very old, a power flush or even a new boiler system may be required.
Repair or replacement?
Your boiler is not working properly, and the warranty has run out.
It might be better to upgrade the boiler with a great advanced energy efficient one. Perhaps the boiler has broken down due to a part that has been worn or damaged. Subsequently, it is possible that this could lead to further defects within the boiler at a later stage. Unsurprisingly, the boiler may have many intermittent problems that cannot be discovered until the part has been replaced. Our technicians are trained and experienced to provide truthful advice on the best possible course of action. A new boiler may be better and more cost-effective than fixing a problematic old poor boiler.
If the boiler is over ten years old, then replacing it might also decrease your energy bills, and much more.
Check if you still have a boiler warranty
It's good to check if your boiler is still under any warranty, because this could save you the cost of repairing the boiler. The boiler warranty might be from 1 year to 10 years. If you are unclear, you can call the company immediately and they will be able to guide you. If your boiler is not under warranty, you will need a repair engineer for the boiler.
Preventing problems with boiler
Boiler manufacturing companies and the Gas Safety Authority strongly recommend that you should have a yearly boiler service for safety purposes and to help avoid dreadful boiler repair bills. If you still have a boiler warranty, be careful to verify the small print, as it may be a necessity to have an annual service to validate the warranty.
It is also suggested that the boiler should not be turned off for longer periods (weeks/months). The use of a smart thermostat will help provide the complete control over heating and will also allow users to remotely control the boiler.
Can you repair a gas boiler on your own?
No. You should never try to do anything that includes important parts that are gas carrying components unless you are a certified gas safety engineer.
Although the concept of gas 'work' is really broad. You can perform tasks set out in the guidelines for the user. Primarily, parts that are outside the boiler, such as thermostat control or topping up the pressure. But modifying or touching parts inside the combustion chamber is a big NO!
The attempt to repair the boiler yourself is risky and could lead to severe problems, such as carbon monoxide poisoning or even explosions. If your is not boiler is not working? Just leave it to the experts.
Beware of illegal gas fittings
It is frightening that latest Gas Safe surveys have raised concerns over the number of illegal fitters. In addition, the number of homeowners who did not even check for a local Gas Safe Engineer was surprisingly high.