Is my boiler safe?
Basic Boiler Issues and What to Do If You Encounter Them
Is this the first boiler you’ve actually owned yourself? If you’ve just moved in to your first home, boiler maintenance can be daunting. If you think your new home’s boiler is not up to scratch, Homeserve offer a guide on what to do next.
Maybe it isn’t a new home and you’ve always had a perfectly functioning boiler in your home which has suddenly started having issues, which often can be equally as daunting. Often, we don’t think about our boiler until it suddenly lets us down, often without obvious reason.
Here are some common problems and what to do should you encounter them:
There’s Only Cold Water And No Central Heating
If your heating has stopped working, or your water is only running on cold, or in most cases, both, then chances are its one of two problems. First, your thermostat could be facing issues. If it isn’t your thermostat, it’s probably your pressure. These are often straight forward to fix. It could also be due to a broken part (e.g. a diaphragm or a valve) or an airlock in your system, so don’t rule that out completely. If you think it’s any part that may need replacing, call an engineer to come and take a look.
I’ve Lost The Pressure On My Boiler
If you’ve diagnosed the problem as a loss of pressure yourself, here is what to do. If you have a ‘sealed system’ and look at the gauge on your boiler, your pressure should be sitting at 1.5 bar. Having low pressure is often the cause of a lack of heat from the system. If it has indeed lost pressure, you should be able to fix this yourself. If it’s still not working or you can’t increase the pressure, call in a Gas Safe engineer.
My Thermostat Isn’t Working
An often irritating and common problem, but thankfully almost always not a dangerous one. First thing to do is double check that none of the timings have been altered by another member of your household or you accidentally. One way to see if your thermostat is working as it should or not is to simply increase the temperature and see if the boiler and heating coming on. If it doesn’t, or you think the thermostat doesn’t seem to be as accurate as it once was, you might need to consider a new thermostat. If your boiler is often having issues, it may be time to upgrade completely. If you are in Essex, BoilerBoiler offer a comprehensive boiler installation in Basildon, for example.
My Boiler Cuts Out
There are several issues that can cause your boiler to just switch off – A lack of water in the system, or the two issues we have already covered in the thermostat and the pressure of your boiler. If all of these seem to be working currently, it’s always the best idea to call in the experts and get a Gas Safe engineer to find the fault and get it fixed. These issues can often escalate or become more common the longer you leave it and the older the boiler gets, so its always good to get them sorted as soon as possible.
For any more complex issues surrounding your boiler, or you followed our steps and still can’t seem to put your finger on the problem, its always best to seek out a registered gas engineer’s help. If you are not qualified to do so, never try and fix the inner workings of a boiler yourself as this could cause serious harm to you or your family with often fatal issues such as carbon monoxide poisoning.