How to Fix Gas Boiler Problems
It’s that time again. The nights get longer, the weather gets colder, and we are all busy preparing for the festivities of Christmas and New Year. It is a wonderful time of the year, however the festive season is often blighted with the most irritating of household occurrences – boiler breakdowns.
Statistically, your boiler is far more likely to break down during autumn and winter, due to the fact that it has often had minimal (if any) use over the summer. Inconvenient problems can be avoided by scheduling your annual boiler service for this time, however breakdowns can still happen.
To fix gas boiler problems, you need to call in a professional. It is highly unsafe to fix gas boiler problems yourself, unless you are a registered gas installer (RGI) – and if you’re a landlord, by attempting to fix gas boiler problems yourself, you’re breaking the law. However, there are some troubleshooting methods you can try before calling an engineer – some may solve your problem, and some may keep you in heating and hot water until an engineer can attend.
Check supplies to your boiler
It is surprisingly easy to accidentally switch of the electricity, gas or water supply to your boiler. To avoid a call out fee (and a red face), check this before you get the professionals in.
Check the clock timer
If the clocks have gone forward or back, or the clock timer has been adjusted/switched off, it could cause your boiler to fail to come on when it’s supposed to.
Check the pilot light
In older appliances, it is very common for the pilot light to blow out. Check your boiler manual to find out how to relight it.
Check the thermostat
As for the supply switches, it is also surprisingly easy for a thermostat to get accidentally turned down. Make sure it is at the usual temperature, or it will fail to switch on the boiler.
Carry out a reset
Not all boilers have a customer operated reset switch, but a lot of the modern models do. Check your manual to find out whether a reset could solve your problem. You can also try simply switching the electricity supply to the boiler off and on again.
Check the pressure
The pressure gauge on the boiler should be somewhere between 1 and 2 bar. If it drops beneath this, the boiler will be unable to start working. There are a few reasons why the boiler pressure could be dropping, and this should be investigated as soon as possible by an engineer. However, while you’re waiting for someone to attend, you may be able to return heating and hot water to your home by refilling the boiler and increasing the pressure. How you do this depends on your setup – check your boiler manual before attempting this.
We can fix gas boiler problems quickly, reliably and professionally. Call Gas Services today for servicing and repairs in time for Christmas!