What To Do If Your Gas Central Heating Has Stopped Working

There may be several reasons why your hot water and/or gas central heating has stopped working; while this can be annoying, you’ll be pleased to know that some of the causes can be fixed quickly and easily without the need for an engineer.

Firstly, determine whether it’s just your heating that’s not working, or whether the hot water has also stopped. If both the hot water and the heating have ceased to work, you can check that the main gas and electric supply is ok by turning on and testing other electric and gas appliances. Some good appliances to test are a gas hob and electric oven or kettle. You should also check any isolation switches that may be connected to your boiler, and the fuse box, to ensure that the switch to the boiler electricity supply hasn’t tripped out.

Another common issue could simply be that the thermostat is too low. Many ‘click off’ when they go below a certain temperature, so ensure that the dial is turned up to at least 21°. If you’re on a metre, then ensure that you have enough credit on your prepaid card. If all of this seems fine, then reset your boiler. This is a really simple action and usually just involves switching the dial on your boiler to reset and back again, but each model is different, so please refer to your manufacturer’s instructions. If a boiler reset hasn’t worked, then check your timer, as this may also need resetting.

If carrying out none of the above have worked, then check the pressure on your boiler. As a rule, the pressure gauge should be between 1 and 2 bars. If the pressure gauge is showing as below one, then you’ll have to repressurise. To do this, carefully turn on the water valves on your boiler, until the indicator shows at 1 bar. If you’re unsure how to do it then check your manufacturer’s manual for instructions or read how to do it here. You may also need to reset your boiler after fixing the pressure.

If the water pressure doesn’t seem to be the problem, the next step would be to check your pilot light. The pilot light should be constantly lit. If the pilot light isn’t showing as lit, then you’ll need to light it. Learn how to relight your pilot light here or how to clean it here but always read the instructions in your boiler manual.

If your gas central heating has stopped working, then it may be time to bring in a professional. Why not give us a call today?