Boiler Problems Troubleshooting Guide
We don’t give much thought to our central heating system. We expect it to work when we need it, pumping out a continuous supply of heating and hot water. But if a fault develops, a broken boiler can cause untold misery to descend, throwing our hard working homes into chaos. Our boiler problems troubleshooting guide could help you discover & resolve some of the most common boiler breakdown problems.
While we always recommend calling a trained gas safe engineer to help with boiler problems, many technicians charge by the hour. Considering this, if you are able to diagnose the issue and take a few preliminary steps before you book a repair, you could save the engineers time and cut the cost of your service.
Check out our boiler problems troubleshooting guide to find out what the most common boiler problems are, how to diagnose them and what steps you should take before you call an engineer.
Boiler Problems Troubleshooting: No heat or hot water
Potential Cause
Broken diaphragms and airlocks, failure of motorised valves, issues with the thermostat or low water levels.
What to do
Call out a one of our Gas Safe registered engineer who will be able to thoroughly diagnose the problem and replace any broken parts where necessary.
Frozen condensate pipe
Potential Cause
Condensing boilers have condensate a pipe which transports the acidic water, caused by waste gas, away from the boiler. This usually runs outside into a drain, and because of its location it faces the risk of freezing. Your boiler will often have a fault code or warning notification if your condensate pipe has become frozen.
What to do
Once you have identified that your boiler’s condensate pipe is frozen then get some warm water in a garden can and slowly start pouring it over the frozen section. You can avoid this problem by insulating this pipe.
Radiators Do Not Heat
Potential Cause
You might find that not all your radiators are getting hot or that only the bottom section is heating up. This can be down to several reasons but the two most common are built up of sludge/lime scale or air build up in the system and unequal distribution of heat.
What to do:
The first thing you should do is bleed your radiators to remove any air that is trapped in the system. If this does not improve the heating issues, then you may require one of the following for your central heating system:
- A power flush
- Balancing
Boiler Turns Off, You Can Turn To Our Boiler Problems Troubleshooting Guide For A Quick Solution
Potential Cause:
This could be due to low water pressure, a problem with the thermostat or a lack of water flow due to a closed valve, air or the pump not circulating the water in the system properly.
What to do:
Try some of solutions from our boiler problems troubleshooting guide, but if you are not sure then call one of our gas safe engineer to help you.
Pilot Light Keeps Going Out
Potential Cause:
This could be due to broken thermocouple which is stopping the gas supply, a draught blowing the pilot light out or a deposit built up in the pilot light.
What to do:
Make sure that the gas supply is coming into your property. If the gas supply is ok but the pilot light is still not coming or staying on then this matter is best left to a professional Gas Safe Engineer.
Noisy Boiler or Central Heating System
Potential Cause:
A build-up of air in the heat exchanger, lime scale or low water pressure can cause the boiler to make the following noises:
- Kettling (Boiling Kettle)
- Banging
- Gurgling
- Rumbling
- Whistling Pipes
What to do:
You can try bleeding your radiators and see if the noise has disappeared. Otherwise call one of our Gas Safe Engineer, who will carry out an assessment of the system and take/recommend the required action.
Thermostat Doesn’t Work Correctly
Potential Cause:
If the thermostat is losing accuracy or turning the heating on/off when it’s not supposed to, this could be caused by a fault, flat batteries or someone has been messing up with it. Older thermostats tend to deteriorate over time, and can cause issues for your central heating system.
What to do:
Before you call us, follow our troubleshooting tips below.
- Check that thermostat is ON
- You haven’t changed the location of the thermostat resulting in, it not communicating with the boiler
- Try replacing the batteries
- Check the programmed temperature
- Speak to other people in the house to make sure that no one changed the desired temperature
Boiler is Leaking or Dripping
Potential Cause:
A variety of issues could cause your boiler to leak water. It will depend on where the water is leaking from to determine the cause. The most common cause is a broken internal component, such as a pump seal or pressure valve.
What to do:
Never try to fix a leaking gas boiler yourself, always call out a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Boiler is Losing Pressure
Potential Cause:
A water leak in the system, a faulty or worn out pressure relief valve or a recent radiator bleeding can cause the boiler pressure to go down and results in heating system not working properly or at all.
What to do:
Look for a leak, and if you find a leak then call one of our Gas Safe Engineer. Otherwise if you can try re-pressurize your boiler yourself, but if you are not familiar with this process and do not feel comfortable doing this then call us and we will send out one of our trained engineer who will be able to help you with this.
