BOILER TROUBLESHOOTING
We have teamed up with the independent, and unbiased consumer reviews company Which? to provide CUS readers with a very special offer on Which? consumer review reports. Access to 1,000's of product reviews and 3 years' worth of online review archives for only £1!
Consumer reviews you may be interested in: Just click on the review of your choice and you will be able to sign up to Which? online and receive as many consumer reviews as you wish for £1 only.
Below are some scenarios that you may encounter if your boiler begins to fail. They are by no means comprehensive, but they are some of the more common problems encountered. Please note, however, that boiler maintenance can be dangerous and that ideally you should not touch your boiler unless the fix is small such as re-lighting a pilot light.
1. If you hear a hissing or banging type of noise from your boiler or pipes, it maybe due to one of or a combination of these factors which is normally a culmination of the system overheating -
There could be a build up of limescale, which is caused by hard water. This could be treated by shutting down the boiler and pump, treating the system with descaler, draining, flushing and restarting the system.
There maybe a problem with the boiler thermostat. To troubleshoot this you should shut down the boiler whilst leaving the pump working in order to pump water around the system to cool it speedily. When the boiler is sufficiently cool, try to operate the boiler thermostat control. If it doesn't click, there could well be a problem and you would need to call an engineer to look into the problem.
If you are using a solid fuel boiler, the chimney may have become blocked. This can be swept clean.
There maybe a lack of water in the system. To check this you should shut down the boiler first, then check the feed and expansion tank in the loft. If this is empty, the valve could be stuck. Alternatively, you should check that the mains water supply has not been accidentally turned off or if the pipes have become frozen (in icy conditions).
2. If the boiler is simply not working you may wish to check the following -
The gas boiler pilot light has gone out. If it has, it can be relit by following the respective boiler instructions. If the pilot light will will not remain lit there may be a problem with the thermocouple - a device designed to shut of the gas supply in the event of pilot light failure. If the thermocouple is faulty of it detects a fall in temperature is will disable the flow of gas so as to avoid a potentially explosive build up of gas inside the boiler.
The boiler thermostat maybe too low, which gives the impression that, the boiler is not working. This can be easily checked and switched higher if required.
The boiler timer or programmer may have ceased to work or is set incorrectly. This can be tested and reset. If problems persist, the timer may need to be replaced by a qualified engineer.
The boiler may not have sufficient water pressure - combi boilers will generally have a 'filling loop' which allows the injection of additional water under mains pressure from your domestic mains water supply. If the pressure falls below a preset level your boiler may not function. Pressure levels should be checked regularly and your boiler manual will give you additional information on recommended pressure levels and the frequency with which they should be checked.
It is imperative to be aware that boiler maintenance is an extremely specialised and dangerous area so even if you are confident that you can diagnose a problem with your boiler it is always advisable to consult with a CORGI registered engineer and have them do the work for you.
If you were encountering a problem with your boiler, certainly the easiest course of action would be to join the British Gas HomeCare plan
Boiler Scrappage Scheme
December 2009 saw the announcement from the UK government that they will introduce a boiler scrappage scheme which will provide a £400 rebate towards replacing energy inefficient boilers rated G or worse with energy efficient boilers. The government has pledged £50 million so far which means approximately 125,000 boilers will be replaced. However, there are 4.5 million households that currently have boilers which would qualify under the government boiler scrappage scheme so if you plan to apply it is incredibly important to do so as quickly as possible because the money for boiler rebates will run out fast.
Government Boiler Scrappage Scheme Summary
In summary, you will likely qualify for the government boiler scrappage scheme if :
1. Your boiler has a G energy rating or worse
2. The boiler is in working order and is the main boiler used to heat the home
Next Steps
If you have found that your old boiler will likely qualify for a boiler scrappage scheme by checking our boiler energy rating database and have found that your boiler is rated at 70% efficiency or G rating or worse, you will need to act very quickly to apply for the scrappage scheme as there are far too many people that would qualify for the scheme compared with the funds that the government have allocated, therefore, you need to apply without delay so that you don't miss out.
You need to:
Research the new A rated energy efficient boiler you would like to buy.
The consumer group Which? have a best buy boiler report which you can currently get for just £ 1. Click here for details.
Get a boiler installation quote
Arrange for a boiler installation engineer to give you a quote for the work.
It is important that you do not have the boiler installed prior to being accepted onto the boiler scrappage scheme as this will invalidate your rebate. You should choose your new boiler, get a quote, apply for the boiler scrappage scheme, and once accepted you will be given a £400 voucher which will be issued to you up to ten days after application from 18 January 2010 onwards. The £400 voucher can then be used as a rebate against your new boiler.
Also in this section:
Boiler Products - An A-Z of central heating boilers and energy ratings
HomeCare - Peace of Mind for your central heating system
British Gas HomeCare Review - An honest review of the British Gas HomeCare service
British Gas HomeCare Sign-Up Overview - an explanation of the process
British Gas Home Electrical Care - Peace of mind for your home electrics
British Gas Plumbing and Drains Care - Peace of mind for your plumbing and drains
Buying A New Boiler - Maintenance and energy efficiency.
Central Heating Boilers - Maintenance and energy efficiency
Installing A New Boiler - Replacing your old central heating boiler
British Gas, British Gas HomeCare and the British Gas logo are trademarks of GB Gas Holdings Limited. Used under licence from Centrica plc.