I can smell gas
Turn off the gas supply if it is safe to do so. Extinguish all naked flames and do not smoke. Do not operate electrical switches as operating electrical equipment can ignite escaping gas. Get fresh air immediately and open all doors & windows to ventilate the building. If you are feeling unwell visit the local hospital immediately and inform them that you may have been exposed to Carbon Monoxide. Do not turn the gas supply on again and contact us immediately, we'll prioritise getting an engineer to you ASAP.
I can smell oil
If you smell oil, your system will require maintenance. The risk of fire from heating oil is extremely remote, as it needs to be heated to 140 degrees and vaporised before it will catch light. However you should make sure your property is well ventilated and call us immediately so we can send out an engineer to diognose the source of your leak.
My oil boiler has stopped working
The first thing to do is check you have sufficient fuel in your storage tank. If the fault has occurred on your boiler it will "lock out" and the reset button will be illuminated. Simply press this button to restart the boiler. If this fails to work, you will need to call an engineer out to diognose the fault.
The boiler makes strange noises
Boilers that whistle can be fixed by releasing trapped air within the system. If the problem is caused by trapped air, the boiler repair will be in-expensive. Whistling noises may also be caused by a loss of water pressure or a blockage in the heating system.
Gurgling noises within a gas boiler may also be caused by air in the system or sediment at the bottom of the boiler. Boiler gurgling may also be caused by a frozen condensate pipe, and this pipe will need to be thawed. If you know what you’re doing, you can thaw a condensate pipe with hot water bottles and heat wraps, but you should only attempt to do this, if the pipe is easily accessible and is at ground level.
If your boiler is clunking or banging, please refer to the advice below about boilers that are "Kettling".
The heating system has lost pressure
Loss of pressure will be caused by a water leak in the pressurised system. Due to the complex nature of modern plumbing, this can be one of the hardest problems to identify, as most pipework is hidden within walls or behind cupboards. However it is very important to find the source of the leak as over time it could be causing damage to the structure of your home and you will need to keep re-pressurising the system on a regular basis until the fault is found.
The good news is that the vast majority of water leaks occur at joints or fixtures, which will almost always be in visible locations, such as at the radiator valves.
Common signs of a leak include; flaking or bubbling paint on the pipe or skirting board, rust marks and sometimes water stains on the ceiling below.
If you do find the leak, get it examined and repaired by a professional as soon as possible. If your boiler maintains pressure after this, then it is likely that the problem has been solved. If you have fully inspected your system and are sure that there are no leaks and the boiler continues to lose pressure, then there may be a fault within the boiler and this will need to be diagnosed by a qualified Gas Safe engineer.
My thermostat isn't working
There are various reasons why thermostats fail to work. The device may not be properly adjusted, there could be a loose wire, or you may simply have a digital thermostat installed and the batteries need replacing. Smart thermostats can also lose connection to the hub and often need resetting.
If none of the above suggestions work and your problem persists, you will need to have a qualified engineer to test your device and replace the unit if necessary.
I have a burst water pipe
Find your main stop cock (often under the kitchen sink) and turn it clockwise to turn off the water supply to your home. Turn off your heating system and open all your taps to drain the pipework quickly.
If water is leaking near electrics switch this off too - at the main fuse board. Soak up any escaping water with towels and book an appointment with one of our qualified engineers who will fix the leak and re-pressurise your heating system.
My radiator only warms up at the bottom
If a radiator in your home only heats up at the bottom and stays cold at the top, then it needs bleeding. This is easy to achieve with the use of a small square radiator key.
Firstly you should turn off your heating system and wait for the radiator to cool down. Then cover the immediate flooring area around the radiator with a couple of old towels.
At the top of your radiator, locate the small bleed valve and open it slowly turning the radiator key anti-clockwise. You will begin to hear air whistling out. As soon as you see radiator water running cleanly from the valve, close it, by turning the key clock-wise until the valve is shut and water has stopped exiting the radiator.
Clean up and make sure the valve is completely closed. If needed re-pressurise your heating system and then turn the heating system back on.
The radiator will now begin to heat up all the way to the top and this job is now complete. If you are uncomfortable taking on this simple fix yourself, give us a call and we'll pop by when we're in your area to do this for you.
I have a persistent leak from a radiator fitting
If you have a persistent leak from a radiator fitting then you could also be losing pressure from your heating system too.
Assuming the joint isn't expelling lots of water, this is not an urgent repair. For now, place a small bowl under the leaky fitting to collect the escaping water and call us as soon as possible. We'll be happy to pop round when we're next in your area and sort this out for you.
My boilers condensate pipe is leaking
This is a very simple, in-expensive fix for our trained technicians and will not be affecting the operation of your boiler. Collect the leaking water in a small container and get in touch. We'll get this simple fix made for you as soon as possible.
The boiler is banging or kettling
If your boiler is making banging or popping noises, then it could be because of kettling. This doesn’t just mean that your boiler makes unpleasant noises, it is caused by limescale blocking the appliances heat exchanger, causing steam to build up inside the boiler.
It also prevents your home from being heated efficiently and limits the flow of hot water to your taps. Fixing the issue will not only stop your boiler from making a racket, but will also mean your central heating system will work far more efficiently.
My condensate pipe has frozen
Condensing boilers are highly efficient and they achieve this efficiency by extracting as much heat as possible from the waste flue gases. When a condensing boiler is operating, it can make up to 2 litres of condensed water an hour. This is perfectly normal and this condensed water is simply routed away from the appliance, flowing to the waste water drainage system. If part of your condensate pipework is outside and the weather is very cold this pipe can freeze causing your boiler to gurgle and stop working.
If it's safe and easy to access and at ground level, pour warm water (not boiling) along the length of the pipe. Or put a hot water bottle or heat pad on the sections of pipe you think has frozen. Then once de-frosted re-start your boiler. This should fix the issue, but to stop any re-occurrence you should insulate this exposed pipework.