Nothing throws a household into panic quite like a boiler breakdown. Whether you’re in the depths of winter or the sun is shining, hot water and heating is a necessity – and no one wants to deal with a broken boiler. If you’ve never experienced a boiler breakdown before (or even if you have), it can be a stressful experience – being left with no hot water or heating is far from convenient, and if the weather is cold outside, it could affect your health too.
Whether you’ve undergone several boiler repairs in the past or this is the first boiler problem you’ve experienced, knowing what to do and how to deal with the situation is key.
Below, we take a look at what to do when your boiler breaks down.
Reset your boiler
There’s a reason why the “turn it off and on again” technique is so popular – sometimes, it works! Before anything else, try resetting your boiler. If you have a condensing boiler, this should be fairly easy – you’ll just need your manufacturer’s instruction manual to guide you on the steps. However, if your boiler is more than 15 years old, you’ll need to take a look at the pilot light instead. Again, the instruction manual will be your best bet for this. If you no longer have it, call up your boiler installation company for advice.
Inspect your thermostat
Before you assume your boiler is broken, make sure you rule out any thermostat problems or errors. Depending on how you’ve programmed the settings for your boiler, you may have set the temperature too low. If your thermostat has been set lower than 21 degrees, this can be easily adjusted and your boiler should start working again. If there’s no issues with your thermostat, it’s likely there’s an issue with your boiler so it’s best to get in touch with the experts.
Check your boiler’s pressure
Your boiler’s pressure could be a problem. You’ll need to check the pressure gauge, which is usually positioned at the front of the boiler. Take a look at where the needle is pointing on the pressure gauge; if it’s sitting below one bar, then it’s likely that your boiler’s pressure is the cause of your broken boiler.
If you find yourself regularly having to check your boiler’s pressure and it frequently breaks down, it could be time for a new boiler.
At West London Gas, we provide boiler repairs, servicing and installations. If you’re looking for comprehensive repair solutions or you’re in need of an emergency call out boiler service, you needn’t look further than us. Visit our website to learn more about us.