With the weather getting colder and the nights drawing in, Heating Engineers become extremely busy as more and more of us turn on the boiler to keep warm. Unfortunately, this may lead to finding out your boiler isn't working as it should do, especially if it's getting older and hasn't been serviced for a while.

If your boiler hasn't been serviced in a year, we would highly recommend this is something you get done sooner rather than later. Not only does regular servicing lead to fewer breakdowns, it can also keep your boiler running efficiently saving you money on your heating bills!

If you do find your boiler is not working as it should, there are a few things you can check before calling us out. If the weather has been particularly cold over night and there is a lot of ice around, you could check to see if your condensate pipe has frozen. If it has, the boiler will cut out but the good news, is you can usually fix this yourself with a hot water bottle or warm water! Just follow the instructions here:

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You could also check to see what pressure your boiler is at. You can find the pressure on a gauge or if your boiler has a screen, it will usually give you a fault code relating to pressure or say needs filling.  Ideally, your boiler pressure should be between 1 and 1.5 bar so if the pressure has dropped, you could try to top up the pressure.worcester greenstar boiler pressure gauge 1024x768 1

The pressure in our heating systems fluctuates throughout the year due to expansion and  reduction of the water in the system when the boiler is on or off so you may need to do this a couple of times a year. If you are finding you need to this more frequently such as once a month or more, you may have another issue which needs to be investigated by a plumber.

Equally, if your system is over pressurised, this can also cause the boiler to cut out. To fix this, just bleed a little water at a time out of a radiator. Make sure you have a bowl and a towel handy as it can be mucky if your system is sludged up. See our blog here if you do find the water coming out of the radiators is black or murky.  https://fenpropertyservices.uk/flushed-with-success/

Not every central heating system needs topping up, if you have an open vent system, the above will not apply as a float valve in the tank in your loft will automatically maintain the level of water in your system if working correctly.

If you don't feel confident in taking these steps, feel free to give us a call and we can come and do it for you.

A few other issues we have come across which may sound obvious but do happen:

We can't promise your boiler breakdown will always be this simple to fix or, say servicing your boiler annually will stop breakdowns but it's worth taking these steps if you can to save yourself some money. We are of course here to solve your plumbing and heating issues should you need us. Just give us a call and we can get you booked in ASAP!

Please do not take the cover off your boiler if you suspect it's broken down, only a Gas Safe Registered Engineer can do this and if you do smell gas, call the Emergency Gas Helpline 0n 0800 111 999 and evacuate the premises.

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