Is your boiler not firing up? If yes, then this may spoil your entire day as you won’t get hot water and heating. You should operate the boiler quickly and carry out simple checks on your own to ignite boiler. It is important to know the fault of your boiler system so that it functions properly.
Common faults of blocked burner
- Fault with fan – If you use heating or consume hot water, then you will find that a fan begins to operate. The purpose of this fan is to make draught for pushing harmful gas away from your boiler and inside the flue. After this, the gas exit safely from your house. When the fan does not work, the boiler will not ignite which cab make boiler lockout. It is advisable that you do not switch on the boiler in such a case as it might be risky.
- Insufficient pressure of gas – Sometimes, the pressure of gas may not be sufficient due to which the boiler does not fire up. The gas pressure should be tested in order to determine where there is problem. It is quite possible that the boiler won’t ignite in the winters as the as meter may be very high.
- Faulty gas valve – Gas valve may control the flow and supply of gas. When your boiler requires more heat to function properly, the valve will open automatically for more fuel.
- Frozen pipes – When they are not installed correctly, they seem to freeze during extreme weather conditions. This might prevent the boiler from firing up. The condensate pipe will travel from your boiler to outer wall and the excess amount of liquid due to condensation will deposit easily. When it is cold, a small amount of water might freeze which makes the pipes to block.
- Low thermostat: The boiler might not fire up when the thermostat is very low. The heating system will not start till the temperature of the environment is set below the temperature set on your boiler. Increasing the thermostat may help to solve this problem.
- Electrical fault: A boiler is actually a gas appliance with some electrical components. Electrical energy is needed to operate the boiler and the boiler may not fire up due to electrical fault. This might be blown fuse or faulty plug. You need to call an engineer who will inspect the boiler system for finding electrical faults as you cannot detect the problem.
Common fixes to try before calling your engineer
- Go through the basics: You should have sufficient credit in the prepayment meter and find if other appliances that operate on gas are working properly. Check the fuse box and see that the switches are not tripped.
- Reprogram for power cuts: If you had a power cut recently, then chances are the boiler’s timer need to reset itself. You need to re-program with your timing zone and then the boiler will begin to work again.
- Check through pressure gauge: It is essential to check the pressure gauge of your boiler. When it shows one bar or less than that, the pressure is low. You will have to increase pressure and your boiler fires up again. If the indicator is less than 1, it means water pressure is very low.
- Increase the thermostat: When the thermostat is lower than 21 degrees, this might stop the boiler from heating your house. You should turn it higher than 21 degrees and the boiler will begin to work again.
- Reset the boiler: Sometimes, the appliance needs to be reset so that there aren’t any mechanical faults or breakdowns. The appliance should sleep for a few seconds and then you need to turn off power supply off for 60 seconds. After this, turn it on and your boiler will start working again.
- Bleed the radiators: If you need to do any repair works, then switch off the central heating system at first. All the radiators will become cool and you should then use radiator key and attach it with the valve. Take a cloth piece and rotate the key in anti-clockwise direction. There will be hissing sound which means gas escapes from the radiator. Close the valve after you finish the work.
When you need to call your gas safe engineer
- Pressure issues: The boilers work on pressure and when the pressure is not in balance, it will not function properly. If the pressure is inadequate, the boiler won’t provide sufficient hot water and heat. But when the pressure is extremely high, the boiler will not heat water properly and will put pressure on the parts. You will have to check the pressure gauge to find out if the boiler is not working.
- Water leaks: When there are some leaks in the heating system or boiler, the pressure starts dropping. You will have to check for dripping water beneath the pipes and boiler.
- No power supply: When the boiler fails to work and you have already tried resetting it, this can be due to some electric issue. Chances are the circuit board is down. You will not be able o fix this problem and so, calling an engineer is a good decision. He will then inspect your boiler system and diagnose the problem so that it works properly.
Tips to hire a good engineer
- Search for a qualified engineer:You should hire a gas safe certified engineer who can perform his task safely, render effective solutions and save on energy bills. They can carry out all kinds of repair works on different boilers.
- Check their reputation:The reputed boiler companies have engineers who possess several years of experience and can perform the job sincerely. Homeowners should choose engineers from these companies only as they can fix your boiler within a short time.
- Cost of repairs:Cost of repairs matters when looking for boiler repair service. You should try to obtain quotes from 3 different providers for getting the most affordable deal for your boiler. Make sure you compare the quality of services and then select the one who can repair the boiler at an affordable price.
- Ask necessary questions: You need to check the skills of the engineer who visits your property and get quotes from him. Feel free to ask all important questions about boiler repairs and see if he can solve your concerns. The way your engineer addresses your query will tell about their skills and experience into this relevant industry.
Thus, your boiler might not work properly due to several reasons such as blockage in burner, insufficient pressure, frozen pipes, faulty valves, etc. You may be able to fix the problem on your own at times but calling a boiler repair engineer in London will solve the problem within the shortest possible time.
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