The summer months have a habit of luring us into a false sense of security when it comes to our central heating systems, leaving essential boiler maintenance until we’re really feeling the cold. Leaving it until you really need your heating to perform leaves us out in the cold with little time to do anything. Knowing what the problem is and how to identify the signs could save you hours of shivering on a cold sofa and with your entire winter wardrobe on.
There are five common problems that require immediate attention if your home is to stay warm and inviting during the festive season through the New Year, and a well maintained boiler not only keeps you cosy and warm but also money.
No Pilot light.
This could mean you have a significant problem with your system that requires an expert right away. Pilot lights can go out as a fail safe to prevent an explosion from a build up of gas! If you smell gas you should leave the property and contact us immediately!
My boilers knocking and clunking
This is an easy symptom to notice as the clunking and clanging is keeping you awake at night! This is probably caused by a build-up of air in the system. Leaking or loose pipes, taps or connections can draw in air, and the same problem can be caused by low pressure. Not a serious problem but it is something you’ll need to call one of our engineers to resolve.
The lights are on but no one is home?
Everything seems to be working but your radiators are FREEZING! This is the most common fault with boilers and can happen with the new type of ‘condensation boiler’ that has a pipe at the back that funnels condensation away from the unit. Because it’s filled with water it can freeze during winter, causing the whole boiler to stall. This is something you can easily fix yourself simply by defrosting the pipe with some warm (not boiling!) water. Simply pour it over the length of the pipe until it has thawed.
Working but not warm enough
You may be sat at home with the heating on but it just isn’t pumping out enough heat, what do you do? Well there are a number of causes for this problem, but perhaps the most common is your thermostat is inaccurate. As a highly sensitive piece of equipment it can only take a slight knock to throw the thermostat out. It needs to be placed with a high degree of accuracy, and over time its delicate electronic components can wear out. So before calling us to quote you for a new boiler it might be worthwhile checking the thermostat is up full or getting us to check out that old thermostat, as that might be the main suspect.
The dreaded limescale
In the same way it can effect your kettle, taps or shower, limescale and hard water are problems that Limegreen residents have had to deal with for years. The white residue from hard water can be visible in most appliance, but can go undetected in your boiler. If this builds up it can significantly reduce your boilers efficiency and puts stress on the system. If this is the case you need to have it professionally removed using a specialist cleaning product.