Money is tight in January, we all know that, but what happens if your boiler breaks and you're left with no heating?
Home and Garden on Female First
New research from Homeserve reveals that one in 25 run the risk of not being able to pay for the boiler repair in this month and three in ten have had to ration their heating in the recent winters.
With that said, we have common heating problems and the solutions you need to fix them. Try it yourself before you have to pay to get the experts in.
Problem: Cold patches at the top of the radiator
Solution: If the top part of a radiator is cold, this probably means there’s air in the system, stopping the radiator filling with water. You’ll therefore need to bleed the radiator to release the trapped air.
This is less daunting than it sounds. Firstly, check there’s still warm water in the system and then turn off the central heating. Then find the bleed valve on the radiator –this a small valve on the side of radiator near the top.
Put a towel or small bowl beneath the valve to protect your carpet, then turn it 180 degrees anticlockwise with a bleed key – if you’ve lost the one that came with your radiator, you can find them in any DIY store.
The radiator will first expel the air trapped in the system, which will let it fill with water. After all the air has been expelled it will start to drip water. When this happens, close the valve. If the central heating system is a sealed system (one without a “feed and expansion” tank in the loft), check the pressure and, if necessary, top up as required.
Problem: Cold patches at the bottom of the radiator
Solution: Cold patches at the bottom of a radiator may mean a build-up of scale, rust or sludge is obstructing the flow of water.
If your central heating has an open-vented system (one with a “feed and expansion” water tank in the loft that keeps the level of water in your central heating system at the same level – this is different to a hot water storage tank) then you can use a heating system sludge remover – a chemical you add to the water tank, a bit like drain cleaner.
However, if you have a non-open vent system, you’ll need to flush through the radiators with a hosepipe, which is a job for the experts.
Problem: Cold patches in the middle of the radiator
Solution: This may mean rust and sludge are actually blocking the bottom part of the radiator. To clean your radiator you will need to remove it and flush it out. In some cases your radiator will need replacing. This is a major job and you should contact a plumber to carry it out.
Problem: Some radiators hotter than others
Solution: Having one or more radiators that stubbornly refuse to heat up can be enormously frustrating. You should first check the valves on either side of the radiator, which control the flow of water to and through the radiator. Make sure these are both open. The so-called lockshield valve (the smaller valve that controls water reaching the radiator) may also need to be opened further if the radiator is a long way from the boiler if you find some take longer to warm up in the morning.
If both valves are open, it could be a build-up of limescale, in which case you’ll need to descale the system in a similar way to removing sludge as described above.
Finally, where the cold radiators are in the house can also you a clue. If upstairs, it may be a sign that there’s not enough water in the system. And if it’s only your downstairs radiators, this is a sign that you have a faulty pump. Replacement will require professional help.
Problem: Shower hotter at some times than others
Solution: There are many reasons why you may end up taking a colder shower than you might prefer. Most simply, if you have a large family, it could be a case of using more water than your tank holds. We use an average of 35-45 litres of hot water a day, which doesn’t leave much extra capacity if your tank is 200 litres, for instance.
If you have mixer taps, the flow from one could be obstructed. You should descale your shower head by placing it in a bucket with water and vinegar and check that the shower hose isn’t twisted or collapsed. You can also check for air in the system by placing the shower hose without the head in the bath and gradually going from the coldest setting to the hottest.
If that doesn’t work, it could be something more complicated, such as the thermostatic cartridge in your shower that limits the temperature of the water. You can replace these yourself, but it’s advisable to get a professional in.
Problem: Pressure dial low on boiler
Solution: The water in combi boilers needs to be at a slight pressure to work – usually between 1 to 2 bar (a mountain bike tire is about three times that). If the pressure gauge shows it’s too low, you need to top up the system using the value on the mains water inlet pipe. This is usually clearly labelled and has a small lever or a slot for a screwdriver. When shut, it will be at right angles to the pipe. Open it gently and keep a careful eye on the pressure dial, shutting it off when the dial is back in the green.
No hot water / No heating
No heating or hot water at this time of year can make for a very unmerry Christmas and unhappy New Year. But should the worst happen, there are few quick things to check before calling out an engineer that could get your boiler back up and running in no time.
Firstly, as obvious as it sounds, check that your boiler is working. Is the power supply is on? Is the programmer also on and are the thermostats turned up high enough?
If the pilot light has gone out, relight it by following your manufacturer's manual or the instructions on your boiler. You should then check that you have gas and oil coming into the boiler, although a gas supply problem will mean calling your energy company.
You should also check whether the fuse has blown – although if it has it's advisable to use a professional electrical engineer. Likewise if it seems like it’s the pump that’s broken.
Finally, if it’s freezing out and you have a condenser boiler, it could be that the condensate pipe – a white or grey plastic tube that vents water vapour to the outside – has frozen. This is usually indicated with a specific fault light or by gurgling or bubbling sounds from the boiler.
You can defrost this by feeling along the pipe to find the frozen part – it will be colder than the rest of the pipe and usually in an exposed part. Then pour warm water along the length of the pipe or wrap a hot water bottle around the area. Don’t use boiling water, as this can crack or damage the pipe.
Boiler making loud noises
Loud noises from the boiler are often a sign of a serious problem. But before calling in help, there are some checks you can carry out yourself.
If the thermostat is set too high it can lead to overheating the water in the boiler, making the noise you hear. Unfortunately, turning the thermostat down may hamper your radiators reaching the right temperature.
If it’s not thermostat set too high, you could need to descale the boiler as described above, as limescale can cause parts of the boiler to overheat.
Finally, is enough water reaching the boiler? Check the feed and expansion tank in the loft to check it’s filling properly and that the float valve isn’t stuck. If it’s cold out, it may even be that the water supply pipe has frozen.
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