We often find that things go wrong in our home, so British Gas have put together some practical advice on what you can do if things go wrong.
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1. What do I do if my central heating and hot water stop working?
- Firstly, check to see that there are no other causes - are the other gas appliances and electric sockets working?
- Check your isolation switches are on and that the trip switches in your fuse box are also on.
- If you are a pre-pay customer, you should also check that you are not out of credit.
- Check your thermostat – it may simply be a case of turning it up.
- Check appliance controls on your boiler, is the temperature dial turned up?
- Your boiler pressure should read between 1-2 bar - If the pressure is too low, carefully turn on the valves next to your boiler until you see your pressure gage rise.
- Reset your boiler’s timer. If you’re not sure how to set it, check the manufacturers guide.
- Check your boiler’s pilot light – if you have a pilot light and it has gone out, check the manufacturer’s instructions as to how to relight it.
2. What do I do if the pipe on my boiler freezes?
- Condensing boilers create condensation as a by-product, which runs through the condensate pipe. In extreme weather, this pipe can freeze and cause the boiler to shut down.
- To thaw the condensate pipe, dilute some boiling water from your kettle with some cold water, (never use boiling water directly) and pour this water into a hot water bottle and cushion it around the pipes or use a watering can to pour hot water over the pipe to thaw.
3. What can I do about frozen pipes?
- First, locate your main stop tap. It is usually under the kitchen sink or in a utility room closest to where the water supply enters your property.
- Apply a hot water bottle to the pipe, towel soaked in hot water or use a hairdryer in short bursts and held at a distance. Please note you should never use a naked flame near the pipes or apply constant intense heat.
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