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8 Most Common Boiler Issues

Boiler issues can become an expensive inconvenience at the best of times, with the majority of breakdowns occurring in the winter months. This can be down to the fact that the boiler has been inactive for a long period of time and is forced back into life, putting considerable strain on your central heating system as it works to heat your home during winter.

To try and avoid any unwanted costly damages here are 8 of the most common boiler issues to

1) No Heat or Hot water

A good place to start when the heating goes off is to check the boiler pressure or your thermostat, this checks issues with the thermostat or low water levels. If this doesn’t fix the problem then a potential cause includes broken diaphragms, airlocks and failure of motorised valves. If this is the case, we recommend calling out a gas safe engineer to replace any broken parts.

2) Leaking and Dripping

Leaking or dripping water is by far the most common problem of the combi gas installations. There are several possible causes for this issue, so a DIY repair is usually very problematic. Contract a licensed serviceman to do the check and solve the issue.

3) Kettling

When lime scale or sludge builds up on your boiler’s heat exchanger you can get something called kettling. The deposits build up in your boiler and restrict the flow of water within the heat exchanger. This can overheat the water, causing it to steam and boil (causing the kettle-like sounds).

As a result of this your boiler starts to work harder and thus costing more to run which shortens the systems life.

4) No Pilot Light

Commonly when the pilot light goes off it can be down to a few things. The flame has been blown out by a draught in the boiler, the thermocouple is broken and needs a replacement or the limescale has built up to a pint on the pilot light that it just needs a clean.

5) Condensate Pipe

All condensing boilers, weather combi, system or regular have a condensate pipe which transports acidic water, caused by waste gas, away from the boiler. In most cases, this pipe will run outside into the drain. Due to its location it faces the risk of freezing during the winter months. To prevent this, you can thaw out a frozen condensate pipe using a hot water bottle or warm cloth etc.

6) Radiators not heating up

If you find that your radiators aren’t heating up at home, there could be a build-up of sludge or air in the system. This could cause only the bottom of the radiator to warm up, In that case you can bleed the radiator. However, If certain radiators aren’t getting hot then you will need to balance your radiators. Both of these are quite simple and do not require an engineer, but if you are not confident then do call a professional to do the job.

7) Thermostat Error

Towards the end of a thermostats lifecycle various issues start to occur. Possible signs to pay attention to are:

The unit can switch itself on and off spontaneously;
Temperature misreading

These issues should be checked by a gas safe engineer, however sometimes the investment to an upgraded boiler can be more efficient and reduce utility bills in the long run.

8) Low Boiler Pressure

If you notice the boiler pressure is down just take a look at the built-in pressure gauge. If you find that the needle is below 1, then there might be an issue with low boiler pressure and your central heating system won’t function properly.

This can be down to a number of reasons listed below:

A water leak in the system
The pressure relief valve needs replacing
Recently bled radiators

If you are currently experiencing any of these boiler issues, why not get in touch and take a look around our top-quality boiler services.

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8 Most Common Boiler Issues