There’s nothing worse than getting up in the morning on a cold winter’s day and finding out that you have no heating or hot water. If your radiators aren’t working or you have no hot water from the taps when you turn them on, this can be an unpleasant and stressful experience at the best of times, but especially if the weather is cold or if you have very young or very old household members.
The problem could be due to a faulty boiler, but it could also be something less serious that you could resolve yourself. Here, we take an expert look at what the cause of no heating or hot water could be in your home and what you should do about it should this happen to you.
Is There Money On The Meter?
The first thing to check if you have a pre-paid gas meter is whether there is any credit left on it. It’s surprising how many people think that they have a faulty boiler when actually they simply need to top up their meter. If you don’t have a pre-paid meter, however, you’ll need to move onto the next thing on our checklist.
Is There Power Being Supplied To Your Boiler?
Another common problem is that the power supply to your boiler has inadvertently been switched off for some reason. This could simply be due to a power cut or a blown fuse. You should check the power sockets and light switches to see if electricity is getting through. Also, check to see whether a light is on on your boiler. If there is no light, this means that there is no power and this is the source of your problem.
Is There A Thermostat Problem?
Another common problem is that there is some issue with the programmable thermostat. It may have inadvertently been switched off which would prevent the heating and hot water from coming on at all. Or it may have been set to too low a temperature and may not be kicking in. Make sure the thermostat is turned on and then turn up the thermostat as high as it will go. If you hear the boiler firing up, it’s probably the thermostat that is the cause of your problem. If the boiler doesn’t fire up, though, it may be something else causing the issue.
Are Your Controls Turned Off?
Someone may have accidentally turned off the controls for the hot water or for the heating on the boiler itself. This is most likely to be the problem if the heating is working but the hot water is not, or vice versa. Simply turning on the switch could resolve the issue.
Is The Boiler Clock Correct?
If there has been a power cut to your home recently, if an electrician has visited your property and turned off your electrics for some time or if the clocks have changed, it’s possible that the boiler clock is incorrect. Take the time to check it before giving us a call – you may just find that your boiler is now set to come on at a totally different time to normal.
Does The Boiler Have Low Pressure?
Many boilers won’t fire up if the pressure in its system drops under half a bar. This is a well-known safety feature but it often confuses homeowners who don’t realise that this can happen. Luckily, it’s quite easy to check the pressure of your boiler. Just look at the gauge on its front. If it shows under 1 Bar or is in the red zone that means that the pressure is low. You can repressurise the system and you will probably find that the heating kicks back in.
It’s relatively normal for system pressure to drop every now and then, especially if you’ve bled the radiators recently, but if it keeps happening that indicates that there’s a more serious problem. If your boiler pressure is constantly dropping out, you should contact our team to come and check your system. Repairs may be required to fix a leak or to replace a faulty boiler part.
What Do I Do Next?
If you’ve tried all of the above and you still don’t know why you have no heating and no hot water, it’s time to call in professional help. You should never try to dismantle your boiler yourself or try to fix any problem with your heating system. Only a fully qualified Gas Safe Engineer should try to tackle anything more complex than a simple radiator bleed or a system repressurisation.
If you’ve checked the electricity supply, the fuses, the switches, the pressure and the thermostat then there is nothing more that you can do yourself to resolve the issues that you’re experiencing. It’s important to give a team of professional heating engineers a call straight away so the problem can be diagnosed and the issues rectified.
This is particularly important if you have elderly or very young members of your household who could be especially at risk of health complications if they are left without hot water and heating during the cold weather season.
Calling In Professional Help
Our team of expert Gas Safe heating engineers are on hand to answer your questions and to resolve any issues you may have with your boiler. We can come out to check your central heating system and to identify the source of the problem. We have the necessary equipment, skills and expertise to diagnose where the fault lies with your boiler.
Once we know what’s wrong and why you have no hot water from your taps and no functioning heating, we can fix the problem or recommend a replacement should new parts or a whole new boiler be required. Give us a call today – we’re looking forward to helping restore hot water and comfortable warmth to your home once more.
