There’s never a good time for your boiler to breakdown. Out of nowhere, you’re left without heating or hot water and face having to deal with an unexpected repair bill.
To help take some of the stress away when it comes to emergency heating repair, many heating engineers are available 24/7 and offer boiler cover too. We’ve listed the best options for homeowners when it comes to emergency heating and one off boiler repair to get your boiler up and running again.
Emergency?
British Gas one-off Boiler Repairs from just £99
One Off Boiler Repair
In the event that you’re left without heating and hot water you’ll need a heating engineer to carry out a one off boiler repair. If water or gas is leaking into your home, you need to turn off the supply and contact a Gas Safe registered engineer immediately.
Many heating engineers offer a 24 hour emergency call out service, meaning they’re available at all hours of the day. So, no matter whether your boiler breaks down first thing in the morning or in the middle of the night, help is at hand.
More often than not, a heating engineer will charge for the amount of time it will take to fix the fault. Before getting started they will provide a quote, estimating the time it will take. However, unexpected issues can arise which could increase the time they need to spend on fixing a one off boiler repair.
To give you the best chance of avoiding one off boiler repairs in the future, we highly recommend arranging your boiler’s annual service in the summer so you can be confident that it’s in full working order ahead of the winter months.
Gas Repairs
A Gas Safe registered engineer is the only person qualified to work on a gas boiler by law so it’s important that you check they’re on the Gas Safe Register before hiring them. When they arrive at your property, you should ask to see their Gas Safe ID before they get to work too.
If you can smell gas, call the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999.
Boiler Repair and Cover
When you have a new boiler installed, you’ll be covered by a manufacturer’s warranty (as long as the unit is registered with the manufacturer) which will see that you’re protected in the event of a fault developing. A warranty period normally lasts for 1 year as standard but can stretch to over 10 years in some cases.
A warranty only covers you in the event of an issue developing as a direct result of the manufacturing process so it can be a good idea to have boiler repair and cover.
As well as helping with one off boiler repairs, a number of heating engineers will offer ongoing boiler repair contracts. For a monthly fee, a heating engineer will come out to repair your boiler or central heating system without you being handed a large repair bill out of the blue.
It’s worth comparing what’s offered by a number of heating engineers as some will only repair the boiler, while others might also be on hand to fix controls, pipes and radiators too. An added bonus with some boiler cover is the inclusion of an annual service.
How Much Does Emergency Boiler Repair Cost?
If you don’t have boiler cover then hiring a heating engineer to repair your boiler will come at a cost.
Your heating engineer will provide a quote before going ahead with the work but they might come across unexpected issues while repairing your boiler which would end up increasing the final cost.
When providing the boiler repair quote, the heating engineer will take into account the following:
- Expected time it will take to fix the boiler
- Whether any spare parts will be needed
In addition, they’ll have their own rates and it’s common for charges to vary depending on where you live, with London being one of the more expensive areas to hire a heating engineer.
Emergency?
British Gas one-off Boiler Repairs from just £99
Common Boiler Problems
There are many common boiler problems that are seen time and time again, which can help make finding out what’s wrong with your boiler much easier.
Leaking or dripping
At the first sign of a leak, no matter how small, turn off the water supply and contact a Gas Safe registered engineer – never attempt to fix a leak yourself. Take a look through our guide to find out 7 possible reasons why your boiler is leaking.
Low boiler pressure
Your boiler needs enough pressure to operate properly. Over time, there’s likely to be a gradual loss of pressure but a sudden drop could indicate a leak, broken pressure valve or as a result of the radiators recently being bled.
Increasing boiler pressure is something homeowners can attempt without a professional but if you have any doubts whatsoever then contact a Gas Safe registered heating engineer.
Frozen condensate pipe
Condensing boilers have a condensate pipe which transports waste water away from the boiler and down a drain. During colder temperatures, the pipe is susceptible to freezing which will block water from leaving the boiler and prevent the unit from working.
If the condensate pipe freezes, it needs thawing out, which is something you can do yourself using warm water but if in any doubt, don’t hesitate to contact a heating engineer.
Radiators not warming up properly
If you’ve noticed that only part of the radiator is warming up, normally just the bottom, then something is blocking the hot water from circulating properly. This blockage is typically caused by trapped air or a build-up of sludge.
To release trapped air from the system, you will need to bleed the radiators, while a heating engineer will be able to remove any debris by performing a powerflush to clear the central heating system.
Get your radiators working without a heating engineer by following the steps in How to Bleed a Radiator.
Boiler turning off at random times
A broken part, such as a valve or pump, can cause the boiler to keep switching off as the boiler won’t have enough pressure to work properly.
Boiler Error Codes
To help you identify the issue that your boiler is experiencing, modern units display an error code which, in most cases, is a letter followed by a number (e.g. F75).
Your boiler will have come with a manual that lists the possible causes for the error code being displayed. If you can’t find the manual, the manufacturer should be able to supply a new one.
You must ALWAYS hire a Gas Safe registered engineer to diagnose and repair any faults with your gas boiler.
Emergency?
British Gas one-off Boiler Repairs from just £99
