There’s no worse time for your boiler to fail than in winter. During the coldest season of the year, we rely on our central heating and hot water more than ever. At Boiler on the Blink, we often see the same problems cropping up every winter, with homeowners needing rescuing from broken boilers or frozen pipes.
If you want to get clued up on the most common boiler problems homes experience during winter, and tips on handling them, read our handy guide below.
Frozen pipes
Frozen pipes are unfortunately very common during winter. This is because when the temperature drops outside, external pipes have no protection from the elements and can easily freeze. When this happens they can’t send hot water to your taps or radiators and your boiler can’t do its job.
One of the most common pipes to freeze is the condensation pipe which runs from the back of your boiler. This will prevent your boiler from working if it freezes, but you can usually thaw it out yourself. Simply pour warm - but not boiling hot - water across the length of the pipe until you hear a trickling or water drips from it, showing it has defrosted.
To help prevent your pipes from freezing, you can try leaving your heating running at around 13 degrees while you are out so the pipes don’t have a chance to freeze up.
Broken thermostat
Even if your boiler and radiators are working, without your thermostat running the show they won’t get the message that your home needs heating. Over time, parts in your thermostat wear out and you may find during winter when you’re using it the most, it gives up. Luckily, this is fairly easy to resolve. Just call your trusted heating engineer who can investigate the problem and arrange for a new part or unit to be fitted as quickly as possible.
Pilot light switching off
There are a number of reasons for the pilot light in your boiler turning itself off, and without it you won’t get heat or hot water. While it may be straightforward to resolve, it’s best to call a Gas Safe registered engineer to investigate the reason in case it is down to a build-up of gas, which can obviously be very dangerous and risk your safety.
Trusted boiler help in Ashford Kent
If you’d like some more information or help with your boiler or central heating system, we’d be happy to assist. We work across Ashford, Romney Marsh, Tenterden, Folkestone and 15 miles beyond. To contact us you can telephone 07768 618877, email info@theboilerengineer.co.uk or send a message via our online contact form.
