If you're having problems with your central heating or hot water system, follow this advice.
No heating
If your heating isn't working, check:
- there's enough credit in the gas or electricity meter
- the power supply to your boiler and programmer is switched on
- your programmer settings - your clock programmer might need adjusting to the correct time (24-hour clock) if it has been turned off or the clocks have changed recently
- the room thermostat is set to the right setting (around 21⁰C). Your heating won’t come on unless the thermostat is set higher than the current room temperature
- your thermostatic radiator valve is working. If you've turned the dial to the * symbol, it will not allow the radiator to become hot. Note: the radiator found in your hall or bathroom doesn’t have a valve and should be hot
- if there has been a power cut - when the power is off the gas central heating won’t work. This is because the system, even though it is operated by gas, still needs electrical power to run it. If the electricity supply has been off for a lengthy period of time the timer or programmer clock may need to be reset using the 24-hour clock
In most cases, one of the above steps should solve the problem and get your heating back up and running again. However, if it still isn’t working, contact the Housing Repairs Team and they will arrange an appointment for an engineer to visit your home. If:
- your heating isn’t working, but you have another heat source such as an electric fire, we'll arrange for someone to come out by the end of the next day
- you don’t have any other form of heat in your home, we'll come out and drop alternative heaters on the same day you contact us, we'll then schedule a repair for the earliest available time and date
- we can’t fix your heating on the day we visit, for example, because new parts are needed, we'll leave you with temporary heaters until the problem is fixed
We’ve had some extremely cold winters over the last few years, which have caused frozen and burst pipes. When these severe conditions happen we may be called out to a higher number of calls than usual and it may take us longer to fix problems. Please note that we may have to prioritise repairs at such times.
No hot water
If you have cold or lukewarm water coming from your tap, check:
If you have a conventional boiler
- if someone has run a bath or used a lot of hot water; if so, wait at least 60 minutes for the hot water cylinder to heat up again
- your clock programmer, it might need adjusting to the correct time (24-hour clock) if it has been turned off or the clocks have changed recently.
- the thermostats for your boiler and cylinder are set correctly
If you have a combination boiler
- if you've turned the hot water tap too far open. Turn the tap down to reduce the water flow until the temperature increases to a satisfactory level
- that the boiler has not been switched off; this might be shown as a red light on the switch next to your boiler or programmer
- your boiler thermostat is set correctly
Contact the Housing Repairs Team if your hot water still isn't working after following our advice. If:
- you have no hot water from your taps but have an electric shower, we'll arrange for someone to come out to fix the problem the next day
- you don’t have access to hot water, we'll come out to you on the same day you contact us
Radiator cold spots
Radiators can trap air stopping them getting hot, especially if they have been turned off during the summer. Air in a radiator will rise to the top forming a pocket stopping the hot water from getting to that part. This means they will be less efficient at warming the room. If your radiators are warm at the bottom but cold at the top, they will need the air releasing from them. This is known as 'bleeding' a radiator.
Different action is needed depending on the type of boiler you have.
If you have a combination boiler
It is very important that you do not try to bleed your radiators if you have a combination ('combi') boiler. These systems are pressurised and will need to be re-pressurised once the air has been released from your radiators.
Contact the Housing Repairs Team to arrange for a gas engineer to call.
If you have a conventional boiler
You can bleed your radiators if you have a conventional boiler. If you're unsure contact the Housing Repairs Team.
See more information about bleeding your radiators on the uSwitch website.
Leaking boiler
If your boiler is leaking, contact the Housing Repairs Team to report the problem. Never ignore a boiler leak. It should always be fixed as soon as you notice it as leaks can be a sign there is a serious problem with your boiler.
Until we can come out to fix the problem, follow these steps to help limit the damage, if safe to do so:
- put a bowl or plastic container underneath to catch the water
- turn the cold water off by turning your stop tap clockwise
- turn the electricity supply to your boiler off. The switch is usually near the boiler or in your airing cupboard
Leaking radiators
If your radiator is leaking, contact the Housing Repairs Team to report the problem. Until we can come out to fix the problem, follow these steps to help limit the damage:
- wrap an old towel around the leak.
- where you can, put a bowl or plastic container underneath to catch the water to protect floor coverings
- turn the radiator off (turn the valves clockwise, at both ends of the radiator)
- for large leaks, you may also need to turn the cold water off by turning your stop tap clockwise
- if you have a combination boiler do not try to re-pressurise the boiler as this may make the leak worse
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