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Whether your boiler is leaking, there is no hot water or heating, or your radiators are cold, sometimes a boiler repair is the only solution to an issue with your heating system.
Some fixes will be more urgent than others with the most pressing requiring emergency boiler repair.
Whether you want to know what a given repair entails, you’re unsure what work can be done DIY or you’re looking for boiler repair prices, we have the answers.
Please note that this article primarily focuses on gas boilers.
PS We offer boiler servicing nationwide, book yours today for servicing as quickly as tomorrow.
Types of Boiler Repairs & Costs
Some issues will be easier to identify than others. For example, if your boiler or heating system is malfunctioning, the first port of call should be to look for an error code.
If one is present, check your manufacturer’s guide for clarification as to what this means.
Otherwise, use the tips provided in this section to identify a given boiler problem.
If you’re unsure, hire a professional. Of course, some issues must be dealt with by a professional anyway.
PS If you recently found out that you have a condemned boiler it can be a bit of a shock, if you are still considering what to do, refer to our guide on whether to replace or repair your boiler.
A Leaking Boiler
Cost: £100 to £200
Symptoms of a Water Leak: Dripping water, high boiler pressure.
Symptoms of a Gas Leak: Scent of gas, hissing sounds, dead or dying plants or the many signs of a carbon monoxide leak.
DIY-friendly? No
There is a significant difference between a boiler with a water leak and a gas leak.
In the case of the former, fixing the leak is urgent but if you believe there is a gas leak, it is an emergency.
If you smell gas (or otherwise believe there is a gas boiler leak), take the following steps:
All people and pets should be evacuated.
Leave doors and windows open. Do not turn any electrics on or off.
From outside your property, call an emergency number for a boiler repair contractor or company, if available. Otherwise, call the authorities.
Sometimes a gas leak will be easier to detect than in other cases. Carbon monoxide, for instance, gives off no odour or visual marks.
However, with sufficiently installed carbon monoxide alarms, any leak should be detectable.
Signs of such a leak include that household occupants are experiencing certain physical symptoms.
If these symptoms disappear when leaving the house and come back when you return, there’s an even higher chance that carbon monoxide poisoning is to blame.
As for a water leak, while less of an emergency, it is nonetheless an issue that you should address ASAP.
If your boiler is leaking water, you want to turn it off. Most of the time, a malfunctioning pump seal or pressure valve will be to blame.
If water is dripping from the pipework, this would likely be the result of a bad instalment or simply corrosion.
You may also be interested in our guide to DIY boiler checks you can do before you call a Gas Safe Engineer.
Lack of Heating or Hot Water
Cost: £100 to £500
Symptoms: No hot water, lukewarm water, intermittent supply.
DIY-friendly? Generally, no.
If a boiler isn’t heating your home or/and you’ve no hot water, a number of issues may be at play. There are a few things you should check.
Firstly, ensure that there isn’t an issue with powering your boiler. If you have a gas boiler, ensure that gas is being correctly supplied to your home or in the case of an oil boiler, make certain that your oil storage tank hasn’t run out of fuel.
Beyond that, you should also watch out for low boiler pressure or that your condensate pipe may have frozen over if the weather is especially cold.
It’s also possible that the pilot light has gone out if you have a fairly old boiler.
As you can tell, fixing a boiler with a lack of heating or hot water could come in many forms, depending on the exact issue(s).
In most cases, this should be fixed by a professional although fixing low boiler pressure can be done DIY.
Low Boiler Pressure
Cost: £300 to £500
Symptoms: Gauge shows boiler pressure is low, no heating/hot water, radiators not heating up as they should be.
DIY-friendly? Yes
While not as serious as say a water leak, low boiler pressure should be swiftly addressed.
The good news is that you can fix low boiler pressure DIY, if you feel confident in your knowledge and skills.
Cold Radiators
Cost: £100 to £150
Symptoms: Cold spots on a radiator
DIY-friendly? Sometimes
In most cases, a build-up of air in a radiator leads to cold spots. This can be fixed by simply bleeding your radiator.
Alternatively, it may be the result of the accumulation of sludge.
In the latter scenario, you’d need to perform a power flush, although this job might be best suited to a professional.
Blockages caused by sludge could also usually result in:
Ongoing leaks.
Poor heating system performance.
Radiators need to be bled constantly.
The system frequently breaks down.
Bleeding a radiator is suitable for a DIY enthusiast if you have the right skills and knowledge.
The same applies to power flushing a heating system, although you need to be extra cautious in the case of the latter since you would be working with harmful chemicals.
If you choose to power flush your heating system, use protective gloves and take your time.
It’s important that you know the exact issue at hand before addressing it. After all, it would be a waste of money to bleed your radiator when it’s unnecessary.
If ever unsure, consult a professional.
Emergency Boiler Repair
Cost: £100 to £500+
DIY-friendly? No
Here are examples of emergency boiler repair:
Potential gas leak, whether natural gas or carbon monoxide.
No heating/hot water.
Another repair but children or vulnerable individuals live in your home.
If your boiler needs an emergency repair, you should use your heating engineer’s emergency number.
If this is not an option and there is a suspected gas leak, you should contact the authorities.
The average cost of various emergency boiler repairs:
Fan - £100 to £200.
Flue - £100 to £200.
Pump - £100 to £300.
PCB - £150 to £500 or more.
Diverter Valve - £200 to £350.
Motorised Valve - £200 to £40.
Heat Exchanger - £300 to £500+
Other Common Repairs
Further examples of boiler repairs include:
Balancing radiators - £100 to £200.
Fixing kettling - £300 to £500*.
Addressing noises from within a heating system - £100 to £150.
*Kettling occurs when a boiler is exposed to hard water for a prolonged timeframe.
While you could balance a boiler DIY, however, the other two repairs mentioned above should be dealt with by a qualified heating engineer.
Lastly, if you have an oil or electric boiler, repairs should be dealt with by the relevant professionals (i.e., OFTEC technician or electrician).
The fixes required in those cases differ significantly from the repairs needed for a gas boiler.
Boiler Warranty Coverage
In most cases, boiler repairs will be covered by a warranty for somewhere in the range of one to ten years.
The longer the warranty, the more confidence the manufacturer has in that given appliance.
Boiler warranties come with a range of terms and conditions, however.
For instance, most boiler producers require that you have your boiler serviced annually in order for your warranty to maintain its validity.
Beyond that, some warranties will cover the supply costs involved in repairing or replacing a boiler but not the labour, while others will cover both expenses.
There are also various types of boiler warranties such as boiler-only covers and boiler and central heating cover.
Keep a look out for specific clauses in your contract too when determining whether a given repair is covered by your warranty.
If in doubt, contact the boiler manufacturer. Of course, alternatively, it’s possible that your boiler is covered by home insurance.
Should I Just Replace my Boiler?
Boilers tend to last ten to fifteen years before they go beyond economical repair (BER).
At this point, a replacement is a more sensible option if you can afford it at the time.
Examples of a boiler that is likely BER:
Your boiler is particularly old and breaks down frequently.
Expensive components such as the heat exchanger or PCB need to be repaired or replaced.
Its efficiency rating has slumped below an A-rating.
When your boiler reaches this stage, it’s best to get a new one installed in its place.
Otherwise, paying for a repair is a more financially sound decision.
Maintaining your boiler longer and holding off the point at which it becomes BER is another reason to have an annual boiler service.
That and the fact it can be legally required in some instances.
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