Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Broken boiler, help!

12 replies

nomorespaghetti · 17/12/2019 07:59

We're on holiday at the moment (about 2 hours drive from home) and through the magic of modern technology (hive) we found out our boiler had stopped working (got an email saying our house temperature had fallen below a certain limit, looked on the app, put hearing on, temperature doesn't increase). Thought it's probably just lost pressure, which happens around once a year. Due to it being so cold where we live over the next couple of days, DH decided to drive home, repressurise it, then come back. All done, was heating up, jobs a good un.

This morning again saw that boiler is not heating up Sad so l assume there's a leak somewhere in the system. Boiler is in decent shape, 2014 installed (before we moved in) and serviced annually. Have the British gas homecare 1 cover, so have booked an engineer to come Friday aft when we get home.

If anyone can help...

  • It's going to drop to 0C tonight, do you think the pipes will be ok (i think they will, my mum is texting me saying they will freeze/explode/open a portal to hell, etc)
  • If there's a leak in the system, how would we find it, how would we fix it?
  • Any experience of the British gas cover? I don't think our level of cover covers pipes (if that's where the problem is), will we be screwed if so?

Thank you Smile

OP posts:
TorysSuckRevokeArticle50 · 17/12/2019 08:06

Pipes won't freeze at 0 degrees. We had 1 pipe on an external wall freeze a couple of years ago when it got to -8 overnight, but at 0 you'll be fine.

Arrange a boiler engineer to come out for as soon as you can and get an electric heater just to take the edge off on your first day home.

PigletJohn · 17/12/2019 11:40

does the condensate pipe go through the wall, so it is exposed to outside air?

or does it run to an internal waste pipe such as the sink?

Do you recall if the pressure goes surprisingly high when hot, and surprisingly low when cold?

Original poster
nomorespaghetti · 17/12/2019 12:10

Hi, thanks both for your replies.

I'm pretty sure only thing that comes through the exterior wall near the boiler is the flue.

DH said the recommended pressure range is 0.5-2.5, when he arrived it was below 0.5 and he increased it to around 1.5 but when the boiler stared heating the pressure went up close to 2.5, so he bled a radiator to around 2.0 when heating, and it dropped to around 1.5 when the demand stopped and it turned off, presumably it dropped to below 0.5 after he left.

He also mentioned that the digital numeric display on the boiler, thermometer(?) was jumping around erratically between 65 and 75 several times a second.

Never had any problems with it before so have never noticed any issues with the pressure.

OP posts:
PigletJohn · 17/12/2019 12:22

sounds like you have a fault with the expansion vessel. With luck it may just need pumping up.

If the boiler or cylinder are in a utility room or cupboard you might be able to have an external one fitted, which is less elegant but often cheaper.

Original poster
nomorespaghetti · 17/12/2019 12:30

Thanks pigletjohn. That's really helpful. It is indeed in a cupboard. Fingers crossed to it being sorted before Xmas!

OP posts:
MarieG10 · 17/12/2019 17:33

If the boiler or cylinder are in a utility room or cupboard you might be able to have an external one fitted, which is less elegant but often cheaper.

And from what we were told they are better as usually have more capacity.

PotteringAlong · 17/12/2019 17:34

The pipes won’t freeze at 0 degrees. You will be fine.

johnd2 · 18/12/2019 12:26

Agree pipes won't freeze at 0c, need to be a lot colder for a longer period.
Also agree it sounds like the expansion vessel could need pressurising by an engineer or could need replacing.
Enjoy your holiday!

safariboot · 18/12/2019 12:40

Even with the heating off between now and Friday, your house is not going to drop below zero inside in the weather we're expecting. So no worries there.

Quartz2208 · 18/12/2019 12:44

we had it pressure get kept on going needed a valve replaced (or could have been the expansion vessel) was a quick job was a similarly aged boiler as well (2014)

Original poster
nomorespaghetti · 18/12/2019 21:19

Thanks all, that's reassuring. Got engineer coming out on Friday afternoon when we get back. Can see from the Hive app that's it's 8C in our hall now! Going to be chilly when we get back. Have a log burner and a couple of electric heaters so that should tide us over Smile

Enjoying the central heating in our lodge right now!

OP posts:
Original poster
nomorespaghetti · 20/12/2019 19:41

Well done everyone, it was indeed the expansion vessel! Also needs a new circuit board. We have heat!

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page