5 Signs Your Boiler Needs Immediate Repair
Your boiler is the heart to your heating system and a working boiler is vital for maintaining your home’s warmth and comfort. However, like any other home appliance, boilers can encounter their problems from time to time. Without experience in boiler repair, it can be difficult to tell whether or not it needs to be repaired and whether that repair needs to be immediately. Failure to spot the signs may cause further damage and decrease the efficiency of your heating system. Luckily, there are certain signs you can look out for. In this article, we will go through 5 signs in more detail. After reading this article, you will know when your boiler needs immediate repair.
1) Takes Longer To Heat Up
During a wintery evening, no one wants to be sitting in the cold and waiting for their heating to kick in. If you notice that your taps or radiators are taking longer than usual to heat up, this could be an indication of a problem with the circulation or the thermostat. A professional boiler specialist can identify and fix the problem, restoring your boiler to its full potential and heating your home in no time.
2) Higher Energy Bills
While it’s normal for energy bills to rise during the winter as we tend to have the heating on. However, if you notice an unusual rise in your energy bills, this could indicate your boiler is not working properly. Higher energy bills can occur from the first sign because if the water isn’t heating up quickly enough, homeowners tend to leave their heating on for longer. This can happen for a number of reasons such as faulty components. A regular service will help to identify any issues and repair them if necessary.
3) Unusual Noises
One of the most noticeable signs that your boiler needs immediate repair is unusual noises. Boilers are designed to operate quietly, so if you heard any unusual noises coming from your boiler, this should be something to be concerned about. Clanging, banging, whistling or hissing noises may indicate a number of issues such as overheating pipes, damaged heat exchanger or heat pump, a blocked system or trapped air. If these noises are left unnoticed, it could cause more serious problems such as a total breakdown, which will mean you will need a full boiler replacement.
4) Strange Smells
Aside from unusual noises, strange smells emerging from your boiler can also indicate something is not right. To identify the problem, it depends on the type of smell. If you notice a burnt metal or plastic smell, this could mean a component in your boiler is overheating. This can be fixed by your boiler specialist. If you notice a rotten egg or sulphuric smell, a gas leak could be present. As we know gas leaks are extremely dangerous as they can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. If you smell gas, it’s crucial that you turn off your gas supply, open doors and windows to ventilate the room and call the National Gas Emergency Service.
5) Pilot Light Issues
Traditional boilers have a feature called a pilot light, which is a small, continuously lit flame that ignites the gas coming out of the main burner. Nowadays, modern boilers have an electronic ignition system instead of a pilot light. In these systems, the pilot light is located on a front panel and it is only lit when the boiler needs to heat the water. If this pilot light is out, this could be due to gas supply or thermocouple issues and a sign that immediate repair is required.
Boiler Repairs From JH Heating & Plumbing
If you have noticed any of these signs, speak to JH Heating & Plumbing. Our team of Gas Safe technicians have over 30 years’ experience in boiler repair and breakdown, no matter the manufacturer or type of your boiler. We are based in Tipton, but we are happy to service our customers across Wolverhampton, Rugeley, Cannock, Burntwood, Kidderminster and Bridgnorth. For immediate boiler repairs, call us on 0777 502 9452 today.