We don’t give much thought to our central heating system. We expect it to work when we need it, pumping out a continuous supply of heating and hot water. But if a fault develops, a broken boiler can cause untold misery to descend, throwing our hard-working homes into chaos, resulting in needing to find a reputable plumber by their contact number or you could even search online and visit their website in order to find a suitable plumbing service for you. Below are Lakewood Plumbing & Heating’s top 10 most common boiler problems. Call us today if you have any heating issues. 303-233-7007.

10 Most Common Boiler Problems

An expensive inconvenience at the best of times, the majority of boiler breakdowns occur during the cold winter months, when boilers – having been inactive for long periods – are forced back into life, essentially putting considerable strain on your central heating system as it works to heat your home during the winter.

While some common boiler problems can be addressed without the need to call in a heating engineer, others will require the services of a qualified and experienced professional. If in doubt, it’s always best to seek professional help from a reputable engineer.

No heat or hot water: Potential causes include broken diaphragms and airlocks, failure of motorized valves, issues with the thermostat, or low water levels. A good place to start is to check if your boiler is not working because of an issue with boiler pressure or your thermostat. You can find more information on these issues and how to fix them below. If you think you may have a broken diaphragm, airlock, or valve it may need to be replaced with a new part. We recommend calling Lakewood Plumbing & Heating who will be able to thoroughly diagnose the problem and replace any broken parts where necessary.
Leaking and dripping: A variety of issues could cause your boiler to leak water. It will depend on where the water is leaking to determine the cause – however, you should never try to fix a leaking gas boiler yourself, always call Lakewood Plumbing & Heating. The most common cause is a broken internal component, such as a pump seal or pressure valve. If the leak is coming from the pressure valve it may be a case that your boiler pressure is too high. If it’s coming from the pump seal, it may have become worn out and need replacing. You may also find your boiler is leaking around the pipes or tank – this can be a result of corrosion or in some cases where the system has not been fitted properly. In any case, we recommend calling Lakewood Plumbing & Heating who will be able to diagnose and fix the issue for you (in the worst case advise if you need to replace your boiler)
Strange banging, whistling, or gurgling noises: Air in the system is a common cause, alternatively, it could be that the water pressure is too low or it’s kettling. Imminent pump failure, particularly in older systems, could also be responsible for strange banging noises. You might be able to determine the type of problem your boiler is having based on the type of noise it is making. For example, a noise similar to that of a boiling kettle is usually a result of kettling (you can read more about this below).
Pilot light goes out: Could be a broken thermocouple that is stopping the gas supply, a draught blowing the pilot light out, or a deposit built up in the pilot light. It is worth checking that there are no issues with your gas supply before trying to reignite a pilot light – for example, if your gas stopcock is on but your boiler is receiving no gas, or if none of your other gas appliances are working you should contact your gas supplier. You can then try relighting the pilot light yourself – ensuring you follow the instructions found in your boilers manual for igniting the pilot light. Get a boiler repair quote. If neither of these things works you should call Lakewood Plumbing & Heating. Always remember that you should never carry out and work on your own gas boiler.
Losing pressure: If your boiler pressure drops too low, your central heating system may not function properly. To check a boiler’s pressure level, simply look at its built-in pressure gauge – if it’s below 1 you may have an issue. There a number of reasons why this may be happening: a water leak in the system, the pressure relief valve needs replacing, or as a result of recently bleeding radiators.
Frozen condensate pipe: Condensing boilers have condensate a pipe that transports the acidic water, caused by waste gas, away from the boiler. This usually runs outside into a drain, and because of its location, it faces the risk of freezing. A condensate pipe can be identified simply by looking at your boiler.
Thermostat issues: If the thermostat is losing accuracy or turning the heating on/off when it’s not supposed to it might be time to invest in a new one. It’s worth making a couple of common-sense checks first though, as sometimes these can be easily overlooked. Check your thermostat to ensure it’s in the on position and that it is set to the correct settings i.e time and schedule – it’s always possible that it could have been knocked.
Kettling: Hearing a strange rumbling noise similar to when a kettle is boiling? When limescale or sludge builds up on your boiler’s heat exchanger you can get something called kettling. When these deposits build up in your boiler, they can restrict the flow of water within the heat exchanger. This can overheat the water, causing it to steam and boil (causing the kettle-like sounds). Kettling is more common in areas with hard water, but can also affect boilers in soft water areas. Subsequently, it may be advisable to find a water softener, from somewhere like aquariuswaterconditioning.com that can help with any hard water issues that you have that could be compromising the effectiveness of your boiler. Not only does it cause your system to work harder and thus cost more to run, but it can also shorten the system’s life. If your boiler is kettling, it’s advisable to call out a gas safe registered engineer who will likely flush out your system to remove the build-up of these deposits and ensure the system is working properly once more.
Radiators not getting hot: You might find that not all of your radiators are getting hot or that only the bottom section is heating up. This can be down to a number of reasons but the two most common are sludge or air build up in the system and unequal distribution of heat. If only the bottom of your radiator is getting hot, you may need to bleed it. This is fairly straightforward and doesn’t require a technician (unless you don’t feel able to carry out the task yourself).
Boiler keeps switching itself off: Could be low water pressure, a problem with the thermostat, or a lack of water flow due to a closed valve, air, or the pump not circulating the water in the system properly. We’ve covered each of these issues in more detail above, but if you still can’t identify the cause we recommend calling out a Lakewood Plumbing & Heating to take a look at your boiler.