As a specialist heating company, we are often asked by homeowners and residents: 

“What should I do to look after my boiler?”
“What is wrong with my boiler?”
“What is wrong with my central heating?”

This area is designed to provide basic maintenance advice and help you locate and identify any potential problems with your boiler and/or central heating system. Please note that this information is for guidance only and if you have a problem with your boiler or central heating system, please contact us.

What should I do to look after my boiler?

The best way to prolong the longevity of your boiler is to look after it properly and there are a number of do-it-yourself measures that can be taken to ensure that your system will cause you the minimum fuss and in turn, the minimum expense over its lifetime.

It is important to remember not to attempt to fix or tamper with the boiler itself, any work required to a boiler must be undertaken by a CORGI and OFTEC qualified engineer.

Run your system at least once a month, even in the summer. This will help the boiler work efficiently and stop the circulating pump from jamming.

• If you are a homeowner get your boiler serviced once a year. This preventative action will save you money in the long term.
• If you rent your home it is your landlord’s responsibility to make sure that all of your gas appliances comply with the required safety standards. Landlords have a legal obligation to make sure that a gas boiler is checked at least annually by a CORGI registered engineer. If you are not sure whether the boiler in your rented property has been serviced ask your landlord for a copy of the CP12 safety certificate.

Be aware of danger

• If you smell gas or believe that gas could be escaping make sure you open all windows and doors, turn off your gas supply at the meter control valve and ring National Grid Gas on their emergency hotline 0800 111 999.
• Carbon monoxide is a silent killer, it is odourless, colourless and you can’t taste it. It can be deadly and you can be particularly vulnerable if you sleep in a room with a faulty gas appliance. Some common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are: tiredness, nausea, headaches, drowsiness, chest pains and other flu like symptoms. To minimise the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning from your gas appliances make sure these are regularly serviced and properly installed. Carbon monoxide alarms can cost as little as £10 and offer second level protection against the dangers. 
• Check the colour of the flame, a steady blue flame is more likely to signal that an appliance is working as it should, but a yellowy or orange flame may indicate a blocked flue or a problem with the appliance. In this event shut the appliance down and seek advice from a registered engineer. 
• Never block or cover flues or vents, as this will cause a build up of carbon monoxide.
• Beware of stains and soot on boilers, as this may indicate there is a fault.
• If a pilot light keeps going out it is likely that the boiler is faulty.

Boiler and central heating "insurance" will protect you against unnecessary boiler malfunctions and the expense that they can bring. PH Jones offers three levels of "boiler insurance" and central heating cover, known as Service Plan, at great value to ensure peace of mind all year round.

What is wrong with my central heating system?

Got a problem with your central heating? Click on the links below for our troubleshooting tips below:

• Parts of the radiator are cold
• Irregular room temperature
• One radiator is not working
• Hissing and banging noises
• Boiler is not working
• Boiler is working but very little, or no heat from the radiators
• Leaking pipes
• One part of the house is warm, one is not
• Overflow pipe leaking

 Parts of the radiator are cold

Top
If the top of the radiator is cold then it may be due to trapped air in your central heating system.
This is easily rectified by the process of ‘bleeding’ your radiator. To bleed the radiator you need a radiator key that will fit onto the square bleed valve located at the top corner of the radiator - turn the key anti-clockwise about quarter of a turn and hold a towel under the valve. You will hear a hissing sound and when all the air has been released, water will start to leak out. After the water has finished leaking, tighten the valve and you have now bled your radiator. To ensure maximum efficiency bleed your radiators as a precaution once a year.

Middle
If the centre of your radiator is cold it may indicate that there is a build up of corrosion in the system. The radiator may need to be flushed, which involves taking it off the wall and flushing it out with clean water to release any sludge in the system. The radiator may need replacing too. For further information and help, please contact us.

Bottom
This could show that the system needs de-sludging. This could be due to a build up of iron oxide in the system, which effectively blocks the hot water from coming in.
You may need to shut your heating system down and add a central heating chemical cleanser. If a cleanser has been added, this will need to be left in the system for a few days before the whole system is flushed out, using clean water. For further information and help, please contact us.

Irregular room temperature

If you are finding that some rooms in your house are warmer than others it may be due to an imbalance in your heating system. Your system works in a circuit, which means that the radiators that are nearest to the boiler may be hottest.

• To fix this you need to turn down the radiators nearest to the boiler so that it will allow more water to flow to the ones that are further away.
• You can do this by adjusting the lockshield valve on the radiators, (which is normally located on the bottom corner of the radiator opposite the handwheel valve), and regulating the amount of water it is letting in.
• This can be a case of trial and error until you feel that the temperature of all the radiators are balanced, or you can use a thermometer and measure it exactly.

One radiator is not working

If there is just one radiator in the house that is not working, the following information may help:

• Check that the radiator’s handwheel valve is open, usually located on the bottom corner of your radiator.
• Check that the lockshield valve (on the opposite side of the radiator to the handwheel valve) is open enough to let the hot water flow in.
• Close off all radiators other than the problem radiator - turn on your central heating system. This should push water into the radiator and may clear a blockage.
• You may need to replace your thermostat valve as it could be faulty, this will involve draining your central heating system.
• The radiator may be blocked with sludge, in this instance the system will need descaling with a central heating descaler and then flushing out with clean water.
• Failing the above, you may need to invest in a new radiator.

Hissing and banging noises

If your heating system is making some odd noises like hissing and banging it may be due to the water pressure, thermostat or a clogged system.

Water pressure

• This could be due to a lack of water pressure in the system. To try and resolve this you need to look at the water pressure indicator on your boiler which will indicate whether it is low.
• If it is low and after increasing the pressure, the noises persist, you need to turn off your water supply, shut down your system and go to where your water tank is located (usually the loft).
• At the water tank check that the float valve is not stuck and check that the ball cock is not stuck.
• Following the water tank check, if there are still no obvious signs, it may mean that your supply pipe may have frozen, which can be common at particularly cold times of the year.

Thermostat

• Try turning the thermostat down, the noises may stop.
• If the noises stop, but your temperature decreases below the level at which it is set, your thermostat may be faulty.

Clogged system

• The system may need desludging with a chemical cleanser due to a build up of iron oxide which effects the movement of hot water around the system. If this is the case you can buy a chemical descaler which has to be applied to a dormant system and left to work for a few days, before flushing the system out with clean water.

PH Jones also offers a Power Flushing service. For further information please visit the Power Flushing area. 

The boiler is not working

• Check that the pilot light is not out; if it is try to reignite following the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Check that the thermostat is not set lower that room temperature
• The timer may be faulty; if this is the case set the boiler to the 24 hour mode and see whether your heating comes on.

In all instances if you are unsure or none of the above work contact a CORGI registered engineer

The boiler is working but there is very little, or no heat from the radiators

If your boiler is working but there is little or no heat coming from your radiators check:

• That the thermostat is above room temperature
• That all of the radiators valves are open to let the hot water through

If neither of the above work it could be a case of a faulty pump or a faulty thermostat or timer. Please contact us for further information.

Leaking pipes

If you find a leak coming from one of the pipes or joints that belong to your central heating system.

• If the water is coming off one of the connection joints around the pipe try to tighten it with a spanner. If this does not work you may need a replacement part.
• If the dripping is coming from a pipe rather than a joint then it may need replacing and you may need a new section of pipe. If a new section of pipe needs replacing, the system will need to be drained in order that it can be replaced. As a temporary measure a sealant can be used to seal the break although there is no guarantee how long this will last. 

One part of the house is warm, one is not

If your heating is not working in certain areas of the house and is working in others (such as upstairs/downstairs) it may be as a result to your central heating’s zonal system. This system allows you to vary the temperatures in different parts of your house.

• Check that the thermostat is working that is dedicated to that zone.
• Check the zone valve to your radiators - it may need replacing.

Overflow pipe leaking

This can be caused by a problem with the float valve in your water tank.

• Check the float valve for cracks
• Ensure that its rubber washers are still intact
• Your system may require a service

Remember – the above information is for guidance only. Always seek advice from a CORGI and OFTEC registered engineer.