It’s a good question because let’s face it, if your boiler is working but just isn’t working properly it still feels like an emergency to you. However, it most certainly is an emergency if you experience a full boiler breakdown and have no hot water or heating. And at a Grand Union Plumbing & Heating we understand that even if that’s not the case… you still want a fast response.
So what counts as an emergency?
An emergency call out for boiler repair is warranted when it’s a matter of health and safety for a household. If you experience any of the following, you need an experienced and appropriately qualified engineer on site ASAP: when you have no hot water or heating, particularly if you have young children or it’s during the winter; when you have to stop using it because your carbon monoxide monitor has alerted you to a problem; or, of course, if you can smell gas.
However, with that said, we also understand that intermittent problems can create difficulties for a household. Thus we always aim to be on site as soon as we can, unless every engineer is out tackling an emergency; you get what we’re saying, eh? So even if it’s just a problem that happens now and again… we know it still needs prompt attention.
Do I need a fully qualified heating engineer for an emergency boiler repair?
The short answer is yes, so we recommend you ensure the person who’s going to look at your boiler is a Gas Safe registered engineer, or if your boiler uses oil, that they are an OFTEC technician.
How quickly will they turn up?
If it’s an emergency repair, they will ideally be with you as soon as possible, with the aim of getting you back up and running within 24 hours. Though bear in mind certain problems can take a bit longer, for example if your boiler requires parts that need to be ordered in.
Common problems requiring an experienced engineer
- Air in the system
- Low boiler pressure
- Broken thermostat
- Fan failure
- Diverter valve failure
Symptoms suggesting there is a problem
All sorts of things can occur that suggest you need a qualified boiler engineer to have a look, even if it’s not an emergency. For example:
- You can smell gas (this is an emergency, call 0800 111 999)
- The water is hot but you don’t have any heating
- You have heating but no hot water in your taps
- You have neither hot water nor heating
- Your boiler is leaking
- Your boiler is making odd noises
- Your boiler won’t ignite
- Your boiler switches off too soon or keeps switching off
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms then we advise you to call a Gas Safe engineer as soon as possible. A stitch in time saves nine, as they say, for with a bit of TLC your boiler could be fixed and up and running again quickly, whereas if you leave it too long and you may need a full replacement.
If you’re worried about your boiler, you can always give us a ring on 01908 103034. We’ll be delighted to help if we can.